Hey Crunk Folks, I'm Tom. I've been doing some back-end work for the site over the last month (the rating system on the DJs site was my main project). Nothing compliments writing a few thousand lines of code like some dirty electro. I’ve written this article in my head at least four times, and seeing the Grammys pushed me to put this out there, on the record.
I have not been in the EDM scene forever. I didn’t know Avicii’s real name. I couldn’t pick Dieselboy out of a lineup. I had to google Steve Aoki’s real name before going backstage in case I ran into him (it’s Steve Aoki, and I didn’t). But I enjoy the music that they make. And I enjoy Skrillex.
Every one seems to have an axe to grind with this guy, and I can’t help but feel that it’s only because he’s successful. You can call his work derivative, fratstep, or dog shit, but at the end of the day, he’s making a living throwing crazy shows that get people moving. And you aren’t.
Skrillex, Bassnectar, deadmau5, and the plethora of DJ/producer hybrids that have been tearing everything up lately are doing everyone that is reading this article a favor. Each time one of these people produce a killer track, more people begin to realize that there’s something more to this family of music. Each little subgenre gains a little more traction, and pretty soon we might even step out of the shadow of techno (If I had a dollar for every time…).
So what the fuck is wrong with you people? Some guy with a goofy haircut that used to scream in a band figured out a way to shed a LOT of light on a genre that was mainly underground. Next time you’re at a show put on by a local producer, look around and imagine how many of those people wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for Skrillex and the other guys. You might not like the new people brought in, but remember that you’re all there for the same reason. Embrace it.
“A rising tide lifts all boats”
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