The brostep kings are back, baby, and they’re here to ruin your neck.
- Brostep Revival: Skrillex and ISOxo's "Fuze" marks a return to the high-energy, bass-heavy brostep sound of the early 2010s, updated with modern production techniques.
- ISOxo's Breakthrough: The collaboration is a significant moment for ISOxo, elevating him from a Skrillex fan to a co-producer and cementing his status as a rising star in the EDM scene.
- Cultural Significance: The success of ISOxo, who is half-Filipino and half-Indonesian, along with Knock2 (Laotian), highlights the growing representation of Asian Americans in a historically white-dominated EDM landscape.
When I opened my email this morning, there it was: a promo copy of “Fuze,” the new Skrillex and ISOxo collab, sitting in my inbox like an unexploded bomb. By the time I hit play, it was already too late. My speakers were blown, my eardrums were ringing, and I was grinning like an idiot because OWSLA/Atlantic had just carpet-bombed the internet with the kind of sonic mayhem we haven’t heard in years.
This isn’t just another track. This is a full-blown resurrection of the 2010s brostep era, complete with face-melting growls, anime sample speculation (Naruto, probably), and the kind of bass that makes your chest cavity vibrate like a subwoofer in a Honda Civic. 1
ISOxo Finally Gets His “Holy Shit” Moment
Let’s talk about Julian Isorena, aka ISOxo, for a second. This 23-year-old San Diego kid grew up worshipping Skrillex during the Scary Monsters era, probably headbanging in his bedroom to “First of the Year” like the rest of us degenerates. Fast forward to 2025, and he’s not just sharing a stage with his idol. He’s co-producing a track that sounds like it time-traveled straight from 2011, picked up some modern production chops, and said “fuck it, let’s go harder”. 2
Reddit went absolutely feral when “Fuze” dropped. One fan put it perfectly: “This is a mad flex for ISOxo. He grows up during the Brostep era idolizing Skrillex then gets to co-produce a song with the pioneer of the whole genre”. It’s the producer equivalent of your garage band opening for Led Zeppelin, except you actually nail it. 3
A Laptop, Glasses, and a MIDI Controller? Why Skrillex’s Hall of Fame Exhibit Matters
The Track: A Beautiful, Chaotic Mess
“Fuze” clocks in at 3:09 of pure, unfiltered mayhem. It’s got everything: Skrillex’s signature growls that sound like robots having an existential crisis, ISOxo’s trap-infused kinetic energy, and enough bass to liquify your internal organs. The production is immaculate. Both artists handled programming, mixing, and mastering, which means this thing was crafted with the kind of obsessive detail that only comes from two producers who genuinely give a shit.
Fans online immediately picked up on the nostalgic callbacks. “Welcome back, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites! By the way, when was the last time we experienced those growls from that period? It’s been a while!”. One Redditor said they felt like they were 16 again, losing their mind at a warehouse rave that definitely didn’t have proper permits.
The track made its debut at ISOxo and Knock2’s NITEHEARTS Festival in San Diego, a two-day banger at Snapdragon Stadium that felt less like a corporate EDM circus and more like a love letter to the underground. The B2B set between Skrillex and ISOxo was 90 tracks deep, and “Fuze” was the crown jewel everyone lost their shit over. 4
The Asian American Angle Nobody’s Talking About (But Should)
Here’s something worth mentioning: ISOxo is half-Filipino, half-Indonesian, and he’s not shy about repping his roots. In a scene that’s historically been dominated by white dudes with MacBooks, ISOxo’s rise, alongside his bestie Knock2 (who’s Laotian), is quietly revolutionary.
Read our feature on ISOxo: Fil-Am Artist ISOxo Is EDM’s Next Big Star
As one Reddit commenter noted, “You’re about to witness a young individual who takes great pride in his roots, his hometown, and his cultural heritage. This level of pride is something we haven’t often encountered within the Asian American community”. Both artists are signed to 88rising, making them the label’s first-ever dance music acts, which feels like a big fucking deal if you’ve been paying attention. 5
Community Feedback: The Internet Has Opinions (Shocking)
The online reaction to “Fuze” has been a beautiful chaos of memes, speculation, and full-blown worship.
Fans immediately started ID-ing samples and dissecting every sound. One theory suggests there’s a Naruto reference buried in there, because of course there is.
SoundCloud comments ranged from “Goosebumps 🔥🔥” to conspiracy theories about soul-selling for sound design. 6
Multiple Redditors called the NITEHEARTS B2B set their “Super Bowl” and said they’d tell their grandkids about “ISOskrill”.
Some fans complained about ISOxo’s excessive mic work during live sets, apparently he spends too much time yelling “Open that shit up!” But honestly, that sounds like part of the charm.
The track also sparked production nerds to geek out over Skrillex’s use of FM8 and his signature audio export manipulation techniques. Because nothing says “I love this song” like immediately trying to reverse-engineer it in Ableton.
Why This Actually Matters
“Fuze” isn’t just a collab. It’s a statement. Skrillex has spent the last few years genre-hopping like a caffeinated rabbit, from dubstep to house to whatever the hell his FUS album was. This track signals a deliberate return to his roots, while still pushing the sound forward with ISOxo’s modern aggression.
It’s also proof that OWSLA, Skrillex’s label, still has curatorial power in an era where labels are basically irrelevant. They’re not just releasing tracks. They’re fostering genuine collaborations between legends and the next generation.
And for ISOxo? This is his coronation. He’s already sold out four nights at The Shrine, played Coachella and Ultra, and curated his own festival. “Fuze” cements him as more than just “the next Skrillex.” He’s his own beast, with his own sound, and now he’s got the co-sign to prove it.
The Takeaway
“Fuze” is a 3-minute reminder that brostep never really died. It just went to therapy, got jacked, and came back meaner. It’s a flex for ISOxo, a homecoming for Skrillex, and a gift to everyone who’s been waiting for the bass music scene to stop taking itself so seriously.
Stream it. Blast it. Blow out your speakers. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you.
“Fuze” by Skrillex & ISOxo is out now on OWSLA/Atlantic. RIP to your subwoofers. OR get your FREE copy! https://laylo.co/t/I2o23Zr <- this is from my email =)
- https://www.reddit.com/r/trap/comments/1oeo0xd/skrillex_isoxo_fuze/ ↩︎
- https://www.reddit.com/r/skrillex/comments/1oeo416/skrillex_isoxo_fuze/ ↩︎
- https://www.reddit.com/r/EDM/comments/1oeo1e1/skrillex_isoxo_fuze/ ↩︎
- https://edm-addicts.com/news/isoxo-and-knock2-are-throwing-their-own-festival-niteharts-and-theyre-going-b2b-with-skrillex-and-zedd ↩︎
- https://mixmag.asia/read/isoxo-kidsgonemad-album-88-rising-knock2-dance-music-signings-new-releases ↩︎
- https://soundcloud.com/isoknock-enjoyer/isoxo-b2b-skrillex-live ↩︎
* generate randomized username
- Not dubstep
- #1 Lord_Nikon [12]
- #2 Void_Reaper [10]
- #3 Cereal_Killer [10]
- #4 Dark_Pulse [9]
- #5 Void_Strike [8]
- #6 Phantom_Phreak [7]
- #7 Data_Drifter [7]
- #8 Synth_Wave [6]
