Skrillex Breaks a Decade of Silence, Opens Up About AI, Rave Culture, and the Story Behind Scary Monsters

For than ten years Skrillex let his music do the talking.

No endless interviews. No constant headlines. Just records, collaborations and a career that kept changing while everyone else tried to keep up.

Now that silence is over.

In his formal interview in more than a decade Sonny Moore sits down with artist Ecco2K for the latest issue of Berlins 032c magazine. He gives a look into how he sees music today the rise of artificial intelligence and his journey to becoming one of electronic musics most influential producers.

One topic kept coming up in their conversation.

Artificial intelligence. It's impossible to ignore now and Skrillex doesn't try to.. Instead of focusing on whether AI can make good music he asks a bigger question.

Can it make someone feel understood?

For him that's where the line is drawn.

He explains that great records aren't memorable because they're perfect. They're unforgettable because they have a touch. They connect with listeners. They remind them they're not alone.

That's why albums from artists like Justice, Daft Punk and Metallica still resonate years later. There was something inside them yet they sounded new. That emotional feeling is hard to create.

Sure AI-generated tracks might get millions of streams. Go viral on social media.. Virality isn't the same as meaning.

Without a person behind the music Skrillex believes something essential is missing.

The interview also looks back at his career.

Before Grammy Awards festival headlining slots and genre-defining releases Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites was built on determination more than money. The project that helped redefine bass music reportedly came together with a marketing budget of only around $2,000.

It's a reminder that some big cultural moments don't start with campaigns. Sometimes they start with conviction.

Moore also shares a story thats hard to believe.

When he first played a demo of what would become "Where Are Ü Now " the response from the record label was... Underwhelming. Executives barely looked up from their phones unsure what to make of working with Justin Bieber.

History had plans.

The track would become one of the defining collaborations of the decade. Reach the top of the charts. It proved that industry experts don't always recognize a hit before the audience does.

This conversation happens at a time in Skrillexs career.

Hes working independently free from the label system that shaped much of his early success. He seems reflective, than ever. Than chasing trends or defending his legacy hes talking about something much simpler—and more important.

Connection.

Because when software gets smarter plugins become more powerful and algorithms can generate songs in seconds the real advantage may not be skill.

It may simply be being human.

If Skrillexs latest thoughts are any indication that's the one thing he believes technology still can't replicate.

Full issue availble here