Stellar Spark 9: Skrillex

Twenty-three-year-old Los Angeles musician Sonny Moore received his first real exposure as the lead screamer of the emo band From First to Last, but in recent years Moore has turned his attention to electronic music, reinventing himself as the dubstep artist Skrillex. His influence on the genre has been profound. By brutishly exaggerating dubstep's wobbled, distorted bass riffs, he is one of the figures responsible for reinventing the once-cerebral electronic-music genre as a loud, chest-beating answer to heavy metal. Detractors have labeled his fratted-out take on the genre "brostep," but that bad publicity hasn't slowed his career. He's one of dubstep's fastest-rising stars, and last month he was honored with a whopping five Grammy nominations, including one for best new artist. He headlines the Rave's annual Stellar Spark New Year's Eve blowout, supported by more than 50 other DJs, including Dillon Francis, Alvin Risk, DJ JSlay and Ill Nasty. <P>