Image via Complex Original
Skrillex is one of the names that is immediately mentioned when the term "EDM" is thrown around. He's worked with everyone from The Doors to Damian Marley, and has a legion of fans... and haters. He's helped introduce artists like Zedd, Kill the Noise, Birdy Nam Nam, and many others to the dance music populace, and is a force to be reckoned with as a producer, live act, and a label head.
There's no way you can know the whole story, though. Here are 10 things you didn't know about Skrillex.
The Origin of "Skrillex"
Skrillex, the name, doesn't have any meaning. Skrillex has been called "Skril" or "Skrilly" by friends for years, and he figured that'd make as good a name as any; or he ran into the same situation Diplo did, where he got too popular with the name to then go back and change it.
Aphex Twin and Squarepusher Were His "Musical Turning Point"
When we heard Skrillex's Leaving EP, we immediately heard his IDM leanings. He's gone on record as saying that Warp Records, home to "intelligent dance music" veterans like Aphex Twin and Squarepusher, was a label he got into at age 12, and considers this his "musical turning point." It sounds like Aphex Twin especially can be a direct link to Skrillex's use of beauty and abrasive sounds, sometimes simultaneously, within his songs.
Twipz
Before adopting the name "Skrillex" for his musical career, though, Skrilly used to go by the name "Twipz." No, we're not sure where that name came from, but there are a number of MySpace-era tracks attributed to "Twipz" floating around on YouTube:
Skrillex Used to Sing
From First to Last is a band that was signed to Epitaph in the mid-2000s. Skrillex was, at the time, very into their music and heard the band was in need of a guitarist. In speaking with the band, he ended up moving out to Georgia, and somehow became the group's lead singer. He stayed on with the group for three years, sighting issues with not really being a singer (you'd think the need for vocal surgery would have clued him in), and ended up pursuing his solo career in 2007.
Skrillex Grew Up Thinking His Biological Mother Was a "Family Friend"
The subject of his biological parents isn't something Skrillex likes to bring up, but he has gone on record as saying he found out he was adopted at the age of 16. While on the 'Net, deciding on whether to try out for From First To Last, he was told that he would run into his mother, a woman he knew only as a family friend. He was definitely angry, and reportedly hasn't spoken to his biological mother in years. Skrillex says he does not like to dwell on where he's been, only focusing on who he is right now.
The First Time He Met Jonathan Davis
Many probably consider the 2011 Korn album The Path of Totality to be the first time Skrillex met Jonathan Davis, but he actually interviewed Davis for a Revolver piece from 2006. Skrillex was a big fan of Korn's, and it shows in the interview.
Skrillex's First Solo Live Show Was With a Harpist
After leaving From First To Last in 2007, Skrillex pursued his solo career. For his first live show, he played a number of original songs accompanied by a harpist, Carol Robbins. While the motto is "never say never," we can't imagine what a Skrillex show in 2013 would sound like with harp accompaniment.
The Popularity of Skrillex's "Cinema" Remix
While Benny Benassi's "Cinema" was a hit in its own right, Skrillex's remix achieved its own success. Not only did it clock in over 30 million views on YouTube, but it sat on iTunes' Dance Music chart for six months and was used in an advertisement for the WWE, ultimately leading to a Grammy win for Skrillex in 2012.
The Creation of "Make it Bun Dem"
Skrillex and Damian Marley released a single, "Make It Bun Dem," in 2012, but it wasn't always an original Jr. Gong song. As the story goes, Skrillex had an unreleased instrumental that made the rounds online (dubbed "Rudeboy Bass" by fans for the sample in the track), and he ended up putting the acapella of Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock" over it.
Skrillex eventually sent the demo to Damian, and instead of releasing it as a remix to "Welcome to Jamrock," Jr. Gong recorded new vocals to the instrumental. This eventually got released on May 1, 2012, and further solidified Skrillex's mainstream dominance.
The Children of The Doors Love Skrillex
Skrillex got the opportunity to work with The Doors during the RE:Generation documentary on a track "Break'n A Sweat," which ended up on his successful (and Grammy-nominated) Bangarang EP. The Doors, not surprisingly, had no idea who he was, although Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger mentioned that their kids were huge Skrillex fans, and were excited that their parents would work with the EDM producer.