In a scene that is full of producers who just rely on tried and tested formulas, there are always artists who come as a breath of fresh air, always willing to test their boundaries, bending their sounds in their fervent drive for something new, and Skrillex has always been one of them. From his bass heavy, speaker trembling dubstep to his more recent trap/hip-hop sound, which is winning him accolades everywhere, Skrillex has never restricted himself to one sound, and to good measure.
Skrillex during his stint with From First To Last
Growing up in San Francisco, and moving around frequently, Skrillex was highly influenced by punk rock, and was the lead vocalist of metalcore band From First To Last, from 2004 to 2007, after which he left the band to pursue his career in electronic music, and we all know how that turned out!
2012 saw him release his collaboration with the surviving members of the American band, The Doors, on the track ‘Breakn’ A Sweat‘ where he also used Jim Morrison‘s vocal samples from an interview in 1960. He also teamed up with Boyz Noise in the same year to form a new side project called Dog Blood, releasing an EP the same year, titled ‘Middle Finger‘. 2013 saw him release a 3 track EP in January, and a collaboration with Alvin Risk titled ‘Try It Out‘, and also debuted his side project with Diplo, Jack U, at the Mad Decent Boat Party in San Diego in 2013.
2014 was set to be Skrillex’s year, as he released his debut studio album, Recess, amidst much fan fare, garnering critical acclaim from peers as well as critics. Recess also marked a departure from his traditionally heavy, dubstep sound to a more bass centric, hip hop meets trap sound, which saw collaborations with the likes of Diplo, Kill The Noise, Chance The Rapper, Ragga Twins and many more. Skrillex also marked Jack U‘s debut single in 2014 with ‘Take U There’, in collaboration with Kiesza, while the duo played a headlining slot at Ultra Music Festival, Miami in 2014.
2015 saw Skrillex release Jack U‘s album ‘Skrillex & Diplo present Jack U‘ in February , featuring 9 tracks, including one of the year’s biggest hit, ‘Where Are U Now‘ in collaboration with Justin Bieber. He also played a headlining slot at Ultra 2015, where he was joined on stage by Diplo, Justin Bieber and P. Diddy for the very first live performance. Skrillex also collaborated with Dillon Francis for the track ‘Bun Up The Dance‘ for his EP ‘This Mixtape Is Fire‘, while producing Vic Mensa‘s ‘No Chill‘, and The Game‘s ‘El Chapo‘.
Skrillex is all set to embark on his debut India tour, as a part of Vh1 Supersonic Arcade, and you can catch him on the following dates.
Bangalore, 8th October: Supernova Arena & Convention Centre
Hyderabad, 9th October: Bulder Hills Golf & Country Club
Mumbai, 10th October: Reliance JIO Gardens
New Delhi, 11th October: Huda Grounds
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