The producer on the future of EDM, his next album, and why he was psyched to work with Justin Bieber.
One of the many excellent things about being Skrillex is that you can rehearse for your Coachella performance in a hotel room. Just a few days before the festival, he and Diplo – they will perform together as Jack Ü – are still figuring out most of their set, which will end up being a highlight of the weekend, complete with a Kanye West guest spot. “If you work until the last moment,” says Skrillex, 28, “you have the best show ever.” For Skrillex, the last couple of years have been adventurous ones, as he put aside the skronky dubstep that made him famous in favor of Jack Ü’s populist bombast and an unlikely turn as a hitmaking producer for Justin Bieber. “You just gotta go on with that feeling of inspiration,” Skrillex says. “And a lot of times you end up somewhere you don’t ever expect to be.”
Doesn’t Justin Bieber seem like the kind of kid who might have tried to beat you up in high school?
I was a different kid, and, sure, I was harassed a little. But it wasn’t like I was a little bitch. I’d fight back!
Well, I did say “tried.”
I’ve always been just chameleoning around, just hanging out with different people. The hip-hop kids, the rock kids, the skaters and jocks and whoever else. I had fun with everybody.
This story is from the May 2016 edition of RollingStone India.
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This story is from the May 2016 edition of RollingStone India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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