ILLENIUM
As one of the most successful crossover electronic artists today, GRAMMY® Award nominated Denver-based producer/DJ and instrumentalist ILLENIUM (born Nick Miller) has elevated dance music via his bold, progressive take on the genre. His expansive sound, which mixes elements of celestial electronic, mellow alternative, crushing dubstep, emotional indie and pop-tinged bass music, has topped the U.S. charts, garnered over 5 billion collective streams and solidified the headlining artist as a singular force in a crowded arena. Now Miller is returning to his roots with a novel sound that celebrates his love for raw guitar riffs and impactful rocktronica.
Hailed by Billboard as one of the Top Dance/Electronic Artists of the 2010s and recognized as part of Forbes‘ coveted 30 Under 30 list in 2020, ILLENIUM has captivated millions of self-identified, die-hard “Illenials” around the world who share a direct and personal bond with him through his music as well as his candid narrative of how he turned from a path of self-destruction toward self-discovery and never looked back.
First emerging as a then-unknown bedroom producer in 2013, ILLENIUM has since taken the pop and electronic worlds by storm via his breakthrough independent releases, including his 2014 self-released Risen EP and his 2016 debut album, Ashes. Next came 2017’s Awake, which peaked at No. 3 on the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart on Billboard, and cemented ILLENIUM’s reputation for distilling powerful vocals and emotive lyrics over complex, layered electronic melodies.
His “Trilogy” became complete in 2019, when major label, Astralwerks, released its stunning crescendo, Ascend. This third full-length LP concluded his thematic Phoenix-centered saga and amassed more than 1 billion collective streams, becoming ILLENIUM’s first album to top Billboard‘s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart and his highest-placing release on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, peaking at No. 14. Pushing his intricate sound design to new production heights, Ascend elevated ILLENIUM’s songwriting prowess, as evidenced by the album’s lead single “Take You Down,” a moving confessional chronicling his past battles with drug addiction, a near-fatal overdose and his triumphant recovery through it all.
Fallen Embers arrived in July 2021, just as the world reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic. Boasting the same heart wrenching melodies and euphoric chords that made ILLENIUM an international sensation, his fourth studio LP brought with it a much-needed infusion of hope. Featuring collaborations with friends like Dabin, Said the Sky, SLANDER, Excision, Tori Kelly, iann dior, HALIENE and Krewella, Fallen Embers served as a well-deserved victory lap for the melodic bass genre. It also saw Miller join forces with names like Rock Mafia and Tom DeLonge (of Blink-182 and Angels and Airwaves fame), signaling the beginning of a new era for ILLENIUM, and boosting cumulative streams to the tune 5 billion+ worldwide.
Shortly after its release, a stadium full of fans in Las Vegas experienced TRILOGY, a transformative, auditory journey through ILLENIUM’s robust discography, and the most comprehensive set he’s played to date.
“Coming out of quarantine to play for four hours straight was the biggest high of my life,” Miller shares passionately. “To host a stadium show has been a dream of mine from the start, and to see that dream become a reality was truly a life affirming moment — it was honestly so sick.”
Onstage, ILLENIUM brings his empowering music to life via his dynamic live show that’s seen him dominate the world’s leading festivals, including Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and EDC Las Vegas, as well as his own international solo tours. After packing out famed venues such as Madison Square Garden and STAPLES CENTER in Los Angeles where he brought his live show with himself on guitar alongside Dabin (guitar) Said the Sky (keys) and a squad of powerhouse vocalists, ILLENIUM looked beyond the standard show format to create fresh avenues for gathering loyal Illennials in unique locations.
ILLENIUM’s Fallen Embers tour descended upon Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre for a three-night sold out run last fall, just ahead of his first ever self-curated destination festival, Ember Shores, which took place December 3-5 in Cancún, Mexico.
“There was something really special about everyone traveling together in pursuit of a vibe,” Miller says of his first ever destination festival. “You can go to a show pretty effortlessly when it’s in your city, but you can’t really go to Cancun for a three-day weekend without considerable effort. Everyone there came with a purpose.”
This pinnacle moment came at a pivotal time for Miller’s chart-topping project, as fans were introduced to a brave new side of ILLENIUM.
“When I first started producing, I was really obsessed with electronic music and the artists I looked up to who were making it,” Miller explains. “I feel like now I’m asking myself the question: what music has been most impactful to me in my life? I want to achieve that in the form of a song, and ultimately an album.”
ILLENIUM’s fall 2021 single “Wouldn’t Change A Thing,” a collaboration with pop-punk outfit Thirty Seconds to Mars, embodies that sentiment. The pulsing and fiercely romantic cut features the inimitable Jared Leto on vocals. It heralds a new genre-bending chapter in ILLENIUM’s story – one which also saw him team up with Sueco the Child and rap icon Trippie Redd on his latest anthemic, string-fueled thrasher, “Story of My Life.”
“I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to do this, and I want to take what I have now and affect the most people as possible in a positive way,” ILLENIUM offers of what’s on the horizon.