Sonny Moore, a.k.a. Skrillex, is an intriguing phenomenon in pop culture. You can hear his music on radio stations that might just play Adele right after his song, as well as on alternative rock playlists or obscure EDM subreddits.
He’s embraced the look of a guy who prefers guitars but has become known for not shying away from sampling little-known Palestinian vocals. This child at heart returns to EXIT in a year that is extremely important for him. Last year he dealt with mental health struggles before surprising fans with not one but two new albums in an extremely short period.
Although he has performed at pretty much every notable festival in the world, there are few that he remembers as well as EXIT. And that is a fact. He came at the peak of his career at the time, and the Serbian audience accepted him extraordinarily well. As soon as the set started, it became clear that this was an extraordinary event. He shouted that he loved Serbia and gave more than he had ever done on stage. That year 2014, Skrillex took to the Main Stage of the EXIT Festival in front of a record number of visitors, and his show is still remembered as one of the most energetic sets in the history of the Main Stage.
In the following years, his colleagues came to see the truth behind what he told them, that EXIT is the best European festival! It’s no secret that Sonny cancelled his charter flight and extended his stay in Novi Sad once he had spent some time at the Dance Arena after that performance. At his own expense, he remained at the festival for a few more days with his whole team, visiting different stages and even putting on surprise shows on some of them.
Sonny Moore started playing music in bands, and the need to collaborate in the studio never left him. This guy has made songs with the biggest pop stars and the most hardcore punks, conquered EDM, and collected the most prestigious music awards.
Interestingly, he started his music career as a singer in the post-hardcore group From First to Last. He joined them in 2004, recording an album in each of the following two years. Later, he formed a new band with which, as a solo artist, he opened for bands such as All Time Low and Rocket Summer. People are beginning to nudge each other on the shoulder, saying he might be someone to watch out for.
Using his real name, Sonny Moore takes to MySpace to drop “Gypsyhook,” a free three-song EP that brings him to a producer who was also on the rise at the time. Noah Shain didn’t suit him musically at the time, which may have been a good thing because that’s when the producer he is today was born. They quickly end their cooperation, and he starts releasing music under the name that the whole world knows today, beginning with the very descriptively named EP “My Name Is Skrillex.“
He surrenders himself to dubstep and keeps offering up his music with no expectation of monetary compensation, at least for the time being. He becomes synonymous with that genre, even though he quickly transcends it. He returns to it to draw inspiration but also to enrich it. The following studio releases, during 2010, experienced moderate success, but in 2011, he was already nominated for five Grammy awards, of which he won three. He is also beloved in Britain, where the BBC puts him on the prestigious Sound of… list.
We waited for an album until 2014 and “Recess,“ while the second and third arrived last month, only a week apart. He was far from sitting on his hands in the meantime. He and Diplo created the Jack Ü project and dominated radio stations with Justin Bieber’s vocals. He simultaneously worked on Bieber’s albums, all the while forming Dog Blood with Boys Noize. He celebrated his 27th birthday by teaming up with his original bandmates and releasing the single “Make War”. He produced and mixed an album by American rock legends Incubus.
We should mention that he regularly collaborates with Poo Bear. He also put his spice on K-pop several times, reminded the public more than once of the genius that is Missy Elliott, and two years ago produced the global megahit “In da Getto.“ He received five more Grammy awards for his studio skills along the way! His music has been featured in as many as 24 video games! His immense contribution to popular culture is also evidenced by the fact that he made music for the animated hit film Wreck-It Ralph, in which he even makes a brief appearance.
In the documentary that RedBull Music made about him, he talked about how the world is changed by things that are not intended, but that people cling to the authentic and sincere. At the same time, he showed how much effort he invests in his performances, while in the months before his appearance at the mega-festival Coachella, he built a spaceship to perform from!
Four Tet and Fred Again are his best friends these days; they are also super producers but extremely modest guys. They took the subway to their own sold-out show in Madison Square Garden. The three of them performed all night in front of 20,000 people, creating an atmosphere as if they were in front of 20 of their closest friends in some basement. We expect no less on EXIT’s Main Stage — Skrillex has only gotten bigger since his first performance at EXIT. And knowing first-hand how much he enjoyed this festival last time, we shouldn’t be too surprised if he extends his stay at the Fortress this year as well.
Written by: Vojkan Bećir
