Weekend Rewind: Dog Blood rock a chilled-out sunrise set at Monegros

Back in 2012, Skrillex had just been crowned an EDM superstar. His unique brand of raucous dubstep was dominating the charts and social media alike. Of course, those familiar with how social media treats superstars will remember that the trolls had Skrillex in their crosshairs as well.

Success breeds contempt on the internet, and Twitter A&R was ready to typecast Skrillex—real name Sonny Moore—as nothing more than a dubstep producer who made his name on spectacle rather than substance. Moore, however, didn’t feed the fire with his own internet assault, as so many of his peers would have done. Instead, he threw everyone a curveball. Not only did he collaborate with Boys Noize, a bonafide legend on a new project called Dog Blood, but he also invented an entirely new genre entitled “electronic-core-rave-metal” with his new German cohort.

Naysayers would contend that this project and genre were equivalent to Moore’s previous work: eye- and ear-catching for no reason other than a claim to originality. Looking back though, it’s clear this project was born from a love of music and chemistry he shared with Boys Noize, aka Alexander Ridha. Dog Blood never embarked on a worldwide, 200-date tour, and to this day, they haven’t even put out five releases. This project demonstrates the best parts of music culture: mutual respect among talented artists leading to fresh, innovative music.

Now there is a new four-track EP from Dog Blood just around the corner. To honor the release from this dance music supergroup, EDM All Day looks back at a sunrise set from the pair at Monegros in 2014.  Adopting an entirely different vibe than Dog Blood sets are known for, these 90 minutes prove that Moore and Ridha shared undeniable chemistry as DJs and that their taste goes deeper than any naysayer would care to look.

Photo credit: Marilyn Hue