Skrillex Biography:

Sonny Moore, known worldwide to music enthusiasts as Skrillex, is one of today’s most buzzing EDM artist. This perception was fortified by the announcement of his 5 Grammy Award nominations in late 2011, including contention for Artist of the Year 2011.

23-year-old Electro, Dubstep, Glitch music producer won 3 Grammys this February and has generated media buzz surrounding his relationship with Ellie Goulding. He has jumped in the limelight for both fans of EDM and EDM critics.

Moore’s status as an elite EDM producer and artist is the culmination of years filled with motivation, touring, and performing with various live bands before launching as a solo producer.

Sonny Moore and “From First to Last”

Growing up a serious Electronic, Punk and Metal fan in North Los Angeles, Moore began sneaking into clubs and shows at age 14, feeding off the energy of live music. From this inside perspective, Moore says he used the energy to start making beats and producing music on programs like Fruity Loops. His early inspirations include Nine Inch Nails, Aphex Twin, Prodigy and Marilin Manson.

Moore found solace in the ups, downs, twists, and turns of these progressive musical vehicles and took the inspiration to the Hardcore/Emo group From First to Last. Moore flew from L.A. to Georgia in 2004 to audition for From First to Last as a guitarist, but after a few label producers heard the teenager’s vocal ability, he became front man for the band.

The group toured relentlessly, gaining a loyal following and releasing two successful full-length albums. Headlining the Vans Warped Tour was a career high for From First to Last. Unfortunately, Moore faced vocal issues during his two years with the band and underwent surgery to repair his voice. This caused many tour dates to be cancelled and ultimately caused Moore to step down as their lead singer.

A Solo Career which Spawned the Creation of “Skrillex”

2007 saw Moore break into his solo career. He stayed true to the live band model, assembling a crew of musicians to perform music Moore had wrote and produced, but never released. A Myspace page that featured three tracks— “Signal,” “Equinox,” and “Glow Worm”— drew attention to Moore’s production skills. From 2007-2009 Moore performed with various line-ups on multiple tours and festivals.

With his momentum quickly picking up in 07, Moore created the alias Skrillex, and began performing under this stage name in 2008. It wasn’t until 2010 when Skrillex became official, releasing the “My Name is Skrillex” E.P. online as a free download. This release, many believe, was his biggest turning point as a rising musician.

“My Name is Skrillex” propelled Moore forward, drawing attention from Deadmau5, another one of EDM‘s quickest rising stars. In conjunction with Deadmau5‘s label, Mou5eTrap Recordings, Skrillex dropped the “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” E.P. in October 2010 and went on a world tour with Deadmau5 in support of the E.P. In a very short time, Skrillex gained the likes of a massive audience, both online and at gigs/festivals, by bringing a newer sound to existing EDM genres.

Skrillex & Dubstep

Though not the first to produce with these elements, Skrillex‘s newer, more aggressive sound heavily incorporates distorted basslines and distinguishes his productions from the other traditional Dubstep. He started producing Electro House and later moved to heavier forms of bass music, drawing influence from non EDM genres including 1940s swing and metal. This emerging style, coined by some as “Brostep,” not only won him loyal appreciation from old and new fans, but also accredited him for the evolving genre. With each release, online forums exploded with both a wave of new Skrillex fans and critics.

By bringing heavy exposure to the underground genre, many newer EDM fans were quick to associate Skrillex‘s sound as the “sound of Dubstep,” fueling online debates over him and the new genre. Whether or not one admires his talent as a producer, the discontent towards this newly favored artist has in fact brought him an exceptional amount of buzz and attention.

Skrillex featured on the cover of Spin Magazine Oct. 2011. Photograph by Jason Nocito

From Underground to Mainstream

After gaining prominence at EDM festivals and within online communities, Skrillex hopped into mainstream media towards the end of 2011 after his five Grammy nominations. Attention from mainstream sources led to mixed feelings within the EDM community, many supporting his recognition and others skeptical about it.

Despite anyone’s opinion, Skrillex has big plans in the EDM world for 2012, headlining numerous major EDM festivals. He was also featured on the front cover of Billboard magazine in February 2012 along with Diplo and A-Trak.

His Bangarang EP, released January 2012, became his most commercially successful release, featuring collaborations with 12th Planet, Wolfgang Gartner, Kill the Noise, Ellie Goulding, and Sirah. He also collabed with the legendary band The Doors for “Breakin a Sweat,” produced for an upcoming documentary film titled Re:Generation.

Skrillex has also brought light to the up-and-coming producer Varien, featuring his “Skrillex Orchestral Suite” as a bonus track on the EP.

Skrillex’s Remixes and the Creation of OWSLA

Skrillex has worked with several Pop music chart-toppers including La Roux and Lady Gaga. His production has enabled him to collaborate with some of the largest EDM names such as Kaskade and Benny Benassi. He also produced “Get Up” for Metal band Korn, who joined Skrillex on stage at Coachella 2011.

Now signed to Big Beat Records, Skrillex operates an imprint label called OWSLA with manager Tim Smith, an EDM publicist and founder of Biz 3, Kathryn Frazier, and Biz 3 publicist Clayton Blaha. In just a few months, OWSLA has put out many quality tracks, shared virally amongst EDM fans, without the use of heavy online marketing or traditional “spam”-like tactics. The label includes many of today’s rising EDM producers: The Machine, Porter Robinson, Kill the Noise, Koan Sound, Skream, and Zedd.

With a lot of new hype about EDM, it will be interesting to see how the genre unfolds and continues to evolve not only for Skrillex and OWSLA, but for the EDM community as a whole.

-ElectronicDanceMusic.com