Skrillex‘s eclectic Essential Mix spurred all manner of reactions from various dance music factions, and his included bootleg of a track by UK techno producer Blawan has continued to generate conversation days after Mr. Moore left the BBC studios. As his underrated Burial-inspired Leaving EP indicated, Skrillex is exploring new sonic territory. Just as his time spent with deadmau5 contributed the plucky chords on “All I Ask of You,” Skrillex is clearly channeling a bit of current Dog Blood collaborator Boys Noize on this bootleg. From the robotic gulping bass to the stuttering electro sample stabs, this rework has Mr. Ridha’s influence written all over it. And you know what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Creative cross-pollination is one of the prime driving forces in today’s dance music, and as an extremely talented producer with six Grammys to his name, Skrillex has more than earned the right to spread his artistic wings and explore.
Skrillex is dubstep’s poster boy, a spirited musician, and industry tastemaker. His dedication to the craft is second-to-none, re-inventing and re-imagining what electronic music can be at every opportunity, leading the push for creativity in dance music with his label OWSLA and stable of talented producers under his wing. His solo career is a highlight reel of accomplishments most producer’s could only hope to achieve, all while staying true to the sound he helped create.
It’s been three years since Sonny Moore emerged from the depths of the internet under the guise of Skrillex. Three years since he defined an entire new genre of electronic music with the release of the My Name Is Skrillex EP. Since then Skrillex has become a household name. This Friday, Sonny will finally be gracing the BBC Radio 1 decks for a two hour look into his vast music knowledge. After an incredible run of award-winning EPs, a successful label, sold out world tours, and more than a handful of Grammy wins, Sonny brings his legacy to the BBC Radio 1 airwaves for an Essential Mix on Pete Tong’s Radio 1 broadcast.
Skrillex and NYC clothing company Mishka have fused their creative energies to release a three piece capsule collection. The announcement was made midday Friday, when OWSLA posted a link to a cryptic, nonsensical, at times seizure inducing webpage on Skrillex’s website. The frenetic, 8-bit-stylized link is supplemented by a quirky soundtrack, just as psychedelic as the medley of mind-numbing visualizers.
The track, which has been essentially confirmed by Mishka as Skrillex’s own, is an odd and extraneous assemblage of different tonal voices over a slow midtempo beat. Two minutes in, the track changes direction, ditching the off-kilter voices for a wonky bass synth and chiming melody. Regardless of who made “DOOMPY POOMP,” it’s one of the oddest tracks you’ll hear all day (or all year for that matter).
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Check out Skrillex and Mishka’s new clothing line here.
In a recent interview with MTV Australia, Mad Decent rapper Riff Raff — who rose to fame (or infamy) thanks to MTV’s “From Gs to Gents” — discussed spending studio time with Skrillex and an upcoming collaboration featuring Sonny and Skylar Grey. The corn-rowed Houston born rapper also mentioned an entire album with the dubstep kingpin – acting as if he slipped up during the interview when he revealed the info;
“Yeah? Me and Skrillex have an album coming out. I mean we have a song coming out. Oh sh*t. That’s what I do when I speak too soon. I can’t tell you more than that. MTV exclusive!”
Although we are slightly suspicious that Riff Raff’s statements about an entire Skrillex-produced album are factual, there may be an extremely funny and well-produced rap track on the horizon.
In our first installment of Before the Beats we showed off shots from artists including Brodinski,Dillon Francis, and Sebastian Ingrosso. For the second edition, we’ve collected even more photos which run the gamut from cute and cuddly to funny and predictive of their musical futures. New additions to the baby photo retrospective include Ferry Corsten,Hardwell,Laidback Luke, and Sander van Doorn, but we also have new pictures from artists previously featured in our first installment; repeat offenders include Steve Angello,Chuckie, and A-Trak. Click below the break to find out what your favorite artists looked like before they were big stars.
When Boys Noize and Skrillex joined forces back in August of 2012 to form Dog Blood, it was uncertain whether it was a one time collaboration or the inception of a new superduo. With Ultra Music Festival and Coachella at their back and an upcoming performance from Hard Summer, it’s quite clear that Dog Blood is here to stay. After igniting the Sahara Tent to a riotous state of enthusiasm for two weekends straight at Coachella, countless fans were left harkening for the release of their live set from the festival. A month later, Dog Blood’s set from Weekend Two of Coachella has been released. With some thoroughly inventive mixing and heavy selections from Tracques, Alex Metric, Kill the Noise and more, this is one live set worth reliving.
During his 2012 The Mothership Tour Mexico, Skrillex performed 4 sold-out shows to legions of diehard fans, bringing a camera along for the ride. This 15-minute video of his experience documents the travels of Skrillex,12th Planet,Zedd and Nadastrom as they travel throughout Mexico, encountering a whole host of characters along the way. Performing a show on December 21st, 2012 at the Mayan Temples in Puebla, Skrillex welcomed the Mayan Apocalypse with a wave of bass thrown forth from his monstrous mothership.
Watch the video above and grab a front row seat for all of the Mexican mayhem.
YouTube’s Comedy Week, featuring some of comedy’s biggest name for a week of YouTube-based skits and live performances, has just begun. Not-so-suprisingly Skrillex made a guest appearance, lending his DJ skills to Hannibal Buress for a live rendition of his nonsensical “Gibberish Rap.”
The Skrillex cameos didn’t end there with a Skrillex vs Mozart rap battle that featured Sonny and his doppleganger tag-teaming Mozart in one of the most “Epic Rap Battles of History.” Watch the battle below the break.
Although the highlight of the Billboard Music Awards may have been Miguel’s leg drop on an unsuspecting fan, dance music mainstays David Guetta, Skrillex and Baauer all took home awards for Best EDM Artist, Best EDM Album, Best EDM Song and Best Dance Song before the night was over. Not suprisingly David Guetta took home the Best EDM Artist award, acknowledging in his speech that;
“When they put me on the cover four years ago and said EDM would be big, I thought ‘these guys are crazy – this will never happen.’ Imagine how I feel today.”
Skrillex took home the award for Best EDM Album while viral-sensation Baauer won both Best EDM Song and Best Dance Song – bringing the “Harlem Shake” legacy full circle with two awards.
