Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
All Your Bass Belong To Him: A Layman's Guide To Skrillex
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 31, 2012
Modified Jan 31, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jan 31, 2012
Modified Jan 31, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The world's most successful DJ called him a "pioneer," he's collaborated with members of The Doors, and he has inspired countless awful haircuts. But what the hell is Skrillex? And why does his music make our refrigerator bounce when our neighbors blast it? The DJs at our normal watering hole have bottles thrown at them when they deviate from Thin Lizzy, so we asked two dubstep/electronic/glitch/dance aficionados for help on a layman's guide to the Skrillex revolution before his 5-night stand in New York City.
Everybody Loves Skrillex
Just a few years ago, Skrillex, aka 24-year-old Sonny Moore, was a high school dropout who sung in a punk band and DJ'd in Los Angeles. Now he has remixes commissioned by Lady Gaga, and made two of the most-played songs on Facebook last year. His most popular single, "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites," has over 60 million views on YouTube, and he performs 320 dates a year. "He's having Skream & Benga open for him. They are dubstep legends," Bryant Thomas, a resident of the 757 and a converted Skrillex fan notes. "Skreamo band lead singer to one of the most popular people in music. Meteoric."
If You See Him, Prepare To Be Blinded By Braces
So who buys tickets to these things? "Honestly, teenyboppers that can't handle the copious amounts of drugs they just ingested," BT says. "And bros. That's right: frat brothers love Skrill Dog. His music is often referred to as Bro Step by people who aren't as enamored with him." BT notes that Skrillex "doesn't claim to even play dubstep…he describes it as a mix of dubstep, electro and glitch…which is accurate." If you're not wincing at braces-filled grins, then you may see gold fronts: Kanye digs Skrillex too. Which brings us to…
Everybody Really, Really Hates Skrillex
Maybe not Lana Del Ray hate, but close. When Sanders DeNardi caught him at Webster Hall he had written Skrillex off as a "one trick pony." "I figured he was cashing in on the genre by using over-the-top, pre-made wompy sounds in different non-melodic patterns, creating music that I imagine teeth grinding through a subwoofer sounds like." This sums up the critiques leveled at Skrillex by the UK dubstep community nicely. Sanders walked out of the show: "the combination of 1,000+ teenagers in an incredibly packed venue did not make for a good experience."
He Looks Like That Time Corey Feldman Stole Your Grandma's Glasses
Others hate him for a good ole fashioned, petty reason: his looks. "C'mon, dude looks like a tool," Sanders says. The Internet agrees. He's also painfully earnest. “I just try to shut everything else out and make records that I like.” Skrillex told the Times. “I don’t like hype cluttering art.” Except when it involves, uh, Korn?
He Ain't Going Anywhere, So You Might As Well Give It A Listen
Unlike the aforementioned, puffy-lipped "poseur," Skrillex is prolific, so there's a better chance that one of his tracks will ring your bell. And he does seem like a nice guy! "If nothing else, the guy can make a hell of a remix and his tracks sound pretty good remixed by other artists," Sanders concedes. "The hate for this guy is uncalled for," BT says. "Let's be serious: if you're worrying about the crowd, you're probably an asshole. It's easy to separate yourself from the less desirable and the jailbait. Check it out for yourself and go in without any preconceived notions."
Skrill Dog is playing all the major, sweaty, crowded venues in the city over the next five days. See Craig for tickets, and relax: it's just dancing. You're not too old, are you?
Tagged
757
brostep
dance
dubstep
electronic music
haters
kanye west
lady gaga
skrill dog
skrillex
teenagers
webster hall
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .