SKRILLEX life and biography

Skrillex is the stage name used by American music producer Sonny John Moore.

Born and raised in Northeast Los Angeles and in Northern California, Moore joined the American post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead singer in 2004, and recorded two studio albums with the band (Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count, 2004, and Heroine, 2006) before leaving to pursue a solo career in 2007. He began his first tour as a solo artist in late 2007. After recruiting a new band lineup, Moore joined the Alternative Press Tour to support bands such as All Time Low and The Rocket Summer, and appeared on the cover of Alternative Press' annual "100 Bands You Need to Know" issue.

"I’ve been deep into electronic music my entire life. The first records I ever owned were ‘Fat of Land’ by the Prodigy and ‘Come To Daddy’ by Aphex Twin," raves Skrillex. "Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails were also early influences. I've been dabbling in making electronic tracks on programs like Fruity Loops since I was 14 years old."

As part of the new generation of artists , SKRILLEX refuses to be restricted by preconceived notions or outside expectations. Genre has never been important to me, he insists. I’ve never thought about music that way.

Describing his current sound as "a mix of dubstep, electro and glitch all thrown together," new SKRILLEX release "SCARY MONSTERS AND NICE SPRITES" reflects all of the above and beyond. The uplifting post-trance synth melodies of "ALL I ASK OF YOU" (featuring the soaring vocals of Penny) stands in stark contrast to the face-melting electro bass blasts of the massive electro-dubstep hybrid "ROCK N’ ROLL (WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MOUNTAIN)". The project is the the first SKRILLEX release on Big Beat Records, in conjunction with fellow electronic revolutionary Deadmau5’s freshly minted Mau5trap record label. "For years, the artists needed the record labels. I don’t feel that way at all," Moore stresses. "SKRILLEX has been 100% independent until now. I think it’s so important to be self-sufficient as artist. Working with Atlantic / Big Beat, and cooperating with Mau5trap, allows us all to work as a team and expand on what’s already been built."

Following its release on Beatport, the 9-song EP dominated the charts on the site, with the title track claiming the site's #1 slot (the first time a dubstep track has ever done so), 8 songs breaking into the top 10, and multiple tracks claiming the #1 slots on several of the site’s subgenre charts, including Dubstep, Electro House, Progressive House.

Aside from the immediate success of “SCARY MONSTERS AND NICE SPRITES,” Skrillex has also made a name for himself as a highly sought-after remixer. He’s already produced officially commissioned remixes for such A-list artists as the Black Eyed Peas (“Rock That Body”), Lady Gaga (“Bad Romance” and “Alejandro”), and La Roux (“In For The Kill”).

Skrillex stands not only at the vanguard of electronic dance music, but the perpetually evolving new music industry as a whole. For me, it’s important to believe in and love the music you’re making. I gave away my first EP on my manager’s website, just so people could hear the music, he once enthuses. It was downloaded by the thousands in just a couple of months, and it hasn’t let up since. That’s all the inspiration I need to keep making music.

On June 2, 2011, Moore announced the release of a "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" remix EP titled "More Monsters And Sprites", which was released on June 7, 2011 on Beatport and June 21, 2011 on iTunes. It contained 3 new tracks, as well as 4 remixes of “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”.

Skrillex announced his label OWSLA on August 17, 2011.

On December 23, 2011, Moore released the Bangarang EP. The EP features Ellie Goulding on the track “Summit”, as well as collaborations with Wolfgang Gartner, Kill the Noise, The Doors and 12th Planet.

Discography:

2010: My Name Is Skrillex
2010: Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
2011: More Monsters and Sprites
2011: Bangarang!

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