Skrillex: Biography and Origins of the Dubstep Producer 

Dubstep is much harder to make than you could imagine. It's literally breaking the music and mashing it up. It's made like noise and it IS noise, but it's definitely a long progress to make it

kesha rose if anyone understands LFOs, Mod osc, some granular synthesis, and formant filters, then it shouldnt be that hard.

***** It's not just about sound design, but also finding a scale, using all the right notes, (music theory), how to craft the song itself into something that flows and builds well, etc... There is a lot to it. There is a lot to making ANY type of music. Sure, a guy can quickly put together a drumbeat and a wobble bass in a minute or so, and only have the wobble play one note throughout the whole song and change the lfo rate here and there, and not have any musicality to it at all easily. But that's about the only thing that you can actually call easy. Kinda like saying "basketball is easy" when all you can really do is dunk the ball with no other players around to stop you. ^__^

i was referring to the OP's view that making noise is hard. But yes i know what you mean. A very complex wobble stuck at one note/interval will turn out to be quite monotonous. wobble phrases as i like to call them should not only have different textures. But these sections need to cover a (scale) and be rhythmically arranged to be even legitimately called music. Noise is just all frequencies all the same time. I was just being a smart ass, but it blew over. (considering we are talking about dubstep and not good dubstep, considering I can make music with my but cheeks but not like anyone would buy it on itunes BUTTBEATS)

To some people it is easy. But, the real big part is... Can you handle a Launch Pad or a Loop system on a stage in front of thousands of people.

unfortunately our edm society shuns mainstreamers

So true

Read the other comments on this video, he gets LOTS of hate.

He made the genre, how could he be hated in the genre?

cause hes not underground yo, there was people in that genre that got lost in time cause of skrillex taking over the word dubstep go check out deep midi records

IKR

dankesthours182 finally someone who understands

I respect you for writing this paragraph.

Crazy how this still pertains to the modern state of dubstep, although now sounds and other resources are much more accessible for producers than it was when Skrillex started out. Plus, on top of his innovation from over a decade ago, he is still relevant today and influencing the next generation of producers! If it wasn't for him i wouldn't have ever started making music, truly the greatest and most impressive producer of all time.

i agree

meh he's okay deadmau5 is better in my oppinion

Mateo Jerez edm? more like brostep

Mateo Jerez nah

Agreed strongly

I agree with your statement entirely. People should just sit back, pop a drink, and just enjoy the music than go on the Internet and complain about it. It's not what it is made for people.

I agree with everything you wrote and honestly there are many people (mostly young girls) who are "a part of a fandom" and seem to bash every type of music that's different than their favorites.. I mean, if there's a song that I wouldn't like (as long as it's not because it's offensive or rude) then I would simply move on and listen to something I DO like instead of wasting my time trying to explain why "my taste in music is so much better than what everyone else is listening to" like many people are saying. The RU-vid commentary section is always filled with criticism, especially when it comes to music and famous artists - People always want to prove that they are right, even when there is no right or wrong..

Its the Fame Blame Game, its not fair but there has to be a balance between commercialization and respect for the artist himself. Corporate can help bring it to the masses, that's the goal. Don't be a h8tr I just saw him at Voodoo, Im a Jazz snob, I LOVE IT and I am OLD lol

because he puts no effort into it and uses programs revolving around presets like ableton live and FM8

so you say there is no creativity ,nothing unique?that it still isn't good music?there are hundreds of rock/punk/pop artists who just go up stage and sing some lyrics written by some other guy..but who the hell cares because it's good and you enjoy it.Now Skrillex is someone who actually knows how to play guitar,knows how to sing, so I respect that.If he creates something that people like than who am I to complain :) you can dislike him, but that is not a reason to hate someone

uhh using someone elses sounds and getting famous for them, yea no. plus i never said i hated skrillix himself just the music and effort he puts into it

well "everything is a copy of a copy of a copy"(Fight Club) and "good artists copy but great artists steal" (Picasso) but we could argue about this a while for at the end of the day different opinions remain different opinions

and i have no intent on arguing

Don't forget breaks, man

Morons and their "classifying genres by bpm". I think I'm going to go make a 80 bpm DUBSTEP song at double time. Just because, well, I can. ;) BPMs are just the tempo the artist sees fit for the song he wants to create. If he wants to make a House song at 146 bpm, then he can, and will. The ARTIST is the one who classifies HIS music, (he wont do it by bpm), not the fans classifying his music. ^__^

First of all that's what tempo they are usually at. When is the last time you heard a house song at 146 BPM. And I'm the moron? Your just a guy behind a keyboard bro.

Antonio Canuso Your previous comment is very immature...

pexist88 Lol how so? I don't see anything immature about it. Maybe me laughing at immature morons is immature, but other than that I don't see the immaturity. DJ Javen I did not mean anything personal to YOU, my point was you CAN'T classify ANY genre under a certain range of BPM. It is not up to anyone but the artist to decide what genre his 160 or 80 bpm song goes under. Also, we are ALL just guys behind keyboards when we are on our computers, on youtube. So I don't see how your "insult" makes any sense, "Bro". I am a growing, continuously learning electronic producer. I won't say I'm as good as skrillex, I won't say I'm better than anyone, but I will say I do know what I'm talking about when it comes to the field of music. If you want more than just my word for it when it comes to the bpm stuff, take daft punk for example. They themselves have stated that they didn't know anything about EDM. They originally thought EDM was just 1 guy who produced energy driven, but soulless music. They would say that music is all abut the soul, musicality, and the purpose behind the song. Not the rhythm, and energy. There is nothing wrong with having an energetic, rhythmic song, it just needs to have a clear purpose, and a sense of emotions and feelings put behind it. A story. Deadmau5 would even agree. Take his new album for example, he is known as one of the best in the electronic music industry, but he decided to release a 2 disc album filled with SO much musicality, emotions, soul, and a story, but STILL kept that electronic presence there. Anyways all this comes down to one point, IT DOESN'T MATTER THE BPM, ALL THAT MATTERS IS WHAT THE ARTIST SET IT TO BE. So please don't waste your time and try to put all the sub-genres of electronic music into strict bpm ranges in your comments on youtube videos. It's a waste of time, and un-factual. Good day.

***** Exactly!

Wedges He seems to have hit quite some musical achievements at the age of 26. at the time being FFTL was one of the biggest bands in their genre and now, hate him or love him, who in the electronic world has not heard of his name yet. I'd say he definitely has musical talent.

People also don't realize how hard making music like this is. They would shit

You're *

Bro dafuq what are you doing here Dylan?

+the mad ginger they are still around. they even re-recorded 3 of their most famous songs with the new singer and they sound even better than with sonny.

+lowtuned idk ride the wings of pestilence doesn't sound right

+Pierce Black Chemical Brides the original is excellent, I mean the re-make of the song, they sing it too high

and your emo phase??

wish granted

fanboy

***** Why are you even here? O.o

HospitalMusic because i like watchmojo?

...but you don't like Skrillex.. and well this video is obviously about Skrillex. -____- nvm.. carry on.

I hate him because I like his melodies, but his drops are absolute shit and tend to ruin otherwise decent songs. They sound like Japanese Noise music, not dubstep. And also...calling yourself dubstep while having a distinct lack of wubs bothers me. The odd thing: I used to listen to From First to Last a lot. They weren't the best emo/screamo group, but the titles were things so ridiculous in themselves that you had to pay attention. I mean, "Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count"? Is that not one of the best album titles ever?! If anything, it's the best musical statement that band could have made. "We're young, we're depressed, and we're violent. Deal with it."

His sound may be distinctive but unfortunatley his form of music cant really fit into the genre of dubstep. i mean yeah it can but it isnt how dubstep was meant to be

That's because it's brostep. People who heard his first EP thought it was dubstep and shoved him into the category. He just went along with it.

well those people who put him in the dubstep genre had no idea what Dubstep is

Exactly, but I still enjoy his music with no shame.

Eh, more or less

jmanbgg amazing

+Nick Medder ima agree with you on that :)

Better in what way?

+gammelgamer well deadmou5 is really repetitive in his style, guetta just collabs with big names to get more fame

+Nick Medder better than deadmau5 ? You cant compare them man.

deamau5 is not to be fucked with

Lol

i'm a girl, but thank you v much

Oh god lol. XD

My parents' reaction when I showed them a picture of Sonny for the first time and told them that I'm in love.

Haha lol

well not the trap shit other than that its pretty good

well not the trap shit other than that its pretty good

Skrillex es el mejor \o/

People are honestly full of shit... Sonny is an amazing person

The underground scene hates him because everybody thinks he invented dubstep and he didn't. Also, he made only a few tunes that could be classified as dubstep, but most of his productions are electrohouse, basshouse and drumstep. Personally I like a lot of his (older) tunes but I wouldn't put it in my dubstep playlist.

Yes, Skrillex isn't really dubstep but that's not a bad thing. Also, It's a bit silly saying Skrillex fans don't know the true meaning of dubstep or that they don't pay attention to the dubstep community cause I know what dubstep is, I produce it.

Wow my rolemodel lol. Weird Its my second year in high school and I already wanna produce music

Well woozworld9 you either need new friends or your just not someone who lives in the mainstream, like me I like to live on the Alternative side of life

Ew who likes reading, unless you do then I like reading

Lol your like a long lost sister. Unless your a guy then ah, awkward

It's from a trailer for a documentary about musicians from different genres collaborating with each other...I forget what the documentary is called though, sorry

No, I want the old skrillex from 2007 - 2013!!

I want no Skrillex

No, he released gyspyhook and almost released Bells EP under Sonny but canceled it last minute

Hahaha😂😂

The true pioneers of dubstep, Bengal and skream stopped making dub step because of Skrillex's super loud Brostep variant. Thing is that's with anything music is always replaced with more popular alternatives of the genre.

hey man.. Listening to somebody before he is famous is just a coincidence. The fact is that it doesn't really help your life in a life changing way so I don't see why it's a big deal

Sadreli M nah. you were listening to FFTL... not Skrillex. so you're safe from sounding hipsterish.

Sadreli M lol i started listening to it skrillex in 2010 cuz of the dubstep

Fuck David Guetta.

Anshul Mathur Deadmau5 is awesome. David guetta is horrible

Nayan D'Souza im on next level not into them now excision and zomboy are the best

Anshul Mathur He is definitely better than them!

Maybe not to the electro purist...but in billboard sales and popularity his is considered a heavyweight.

Alvin Edwards That's like saying Drake or Vanilla Ice are a rap heavyweight just based on principle, and that's not true even in the slightest.. Daft Punk are "Electro Heavyweights," Pendulum and Prodigy are "Electro Heavyweights," Jamiroquai, Chemical Brothers, etc, NOT Guetta. You have to actually put time and effort into your projects. You actually have to experiment and make tracks built out of genuine expression/originality, not just make a bunch of generic tracks that literally all sound the same aside from a few misplaced notes. When you openly admit to "making your songs sound similar so that it's easier for DJs to mix," you negate yourself from even remotely being elegable for the title of "Electro Heavyweight." And that's not coming from an "electro purist," that's coming from someone who actually dabbles in multiple forms of self expression. Note that even though music is also a product, the pursuit of monetary consumption should never fully compromise, or interfere with the process of making an original/unique artistic piece as a whole.

OgI Kidd I don't think Vanilla Ice is a valid example because he is a one hit wonder and actually Drake IS a heavyweight and that's not my opinion that's credible artist sources saying that. Every album he has put out has been certified platinum or at least high gold status, but back to the topic... To say David Guetta isn't a "heavyweight" just because he hasn't put that much time or isn't a veteran is nonsense.These days you don't have to have been in the music industry for 20 years in order to be considered a heavyweight nor does it have to take you very long to even make a track in order for it to be considered "creative". He has an approach to making music the way he wants and a niche that works obviously because he's selling records and that is ultimately what is all about. However you want to look at it, music is a business and the goal is to get paid from doing it so you can continue doing it. I'm sure David Guetta has plenty artistic expression and originality in his music and i don't believe his music is compromised by him making it more playable for DJ's. Just think about that... That's actually smart music business since you need to be played and heard in order to be successful. I understand what you are trying to say but feel its based mostly on your own opinion and not real facts. Because the fact is he's successful at making music, bottom line. I mean we are having a conversation about him right now aren't we? I'm no Electro purist either, I actually do hip hop mostly and have worked with many successful industry Artists and companies. Soundcloud.com/risingson29

Vanilla Ice actually does count because he does in fact have other songs period besides the one. He still actually attempted to be more, even going as far as to star in his own movie in attempt to boost himself (it sucked). Drake is NOT a heavyweight by any means. First off "that's credible artist sources saying that." In what instance has any artist (specifically within the Hip-Hop world) actually been credible UNLESS they're mad? Many artists both old school and new have praised many the artist, just to shit on them later. Many times not even a week after they hyped them up. It's simply them trying to get in good with whomever so that they might be able to rake in a few pieces of change for themself down the road. Also here's a quote from an actual heavyweight on the matter of gold and platinum records: "If you go platinum, its got nothing to do with luck, it just means that a million people are stupid as fuck." In the end people will settle with whatever is hot to fit in, and then forget about them once their popularity wanes. Case and point Soulja Boy, but yes back to the topic. Just because technology has advanced doesn't mean that the rules have changed. Yes it is definitely much easier to make music and put your shit out there. However in order to actually BE a heavyweight rather than just being "considered one" due to your current popularity, you actually DO have to put time and effort into your craft. Your versatility and skills which you enhance over years of practice and experimentation is what sets you apart from the rest that are only willing to do the bare minimum to make a pay check. It is that same hard work which has made actual veterans respected, remembered, and most importantly forces to be reckoned with for years. Even long after their respective generations' trends have since died. Also success is a personal bar which really no outside source can actually measure. For instance I may not be The Neptunes or Juno Reactor, and may not even be selling the music I put out. But I do consider myself to be pretty successful as I'm happy with what I've done so far, and strive to do in the future. Even if just as a simple side hobby. That said, I'm not going to start calling myself a fucking heavyweight when I haven't even SEEN the surface of what it takes to actually earn such a title. Just because I have a computer and a tiny following that comes and goes, I'm not going to start swinging my dick around. Nor am I going to slap that title on someone who happens to have gotten lucky by doing the same thing (or in Drake's case someone who was basically born lucky). Do not confuse momentary fame and notoriety founded upon constant pointless beefs (Drake), sacrificing one's musical/artistic integrity (David Guetta), and doing only what's currently trendy in the business world (Both). With long term experience, ranging appeal (beyond the lowest common denominator of entertainment), and a strong versatility of musical/artistic capabilities. Neither of them have even attempted to break their molds or branch out, and thus are not heavyweights. Yes by my opinion, but also by what past history has taught us.

OgI Kidd "founded upon constant pointless beefs"?? I think you're thinking of Chris Brown, "Drake", both the rapper and the team that comes up with his music, are amazing at what they do.

***** so is dubstep

***** no its not

***** I ALREADY KNOW MY FACTS AND IT ISN'T I AM DOING A REPORT ON EDM AND I MAKE EDM SO I AM PRETTY SURE I KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT

***** omg lmao

***** Do you even know what EDM stands for?

And midi controllers keyboards and even drum pads like my maschine mikro mk2 and mastering happens with tools like ssl DAWS like ableton shit its hard work and these are my instruments just like any other artist. (:

***** Pro Tools isn't a musical instrument.

Duston McCreary It may not be a physical instrument but with knowledge of music theory and preferable some experience with an instrument such as guitar or piano it can be used to make sounds that could never, ever be achieved with acoustic instruments. Plugins like Massive have a wider sound variety and customization than any piano or violin. With DAW's like Ableton, Logic Pro or Pro Tools you can make amazing music, and it isn't as simple as pushing a big button that says "Make Dubstep", I've spent upwards of 20-30 hours on some of my tunes.

I agree that dubstep is computers and not real instruments, but you do have to know how to use the computer and any other equipment like synths and drum machines. I've played piano for ten years and I could never produce the kind of sounds and music that Skrillex does.

Ever use a Roland mx_1000 it's a electronic piano not real instruments my Ass what is a maschine mk2 or a mpc renaissance just hunks of metal with pads? No an instrument Ive played alto and soprano saxophones for 7 years if my drums pads aren't instrument neither is any things else a human has to use to make music.

Skrillex, or Loefah. Hmm, let's say...one makes electronic rock music that he tries to pass off as dubstep because fuck it, American's have never listened to Horsepower Productions, or Burial, or Skream, so they won't know the difference. The other is the man capable of doing things within the realm of the half-step beat that no one else is even capable of trying to match.

"America has never listened to Horsepower Productions, or Burial, or Skream" Are you kidding me? Becuase someone was born in the USA, for some reasont they can't hear their music and can't enjoy it?

No, what I'm saying is that we don't have our own longstanding dubstep tradition by which we can accurately measure if Skrillex should even fall within the genre. Because it was so slow to reach American shores, because it stayed such a purely English phenomenon for the first like 9 years of its existence, we didn't get the benefit of seeing the genre evolve or knowing its roots. So anyone using half-step beats and heavy bass could have called themselves "dubstep" and we would have bought it because we didn't know any better because what did we have for comparison's sake?

Prince Aligorna Wow. "Americans don't know the difference" Really? You have to be offensive? I am American and I can tell the difference. Maybe not every American can, but alot do.

I'm American and can tell the difference, but only because I've trained myself. I've gone back to the first 2 or 3 generations of Brit dubstep and taught myself the history of the genre. I will make an addendum to the original post though: At the time I wrote it, "Recess" had yet to come out. Now that it has, I really like that album. There's a few filler tracks, but I love the experimentation on it. It's not all drop-heavy bangers. There's elements of R&B, hip hop/trap, Burial style deep dubstep (complete with eerie/ghostly atmosphere and genuine wubs), and of course two of the best brostep songs he's written so far. I like that Skrillex kinda got bored with being Skrillex, because it allowed him to branch off and show that he can actually do a variety of things.