Editorial
Skrillex Says AI Songs Still Miss Human Connection
Skrillex Says AI Songs Can Go Viral, But His Comments Point To A Bigger Issue Around Human Connection In Dance Music.
The debate around AI music has often focused on fake vocals, copied artist styles, copyright issues, and whether machine made songs should be labeled clearly, but Skrillex has brought the subject back to something more human. In his first formal interview in over a decade, published in 032c Issue #49 Summer 2026, Skrillex spoke with Ecco2K about creativity, rave culture, and the limits of AI in music, including the idea that AI songs can go viral while still missing the feeling of being seen by another human being. That distinction gives the topic more depth because he is not only questioning whether AI can generate music that performs well online. He is asking what happens to dance music when a song can reach listeners quickly, but the person, history, and lived experience behind it become harder to find.
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Why Skrillex’s View On AI Is Not About Rejecting Technology
Before Skrillex became known as a producer and DJ, he was the vocalist of From First To Last, a post hardcore band that already placed him in a scene where live emotion, distortion, and internet era fandom were closely connected. His move into solo production did not erase that background; it carried some of that intensity into songs like Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites and Bangarang, where chopped vocals, aggressive bass design, sharp edits, and software based production became part of the identity of the record. The same artist who helped make those sounds reach a wider audience is now saying that AI songs can go viral, which is why the point cannot be reduced to fear of computers in music.
His own career shows the opposite: technology can still carry feeling when there is a real person making the decisions behind it. In the 032c interview, Skrillex discussed making Mora in GarageBand before moving into Pro Tools and Ableton, along with ideas like Bangarang beginning from rough recordings on Snowball mics or laptop mics. Those details show that electronic music does not lose its human side just because it starts from rough digital material, software, or imperfect recordings. The difference is that an artist is choosing what to keep, cut, distort, rebuild, or leave imperfect, while a generated song can imitate the texture of those choices without carrying the bands, scenes, failed ideas, studio accidents, and years of taste that came before the final record.
Why Viral AI Songs Do Not Prove Listeners Are Connecting
When Skrillex talks about AI songs going viral, the point is easy to connect to cases the music industry has already dealt with. Heart On My Sleeve, the fake Drake and The Weeknd song made with AI vocals, did not become a talking point because listeners had discovered a new artist with a real story. It went viral because people were trying to work out how close the vocals sounded, whether the artists had approved it, and what it meant if a fake collaboration could travel that quickly. That kind of attention can make a song look successful on the surface, but the reaction is tied to the stunt, the confusion, and the technology behind it, not to a real connection between artist and listener.
Dance music has its own version of that problem because records often gain meaning before they are officially released. Rumble by Skrillex, Fred again.., and Flowdan was already circulating through DJ set recordings and crowd clips before its official release, while Baby again.. by Fred again.., Skrillex, and Four Tet gained more attention after being played live, including during their back to back set at Madison Square Garden. That path is different from an AI song going viral because it sounds close to an existing artist or copies a familiar vocal style. In dance music, the memory around a song is often tied to the DJ who tested it, the crowd that reacted to it, the festival or club clip that kept circulating, and the months of people asking for the release. AI can copy the sound of a viral record, but it cannot recreate the human trail that makes people care about where the song came from.
What This Means For AI Music Going Forward
The next stage of AI music will probably come down to what artists, labels, and platforms are willing to make clear before a song reaches listeners. John Summit’s call for human made music labels points to one possible response, especially as fake vocals and copied artist styles become harder to spot at first listen. David Guetta’s experiment with an AI generated vocal in the style of Eminem showed how quickly a technical demo can raise bigger questions about likeness and consent, while deadmau5 has already warned about deepfakes and false endorsement. Once a voice, image, or artist identity can be copied well enough to confuse people, the problem is no longer only about whether the song sounds convincing; it is about whether listeners know who actually made what they are hearing.
Skrillex’s point is closer to what listeners may start caring about as AI music becomes more common. AI may keep producing songs that go viral, especially when the hook feels familiar, the voice sounds close to someone famous, or the curiosity around the technology is strong enough to push the clip online. But dance music has always depended on more than a first reaction. People remember the DJ who played a song before release, the set where they first heard it, the crowd clip that made them search for the ID, and the artist history that made the record feel connected to something real. AI can copy parts of that format, but without a person behind the choices, the trust becomes weaker, and that may be the difference between a song people click on once and a record they keep returning to.
As AI music becomes easier to make and harder to identify, the future of dance music may depend less on whether listeners reject the technology and more on whether they still trust the people attached to the songs. Skrillex’s comments point to a problem that goes beyond one viral record or one copied vocal, because the deeper risk is a culture where the source of a song becomes unclear and the relationship between artist and audience starts to feel less certain. Dance music has always moved through clubs, festivals, IDs, edits, and shared recordings, but those moments only last when people believe there is a real person behind the choices, the risk, and the history of the record. AI may continue to create songs that travel quickly online, but the harder question for artists, labels, platforms, and listeners is whether speed can ever replace trust, and whether a song can still mean something long after the first reaction if no one can feel the human life behind it.
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Chris Candela becomes the first Venezuelan artist to release on mau5trap with debut single ‘Move Your Feet’ alongside AOSM.
Chris Candela and AOSM debut on mau5trap with the single ‘Move Your Feet’, making Candela the first Venezuelan artist to release music on deadmau5‘s iconic label. Marking a significant milestone and the beginning of a new chapter in his career, the record introduces a darker, more club-oriented sound from Chris Candela.
Discussing the track’s sonic identity, the Venezuelan artist says: “When AOSM first sent me the initial idea for ‘Move Your Feet,’ I immediately felt the track had something special. I’ve always been inspired by artists like Justice, Wolfgang Gartner, and even Knife Party, so bringing those influences together felt completely natural.”
Drawing on those influences, the two artists created a record that fits naturally within mau5trap’s darker, experimental sound. Blending gritty electro-house energy with cinematic sound design, “Move Your Feet” establishes a strong narrative identity. Built around distorted synths, driving grooves and atmospheric textures, the single delivers a modern club sound filled with raw energy.
Chris Candela not only produced the instrumental with AOSM, but also wrote and performed the track’s vocals.
“One of my favourite parts of the process was writing and recording my own vocals. The lyrics explore the overwhelming feeling that can sometimes come with being in a crowded club, until you realize the only thing that really matters is letting go and moving your feet,” says the artist.
Who Is Chris Candela?
Currently based in Mallorca, Spain, Chris Candela is an Italo-Venezuelan artist with more than 15 years of experience in the electronic music industry. Beyond the studio, he has built a substantial Spanish-speaking EDM community through his CDCVLOGS platform, before launching the Chris Candela alias project in 2025.
Throughout his career, Candela has received support from artists including Don Diablo and Fedde Le Grand, but also reached No. 44 on Beatport’s Bass House Top 100 with “Lost To The Rhythm”, his collaboration with RE-KA. Now, with his mau5trap debut, Candela reaches another major career milestone.
Reflecting on the significance of the release, he says: “Releasing on mau5trap has been a dream of mine for years. deadmau5 has been one of the artists who has influenced me the most, both creatively and personally. To become the first Venezuelan artist to sign with the label, alongside my good friend AOSM, who becomes only the second Mexican artist to do so, makes this milestone even more meaningful.”
With “Move Your Feet”, Candela enters a new chapter in his career, defined by a darker and more club-focused sound. “Move Your Feet” is out now on all major streaming platforms. Listen to Chris Candela and AOSM’s latest track below.
Follow Chris Candela:
Spotify / Apple Music / Instagram / YouTube / X (Twitter) / TikTok / SoundCloud
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Electrisize Festival Returns With Turbo Takeover and Fireworks as the 2026 Edition Brings Artist Signings, New Areas, Valley of Sound and 55,000 Visitors to Haus Hohenbusch.
Electrisize Festival returns from August 7 to 9, bringing the 2026 edition back to the historic grounds of Haus Hohenbusch near Dusseldorf. Presented by 1LIVE, Europe’s second largest youth radio station, the festival is expecting 55,000 visitors for a weekend built around new experiences, expanded stage production, artist signings and fireworks across all three days.
More than 150 artists will play across the three day event, covering EDM, hardstyle, techno and Mallorca party anthems. This year’s lineup includes Alle Farben, Brennan Heart, Showtek, David Puentez, Eko Fresh and Mia Julia, alongside rising names OSWALD and Yung Saint Paul, both featured on the 2026 New Music Hotlist. They join Gestört aber GeiL, Glockenbach, Paul Elstak and Kati K to round out the bill.
Meet the Artists Up Close
Festival founders Raphael Meyersieck and Michael Frentzen are introducing a handful of new experiences this year. For the first time, fans will get the chance to meet their favorite artists in person through dedicated Artist Signing Sessions, collecting autographs and photos to remember the weekend by. There’s also a new Ferris Wheel Flat Rate giving guests unlimited rides and sunset views all weekend long, and for those craving a cold beer with some rock energy, the new pub “The Thunder” offers a campfire setting built for tribute bands and karaoke nights.
Photography by janheesen.com
Winter Vibes in the Middle of Summer
Austria’s Valley of Sound is bringing its own stage to Haus Hohenbusch for all three days, adding a mountain inspired setup to the festival site during the summer weekend. Another new addition is The Source, an area tucked into nature and designed around yoga, music and mindfulness, giving festivalgoers a place to reset before heading back to the stages. The main stage production is also expanding this year, with lights, lasers and fireworks running across all three festival days instead of just one.
Turbo Takeover on the Mainstage
Electrisize’s Turbo Stage continues to be the home base for singalongs and Mallorca party hits, with artists like Calvin Kleinen, Caro Winter, Eko Fresh, Frenzy, Kreisligalegende and Van Keeken bringing the confetti and party focused sets attendees expect. Friday kicks off with a special Turbo Takeover as Frenzy and Rumbombe bring Turbo straight to the Mainstage, while Sunday closes out with Mia Julia taking over the Mainstage to wrap the weekend.
Beating the Summer Heat
Electrisize has come prepared for high temperatures, with free drinking water, complimentary sunscreen, shaded areas, sun sails and multiple chill out zones spread across the grounds. Water cannons will help cool down the crowd, and thanks to the festival’s partnership with Valley of Sound in Austria, snow machines can even be activated across the site if temperatures rise during the weekend.
Non Stop Action at Electricity
The Electrisize campsite, known as Electricity, comes with its own schedule of activities, from the Runners Club on Friday morning and the After Runners Club Party that follows, to Beer Yoga, Shuffle and Hakken workshops, Beer Pong tournaments and a full lineup of DJ sets. Paved walkways connect the campsite to the festival grounds, and campers can look forward to complimentary premium showers and sanitary facilities, along with a 24/7 supermarket stocked with Dutch snacks and camping essentials.
Photography by janheesen.com
Electrisize is also making the festival more accessible this year with the launch of NextGen Tickets, aimed at attendees aged 16 to 19 and starting at just 55 euros. The festival’s popular Group Deals are back too, letting groups of four or more save on tickets. More info and tickets are available at www.electrisize.de.
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DJ Cameos In Movies And TV Shows You May Have Missed, From Daft Punk’s TRON: Legacy Cameo To Tiësto In F1 The Movie And More
Across movies and television series, there have been multiple occasions where famous DJs and producers have made appearances, either as themselves, animated versions, or part of scenes connected to clubs, parties, fashion shows, and DJ culture. DJs who appeared in movies and TV shows include Daft Punk in TRON: Legacy, where they scored the film and appeared inside the End of Line Club, while Deadmau5 showed up in Gossip Girl during Eleanor Waldorf’s fashion show. Steve Aoki also played himself at Verdant in Arrow, Calvin Harris appeared in the Entourage movie, Skrillex was represented through an animated DJ in Wreck-It Ralph, and Alesso appeared in We Are Your Friends, a film centered around a young DJ trying to establish his career. Each appearance had a different purpose on screen, from quick cameos to scenes where the artist’s presence was directly tied to the setting, making these moments interesting to look back at beyond the soundtrack alone.
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Daft Punk In TRON: Legacy
Daft Punk had one of the most memorable DJ appearances in film with TRON: Legacy, especially because their involvement was not limited to a quick cameo. The French duo composed the full score for the 2010 Disney film, bringing their electronic production into the futuristic world of the movie before appearing on screen as helmeted DJs inside the End of Line Club. Their cameo fits naturally into the club scene, with songs like End of Line and Derezzed tying their music directly to what viewers see on screen. It remains one of the clearest examples of DJs appearing in movies in a way that connects both the soundtrack and the story.
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@daftclubhq Daft Punk’s cameo as DJs in TRON: LEGACY, which they provided the soundtrack for 🤖🩵 #daftpunk #tron #tronlegacy #tronares #d23 ♬ End Of Line but better – _King_Dingus_ /li>
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Deadmau5 In Gossip Girl
Deadmau5 appeared as himself in Gossip Girl Season 3, Episode 16, titled The Empire Strikes Jack. The episode aired in 2010 and featured the Canadian producer during Eleanor Waldorf’s fashion show, placing him in a scene that matched both the show’s New York fashion setting and his role as a live electronic music artist. His appearance was also connected to the episode’s music, with songs such as Ghosts ’n’ Stuff, FML, Hi Friend, and I Remember included in the soundtrack. It made his Gossip Girl cameo more than a quick background moment, as his music and on screen presence were both part of the episode.
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Steve Aoki In Arrow
Steve Aoki appeared as himself in Arrow Season 1, Episode 17, titled The Huntress Returns. The 2013 episode brings him into the opening of Verdant, the nightclub owned by Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn, making the cameo part of one of the show’s main nightlife settings. With Steve Aoki playing at Verdant during its launch, the scene connects the series to a real electronic music figure without pulling attention away from the episode’s storyline.
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Skrillex In Wreck-It Ralph
Skrillex was represented in Wreck-It Ralph through an animated DJ character during the Fix-It Felix Jr. anniversary party scene. The 2012 Disney film also featured his song Bug Hunt, connecting his music to the movie beyond the visual reference. While it was not a live action cameo, the animated version of Skrillex made his presence clear and gave the film one of its most direct electronic music moments
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Calvin Harris In Entourage
Calvin Harris appeared as himself in the 2015 Entourage movie, joining the film’s long list of celebrity cameos. His appearance fits into the movie’s Hollywood setting, where actors, artists, athletes, and public figures appear around Vincent Chase and his film project. Although his cameo is brief, Calvin Harris still stands out as one of the electronic music names included in the movie’s entertainment industry world.
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Alesso In We Are Your Friends
Alesso appeared as himself in We Are Your Friends, the 2015 film starring Zac Efron as aspiring DJ Cole Carter. His cameo comes during a pool party scene, where Cole asks Alesso to take over the set as the moment shifts back into the film’s DJ focused storyline. Beyond the appearance itself, Alesso was also one of the real DJs who helped Zac Efron prepare for the role, making his connection to the movie stronger than a standard cameo.
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Diplo In 22 Jump Street
Diplo appeared as himself in 22 Jump Street, the 2014 comedy starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. His cameo takes place during the spring break party scene, where Diplo is shown DJing as the film moves into one of its biggest party sequences. It is a short appearance, but it fits the movie’s college setting and gives the list another mainstream DJ cameo connected directly to a party scene.
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Tiësto In F1 The Movie
Tiësto appeared in F1 The Movie, the 2025 racing film starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris. His cameo takes place inside OMNIA Nightclub in Las Vegas, where Joshua Pearce and Cashman are seen at a table during a set by Tiësto. The appearance also connects to F1 The Album, which includes his collaboration with Sexyy Red, OMG!, giving Tiësto both an on screen cameo and a soundtrack link to the film.
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These cameos are interesting because they sit inside scenes where music, nightlife, celebrity culture, or DJ life already matters to what is happening on screen. Daft Punk in TRON: Legacy remains the strongest example because their appearance inside the End of Line Club is not separate from the rest of their work on the film. They scored the movie, helped give its digital world a specific electronic identity, and then appeared inside that same world as helmeted DJs, which makes the cameo feel connected to the film instead of added in as a quick celebrity moment. Deadmau5 at Eleanor Waldorf’s fashion show in Gossip Girl, Steve Aoki at Verdant in Arrow, Diplo during the spring break party in 22 Jump Street, and Tiësto inside a Las Vegas club in F1 The Movie all work because the setting already gives the DJ a clear reason to be there. In those scenes, the cameo does not need a long explanation or a major acting role, because the audience understands the connection as soon as the artist appears.
Some appearances also matter because they show how recognizable these artists had become outside the usual spaces where audiences expected to see them. Skrillex being represented as an animated DJ in Wreck-It Ralph works because the film does not need to explain who he is; the visual reference and music already carry the connection. Calvin Harris appearing in the Entourage movie fits into a story where celebrities, artists, and entertainment industry figures are already part of the world around Vincent Chase, so his cameo belongs to that wider Hollywood setting. Alesso in We Are Your Friends brings the idea back to dance music more directly, since the film follows a young DJ trying to establish his career and understand where he fits in the industry. These moments do not all work in the same way, but they each show how DJs who appeared in movies and TV shows could add something to a scene beyond a soundtrack credit or a quick name drop.
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