Pangbourne House Mafia: How Skrillex, Fred again.. & Four Tet are making history [Magazine Featured]

From Madison Square Garden to Coachella, Pangbourne House Mafia, aka Skrillex, Fred again.. & Four Tet are making undeniable electronic music history.

Last summer, an unsuspecting village on the River Thames in England would go on to create one of electronic music’s most dynamic trios in recent times. In a rented house on the river in Pangbourne Skrillex and Fred again.. would come together to spend some time making music, nurturing a blossoming friendship and bouncing back on ideas between the pair of them. Not long after, they invited Four Tet to join them, who stated that he would “come over and see what happens,” and it would be that exact moment which marked the birth of what we have come to know as Pangbourne House Mafia. 

It’s somewhat of an unlikely trio, but it’s that unlikeness that makes it that much more special. Before getting to know them as a trio, its important to understand where they came from in their respective solo careers. 

Four Tet

With his first album under the Four Tet name ‘Rounds’ being released in 2003, Four Tet has been in the electronic industry for the longest of the three. Before this, he started out officially with his first single ‘Double Density’ under the name 4T Recordings in 1997, officially starting Four Tet in 1998 with the single ‘Thirtysixtwentyfive,’ a 36 minute long record that would establish him as what kind of experimental artist he is. Not fitting in one box, he has drawn influence from the likes of jazz, ambient, hip-hop and much more. His unique style that began to capture audiences worldwide lead him to opening for Radiohead, and since then he’s been on an upward trajectory of pushing boundaries in electronic music and beyond, continuing to innovate.  

Skrillex

A true pioneer of dubstep and an artist that helped to bring it to the masses, when Skrillex shifted from the emo rock space to the electronic production space, no one could have predicted where it would have taken him. When Skrillex dropped ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’ for free download on Myspace back in the day, a sudden shift happened in electronic music culture. Following on from this, he had multiple ground-breaking dubstep hits in the early 2010’s, culminating in his 2014 debut album ‘Recess.’ After this, fans saw him begin to explore other genres, and though from time to time he proved that he was still in touch with his roots, he also showcased that he wasn’t a one trick pony, and could master any genre. Fast forward to the last few years, and the name Skrillex isn’t just associated with ‘Bangarang’ anymore, and he has grown to become one of the most respected and looked up to multifaceted producers in the game. 

Fred again..

An artist for the modern age, Fred came to popularity much more recently than Skrillex and Four Tet did, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of the most in-demand names in the music scene. Representing a new era of where electronic music is heading,

Image credit: Chris Lavado / provided by Warner Music Group