A sound design genius, Virtual Riot's name has always been synonymous with his virtuoso dedication to the art of electronic music production. But in a recent podcast conversation, he showed a different side to himself, one that proves just as inspiring as his otherworldly tracks.
Talking with Slam CastVirtual Riot spoke about the transformative impact of sobriety on his life and career, sharing his journey from living in Los Angeles to teaching advanced music production to embracing a cleaner lifestyle.
Virtual Riot, who has been living in Los Angeles for eight years, admits he had every excuse to party too hard. But that all changed after a stint in rehab, which was the turning point, he says, that led to sobriety. His first performance after this life-changing decision was at the 2023 Electric Forest festival, where he took to the stage with a renewed sense of purpose and clarity.
He has since embraced a sober lifestyle, something he says hasn’t diminished his creativity in the slightest. In fact, Virtual Riot notes that staying sober has strengthened his sense of discipline and helped him connect more deeply with his craft. He compares DJ sobriety to exposure therapy because you can’t control what others do at your shows, but it does provide a situational mechanism to develop your own sense of discipline.
“I would say that sometimes,
Virtual Riot says he has also found support in a family group of high-profile DJs who have embraced sobriety, such as Ghastly, Barely Alive and Steve Aoki, which has provided him with a professional network that understands his journey. He stressed the importance of self-awareness and personal choice when it comes to sobriety.
“We all have enough conscience, enough moral compass to know whether what we do is good for us or not,” he said. “It's just a matter of listening to that.”
Listen to the full interview at Slam Cast below.
Follow Virtual Riot:
UNKNOWN: x.com/virtual_riot
TikTok: tiktok.com/@officialvirtualriot
Instagram: instagram.com/officialvirtualriot
Facebook: facebook.com/virtualriotmusic
Spotify: spoti.fi/3sgryDK
thanks to our partners at edm.com