Skrillex facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Skrillex
Skrillex in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Sonny John Moore
Born	(1988-01-15) January 15, 1988 (age 37) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Dubstep brostep EDM electro house pop post-hardcore emo
Occupation(s)	Disc jockey record producer singer
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Atlantic Big Beat Owsla Asylum mau5trap Sumerian

Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known as Skrillex, is an American DJ, music producer, and singer. He grew up in Los Angeles and Northern California. He started his music journey in 2004 as the lead singer for the rock band From First to Last.

With the band, he recorded two albums: Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Bodycount (2004) and Heroine (2006). He left the band in 2007 to start his own music career. Skrillex began touring as a solo artist in late 2007. He later joined the Alternative Press Tour and was featured on the cover of Alternative Press magazine.

After releasing an EP called Gypsyhook (2009), he started performing as Skrillex. He released his first electronic music EP, My Name Is Skrillex (2010), for free online. This was followed by Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (2010) and More Monsters and Sprites (2011). These EPs became quite popular.

At the 54th Grammy Awards, Skrillex won three awards: Best Dance/Electronic Album, Best Dance Recording, and Best Remixed Recording. He was also nominated for Best New Artist. His first studio album, Recess (2014), reached number four on the Billboard 200 music chart. In 2023, he released two more albums, Quest for Fire and Don't Get Too Close, just one day apart.

Skrillex has won nine Grammy Awards, which is more than any other electronic dance music artist. He has also formed music groups with other artists. He created Jack Ü with Diplo and Dog Blood with Boys Noize. In 2017, Skrillex reunited with From First to Last to release a song called "Make War." He also produced and mixed 8, an album by the rock band Incubus.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Sonny Moore lived in Los Angeles, California, and also spent time in San Francisco when he was young. When he was 12, his family moved back to Los Angeles. He was home-schooled for a while because of challenges at school.

As a teenager in Los Angeles, Moore enjoyed going to different music shows and electronic music events. This helped shape his interest in various types of music.

Career Highlights

2004–2007: Starting with From First to Last

In 2004, Sonny Moore reached out to the band From First to Last to play guitar. When he flew to Georgia, producers heard him sing and made him the lead vocalist. In June 2004, the band released their first album with Moore, Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count.

After successful tours, they recorded their second album, Heroine, released in March 2006. The band continued to tour, but Moore started having vocal issues. After a successful surgery, Moore decided to leave the band to focus on his solo career.

After leaving From First to Last, Moore started a Myspace page where he shared three demo songs. This led to his first solo performance on April 7, 2007. He played original songs with a harpist. Moore later toured with a full band and sold special demo CDs at his shows.

2008–2013: Solo Career and EPs

Skrillex's logo

Skrillex in 2011

In February 2008, Sonny Moore joined the second annual AP Tour with bands like All Time Low. The tour traveled across North America, and many shows were sold out. Moore and the other bands were featured on the cover of Alternative Press Magazine.

On April 7, 2009, he released Gypsyhook, a digital EP with three songs and four remixes. He also toured with other bands and performed at music festivals. Moore later decided not to release his planned album, Bells.

In 2008, Moore began making and performing music under the name "Skrillex" in Los Angeles clubs. He said the name "Skrillex" was just a fun old online screen name. On June 7, 2010, he released his first official Skrillex EP, My Name Is Skrillex, for free.

Later that year, Skrillex toured with deadmau5 and released his second EP, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.

(L to R:) Porter Robinson, Zedd, and Skrillex performing at SXSW in March 2012

In 2011, Moore started the "Project Blue Book Tour." He introduced new songs like "First of the Year" and "Reptile." "Reptile" was used in a TV commercial for the video game Mortal Kombat 9. "First of the Year (Equinox)" was featured on his next EP, More Monsters and Sprites.

In April 2011, Skrillex produced a new song called "Get Up" for the band Korn. Korn made the song available for free download. Skrillex also joined Korn on stage at the Coachella music festival. In June 2011, More Monsters and Sprites was released. It included three new songs and remixes.

On August 17, 2011, Skrillex announced his own music label, Owsla. The label released music from artists like KOAN Sound and Porter Robinson. In August 2011, Skrillex released a music video for "First of the Year (Equinox)." He also created the song "Syndicate" to promote a video game of the same name.

On December 21, 2011, Skrillex released the Bangarang EP. In 2012, he formed a new music project called Dog Blood with Boys Noize. They released an EP called Next Order/Middle Finger. Skrillex also created the song "Bug Hunt" for the animated movie Wreck-It Ralph (2012). He even had a small cameo as a DJ in the film.

In December 2012, his song "Make It Bun Dem" with Damian Marley was used in the video game Far Cry 3. He also helped compose music for the movie Spring Breakers.

In 2013, Skrillex formed a duo with Diplo called Jack Ü. Their first performance was at the Mad Decent Block Party in San Diego on September 15, 2013. Diplo later confirmed that "Jack Ü" was the name for their collaboration.

2014: Releasing Recess

In January 2013, Skrillex announced he would release a new album. On January 2, 2013, he released his 7th EP, Leaving. He later released the song "Try It Out" with Alvin Risk.

On March 7, 2014, an app called Alien Ride appeared on the Apple App Store. It had a secret folder with hidden items and a countdown. It was later revealed that the folder contained links to stream 11 new songs. These songs made up his first full album, Recess. The album was released on March 18, 2014.

2016–2022: Collaborations and Return to From First to Last

Skrillex performing with From First to Last at Emo Nite in 2017

In 2016, Skrillex worked with the K-pop girl group 4Minute. He composed and arranged their song "Hate."

On January 15, 2017, Skrillex shared a new song from From First to Last that featured his vocals. He later performed with the band at Emo Nite LA, which was his first show with them in over ten years. In 2017, he released several new songs, including "Chicken Soup" with Habstrakt and "Would You Ever" with Poo Bear.

In July 2018, Skrillex hinted at a collaboration with Missy Elliott. This song was later released in 2023 as "RATATA." On July 28, 2018, Skrillex performed with Japanese musician Yoshiki at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.

On October 8, 2018, Skrillex shared a photo teasing a song with English DJ Joyryde. Their song, "Agen Wida", was released on October 19, 2018. He also produced the song "Arms Around You" with Mally Mall and JonFX, featuring XXXTentacion and Lil Pump.

Skrillex, Poo Bear, and Japanese-American singer Hikaru Utada worked together on "Face My Fears". This song became an opening theme for the video game Kingdom Hearts III. It was released on January 18, 2019.

On July 18, 2019, Skrillex released a two-song EP called Show Tracks. He also performed at The Warehouse Project in Manchester with Four Tet and Jon Hopkins.

In October 2021, Skrillex performed his first solo show in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. Throughout 2021 and 2022, he released singles like "Butterflies" and "Don't Go".

2023: Quest For Fire and Don't Get Too Close

In January 2023, Skrillex teased the release of new music. He then announced that the song "Rumble", featuring Flowdan and Fred Again, would be released on January 4.

On February 13, 2023, Skrillex released the song "Don't Get Too Close." He is also credited as "Sonny Moore" on the title track of his second 2023 album, singing for the first time since 2015.

On February 17, 2023, Skrillex released his second album, Quest For Fire. This album included both new and previously released songs, featuring different music styles and artists like Flowdan and Porter Robinson. Critics generally liked the album.

On February 18, 2023, while performing at Madison Square Garden, Skrillex released his third studio album, Don't Get Too Close. This was less than two days after Quest For Fire came out. In April, Skrillex hinted that he might release two more albums in 2023.

2024–Present: New Awards and Music

In February 2024, Skrillex won his ninth Grammy Award for the song "Rumble."

In March 2024, Moore, Ahadadream, and Priya Ragu released the song "Taka." This track combines different music styles and celebrates South Asian culture. In May 2024, Skrillex, TAICHU, and Hamdi worked together on the song "Push."

Musical Influences

Skrillex has mentioned that bands like Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, and the Doors were early inspirations for him. He is also a big fan of Warp, a record label known for electronic artists like Aphex Twin.

In a documentary about Daft Punk, Skrillex shared that he first discovered electronic dance music after seeing their performance at the 2006 Coachella festival.

Personal Life

Skrillex dated English singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding in 2012.

In a 2015 interview, Moore stated that even though his parents practiced Scientology, he does not. He explained that music takes up most of his time.

Discography

Studio albums

• Recess (2014)
• Quest for Fire (2023)
• Don't Get Too Close (2023)

Filmography

• Let's Make a Spaceship (2014)

Skrillex worked with Red Bull to create a documentary called "Let's Make a Spaceship." It was shown for the first time on October 11, 2014, at the ACL Festival after his performance. You can watch his performance and the documentary online.

Awards and Nominations

Listicles

See also

In Spanish: Skrillex para niños

• List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists