From EDM Prodigy to Club Purist: The Reinvention of Villager

At 16, Alex Young was paid $10,000 to DJ a spin class. That moment showed him his early Electronic Dance Music (EDM) success had lost its meaning. Now, he has reinvented himself as Villager, creating nuanced club music. Young's rise was incredibly fast. By age 15, he was already meeting his hero, superstar DJ Skrillex. But disillusionment followed the quick fame. He left behind the mainstream EDM scene. He began studying the deeper history of UK dance music culture and switched to using physical hardware to make music. This shift defines his new artistic path. His current sound appeals to fans of artists like Floating Points and Jon Hopkins. He promises a series of new releases are coming soon. The artist once known as a teenage EDM phenom has completely transformed. Villager now pursues a more personal and idiosyncratic vision of electronic music.