Popularity of DJs, including Skrillex, increasing

 

Sonny Moore, a 23-year-old electronic music producer — better known as “Skrillex” — is not only nominated for five Grammy awards this year, but is also the first DJ to ever be nominated in the Best New Artist category.

Most people refer to Skrillex’s style of music as dubstep. Both dubstep and electronic house music have become increasingly popular among young adults over the past few years, providing listeners with an explosion of sound and escape from reality.

Sara Freed said this nomination represents a shift in society’s musical culture.

“There’s definitely a changing trend in music from being based on an artist performing original [music] to artists mixing others’ work,” Freed (sophomore-health and human development) said.

Freed added she mainly listens to dubstep-style music at the gym during her workouts to pump her up and keep her motivated.

Former Interfraternity Council President Dan Florencio also counts himself as a dubstep fan. To him, it is incredible to see someone so young have such a significant impact on the mainstream music scene.

“It shows that he’s leading the charge for dubstep to be mainstream,” Florencio (senior-philosophy) said. “The Grammy nod means a lot for other DJs as well. It’s a win for the whole type of music.”

Skrillex is not the only DJ receiving a warm welcome from the public. Swedish DJ Avicii, who performed at Penn State in November to a packed Bryce Jordan Center, has also gained mainstream success and has acquired a loyal fan base.

The increased interest in electronic music is due to the accessibility of technology and social media outlets, Associate Professor of Music Technology Mark Ballora said. Applications on iPhones and Macs like GarageBand now allow individuals to create their own electronic beats and mixes, Ballora said.

He added that electronic music has a certain other “worldliness” to it because of the way it sounds compared to traditional acoustic music.

“We are part of a world with social media and mobile devices,” Ballora said. “I can imagine [this genre] got a new audience because of [these outlets].”

Skrillex is continuing to record, and he recently released his fourth EP, “Bangarang”, which contains seven tracks that sample music from The Doors and features collaborations with Sirah and other artists.
Skrillex never lacks originality and he provides a variety of sounds on each track, Florencio said.
“He’s got a song for every mood and the way he samples songs is exceptional,” Florencio said.