Electronic musician names

[Trillionage]

It has dawned me and confused me for a while, but why must so many electronica musicians, if they don't call themselves "DJ XYZ" must name themselves using epix kool l3tt3rz (sometimes they mix them together)? Like from the top of my head i can think Skrillex, Datsik, deadmau5 and i'm pretty sure if i do a random google search i'll find many more. Nothing against it or against anybody specific, but i just feel like its trying a bit too hard to be "cool" and "Xtreme".

[Makkon]

It's okay, we can be hipsters. We don't need to have epix kool l3tt3rz in our names. I think Fluffy Bumpkins would be a pretty rad name.

Really though, coming up with a musician name that really stands out is hard business. But there's much more than a 'name,' as a musician has to make a name for themselves through their work. In the end, it hardly matters what a musician calls themselves.

[colortwelve]

Actually, Datsik is the last name of a Russian MMA fighter or something.

[Dabrenn]

It has dawned me and confused me for a while, but why must so many electronica musicians, if they don't call themselves "DJ XYZ" must name themselves using epix kool l3tt3rz (sometimes they mix them together)? Like from the top of my head i can think Skrillex, Datsik, deadmau5 and i'm pretty sure if i do a random google search i'll find many more. Nothing against it or against anybody specific, but i just feel like its trying a bit too hard to be "cool" and "Xtreme".

I Agree with you for the most part, I think some of the names make them out to be trying too hard sometimes.

I think it's the general connection between electronics and technology and "extreme, cool, futuristic" names that spurs this trend on.
Likewise, Most Metal or Heavy Roc,k bands (in my small experience with them) tend to be named things like Metallica or Dope or something along those lines.
Likewise, most Pop Aritists simply use their name because Pop is more focused on the person than the actual music, so they want to create their identity.
Indie bands have some pretty strange names too

But there are plenty out there that are simple like Porter Robinson.

To sum up, Band names coincide to the style of music and Electronic music sounds futuristic and "cool" so the name emulate that. That's like, my opinion though.

[Trillionage]

Actually, Datsik is the last name of a Russian MMA fighter or something.

Well look at that. You learn something new everyday.

[Ed Viper]

My name originated with the medic from tf2 "I AM ZE UBERMENSCH!!!"

For some reason, I didn't feel that "Ubermensch" was enough, though, it needed a title. I thought about Mr., Dr., Professor, but for whatever reason "Emperor" was what sounded best to me.

Although I usually shorten it to just "EmpUbermensch" for usernames like forums and stuff, but my name on Soundcloud, EqBeats, and YouTube is the full "Emperor Ubermensch".

One of my old childhood friends and I have created a sort of duo group for us to promote whenever we do collabs.

We call ourselves "Makt & Cheez" then. I don't really know why. Just sounds silly.

[colortwelve]

Yeah, I think that less serious musicians, like brony musicians for instance, tend to choose names in a similar manner to simply choosing any kind of Internet username. I've cycled through many different usernames, but I settled on my current one about a year before getting into music, and I thought it was pointless to change it, especially given the humor in my name (which is only really apparent if you watch The Venture Bros.).

Of course, this happens with others. Datsik was an Xbox Live gamertag before it was an artist name, and deadmau5 was just a general screen-name that stuck.

[Trillionage]

My name originated with the medic from tf2 "I AM ZE UBERMENSCH!!!"

For some reason, I didn't feel that "Ubermensch" was enough, though, it needed a title. I thought about Mr., Dr., Professor, but for whatever reason "Emperor" was what sounded best to me.

Although I usually shorten it to just "EmpUbermensch" for usernames like forums and stuff, but my name on Soundcloud, EqBeats, and YouTube is the full "Emperor Ubermensch".

One of my old childhood friends and I have created a sort of duo group for us to promote whenever we do collabs.

We call ourselves "Makt & Cheez" then. I don't really know why. Just sounds silly.

But at least Emp. Ubermensch bases its "coolness" on the fact that its a foreign word. It's kinda like Kraftwerk. To someone who doesn't know German (or who they are) they may seem like they don't know how to spell.

Yeah, I think that less serious musicians, like brony musicians for instance, tend to choose names in a similar manner to simply choosing any kind of Internet username. I've cycled through many different usernames, but I settled on my current one about a year before getting into music, and I thought it was pointless to change it, especially given the humor in my name (which is only really apparent if you watch The Venture Bros.).

Of course, this happens with others. Datsik was an Xbox Live gamertag before it was an artist name, and deadmau5 was just a general screen-name that stuck.

I always try to get a username that's not taken. Partly to stand out but mostly because i hate remembering numbers.

[Versilaryan]

I'd have to agree with Makkon. In the end, if you can build a world for yourself that people will recognize, unless you deliberately try to make your name unpronounceable, people will remember it.

That said, there's a reason why my standard online username isn't my artist name. xD

[Facade]

Actually, Datsik is the last name of a Russian MMA fighter or something.

Well look at that. You learn something new everyday.

very true
as for cool artist names its probably the hardest thing to come up with it took me almost 2 month to come up with facade and even longer to get used to it

[Trillionage]

I'd have to agree with Makkon. In the end, if you can build a world for yourself that people will recognize, unless you deliberately try to make your name unpronounceable, people will remember it.

That said, there's a reason why my standard online username isn't my artist name. xD

I didn't intend for my name to be hard to pronounce either.
but noone's gotten it right so far. XD

Is it pronounced like in japanese (kee-oh-gah)?

[Acsii]

Mine Has a connection to my family as it comes from a nickname my sister gave me

[Trillionage]

It's also one letter away from "Esper" which is kinda cool.

[Facade]

haha i thought it was kai oh ga xD

[colortwelve]

haha i thought it was kai oh ga xD

That's how I pronounced it in the fucking video

[Acsii]

It's also one letter away from "Esper" which is kinda cool.

That too

[natsukashi]

But at least Emp. Ubermensch bases its "coolness" on the fact that its a foreign word. It's kinda like Kraftwerk. To someone who doesn't know German (or who they are) they may seem like they don't know how to spell.

It's spelled correctly, it just lacks the umlauts. Übermensch would be correct. =w=

[CommandSpry]

Mine is an anagram of my non-brony music alias, which is SMRDcompany (you know, same letters, you can check ^^)

And SMRDcompany only means anything to me really beacuse it's the first letters of my and my brothers' names followed with company, we kinda said it once when we were kids but I've used it as a username everywhere since then, haha

[XXDarkShadow79XX]

Well, just look at MINE guys.

XXDARKSHADOW79XX.

Yeah, it was on purpose. But it's still ridiculous.

[PhillyPu]

I'd have to agree with Makkon. In the end, if you can build a world for yourself that people will recognize, unless you deliberately try to make your name unpronounceable, people will remember it.

Even if you try to make your name unpronounceable, if you're a good enough artist/musician/person that does cool things, people are going to remember you. I mean, look at XKCD! How do you pronounce that?

Besides, as musicians, shouldn't we be focused on things that matter? Like, oh, say, the music? Some musician could be called "DJ xxxPHATPHIREBEATZxxx" for all I care. If he makes good music I certainly won't stop him from calling himself that. Hell, even if he doesn't make good music, what can I do about it?

[CommandSpry]

>I mean, look at XKCD! How do you pronounce that?

Uh, Eks Kay Sea Dee? It's not that hard ^^ The same way you'd pronounce YMCA.