Skrillex
Name & Pronunciation: Skrillex (Sonny John Moore) - pronounced SKRIL-eks
Years Active & Status: 2004 to Present (active)
Origin & Heritage: Los Angeles, California, U.S.; American, with roots in post-hardcore, punk, rock, and evolving into electronic bass music
Hook: Skrillex is a transformational force in electronic music who helped bring dubstep and bass music into mainstream consciousness - fusing aggressive sound design, genre hybridism, and pop sensibility in a way that shaped modern ReggaeEDM, bass, and electronic scenes.
Motto/Tagline: "Bleed for the code"
BIOGRAPHY
Sonny John Moore first came to public attention as lead vocalist for the post-hardcore band From First to Last in the mid-2000s. After departing the band, he began producing under the name Skrillex, releasing early EPs that combined elements of punk, glitch, and electronic experimentation.
His breakthrough came with the Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites EP, whose title track and sonic aggression became emblematic of a new wave of American bass music. Over the following years, Skrillex expanded his reach through ambitious collaborations, setting up his label OWSLA, and remixing tracks across pop, hip hop, and electronic genres.
As his career matured, he embraced genre diversity - working with pop stars, rappers, indie musicians, and dance producers - while retaining a signature edge in sound design and rhythmic boldness. In 2023 he surprised fans by releasing two albums back to back, Quest for Fire and Don't Get Too Close, showing renewed creative depth and ambition. Most recently in 2025 he released a surprise album Fck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not!! <3*, continuing to push boundaries of expectation, identity, and sonic form.
Throughout his journey he has remained a fixture in festival culture and electronic music discourse, both as an innovator and a bridge between underground and mainstream. His influence spans production techniques, label curation, and mentorship to rising artists.
REGGAEEDM ANALYSIS
Reggae Roots
Rhythm: Skrillex occasionally integrates syncopations, offbeat accents, and dancehall or dub rhythmic turns in his hybrid productions.
Bass: His bass design is aggressive, sub-heavy, modulated, and often layered with distortion - echoing dub's emphasis on low frequencies taken to extremes.
Vocals/Message: While not primarily a conscious reggae lyricist, he uses vocal texture, sampling, and chopped voices in creative ways that sometimes reference vocal traditions from reggae, dancehall, and global music.
Electronic/EDM Techniques
Sound Design & Extreme Modulation: Skrillex is known for pushing synths, wavetables, distortion, bit-crush, and dynamic processing to sculpt unique bass timbres.
Genre Fusion & Crossroads: He blends dubstep, trap, future bass, glitch, emo pop, and even rock elements to create fresh hybrid tracks.
Structural Disruption & Contrast: His arrangements favor sharp contrast, dynamic drop or break motion, silence and tension, and unexpected transitions to shift emotional impact.
ESSENTIAL WORKS & WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" (2010): The title track of his breakthrough EP became a benchmark for modern bass music with its aggressive drops and melodic vocal hook.
Bangarang (2011): An EP that expanded his palette via collaborations, wild production, and crossover appeal.
"First of the Year (Equinox)" (2011): An intense breakbeat structure and vocal buildup, a widely recognized single,
Quest for Fire (2023): A mature full-length exploring expansive soundscapes, collaborations, and genre choices.
Don't Get Too Close (2023): Released the very next day, this album pushed emotional and melodic content, revealing his range beyond raw bass.
INFLUENCE ON REGGAEEDM
Innovations: Skrillex set new standards for bass sound design, proving that heavy bass music could cross into pop and remain experimental. His collaborations with Jamaican and reggae or dancehall artists in remixes and features influenced the acceptance of bass-reggae hybrids.
Impact: Many younger ReggaeEDM producers cite him as a sonic pioneer whose technical audacity encouraged boundary crossing. His success also opened doors for heavier, darker, and more hybrid bass music to coexist with reggae inflections in mainstream spaces.
RECOMMENDED ALBUMS
Quest for Fire (2023)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5sfr7pnsTBW9wcQPbxuitJ
Key tracks: "Rumble," "Leave Me Like This," "Xena"
Notes: His bold return to album format after years, weaving heavy bass, experimental textures, and global collaborations.Don't Get Too Close (2023)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6QY5Z4KjUHuwxjO0N2nIqc
Key tracks: "Don't Get Too Close," "Way Back," "Real Spring"
Notes: A complementary counterpart to Quest for Fire, emphasizing melodic, emotional, and hybrid sound.Recess (2014)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7e7t3rLjtIazkk0w7VuDII
Key tracks: "Try It Out," "Ease My Mind," "Dirty Vibe"
Notes: His debut full-length studio album, highlighting his first wave of global crossover.Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (2010)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6Exo0MYoLHKVua3nJYqj9Y
Key tracks: "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites," "Kill Everybody," "All I Ask of You"
Notes: The project that defined his sound and launched his global rise.Bangarang (2011)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6t7956yu5zYf5A829XRiHC
Key tracks: "Bangarang," "Kyoto," "Summit"
Notes: A celebrated EP that cemented his reputation as an innovator of bass-heavy crossover music.
