was there iconic scratchy rapid frenetic drum electronic scraping noises before Bowie?
You can find elements of that in earlier 90s industrial, like Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. Bowie collaborated with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails on the Outside Tour, which supported Bowie's prior album Outside, before the release of Earthling. They also collaborated on remixes of I'm Afraid of Americans. You can probably also find some elements Earthling's sound in earlier drum and bass, techno and jungle music.
Skrillex' influences include 90s industrial acts like Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson, plus 90s electronica acts like Aphex Twin and Squarepusher. Bowie's Earthling reminds you of Skrillex because the two share many musical roots.
Playoff hockey is a whole nother level. This was during the first round of the playoffs in 2016, St. Louis vs. Chicago. The Blues gave him tickets to a game in the next round of the playoffs.