Boys Noize

Biography

Alexander "Alex" Ridha (born 22 August 1982), better known by his stage name Boys Noize, is a German-Iraqi electronic music record producer, songwriter and DJ known for collaborations with artists including A$AP Rocky, Tommy Cash, Frank Ocean, and Nine Inch Nails and remixes of artists including Daft Punk, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Snoop Dogg and Depeche Mode. In 2005, Ridha established his label, Boysnoize Records, and in 2025 launched a new concept label, Ones and Zeros.
With Skrillex he formed the duo Dog Blood. He is also half of the duo Octave Minds with Chilly Gonzales. In 2012 Rolling Stone named Boys Noize one of the Top 10 "DJs that rule the Earth". He earned a Grammy nomination in 2019 for "Midnight Hour", his house collaboration with Skrillex featuring Ty Dolla Sign, and he co-wrote the Grammy-winning Lady Gaga hit "Rain on Me".

Biography

Ridha started producing and DJing from an early age, including a period in which he supported Felix Da Housecat and DJ Hell under the alias of Kid Alex. He has been named one of the "Top 10 DJs Who Rule The World" by Rolling Stone, elected "Best Electronic Act" by Beatport 3 years in a row, and was awarded the Independent Music Award in 2010. His music is known to merge various styles, with influences of hip-hop and disco roots as well as heavy noise and electro house sounds.

Ridha released his early work on labels such as International Deejay Gigolos Records, Kitsuné Musique and Turbo Recordings. He established Boysnoize Records in 2005.
He remixed David Lynch, N.E.R.D, Depeche Mode, Snoop Dogg, Daft Punk, Justice, and The Chemical Brothers amongst many other well-known artists and became a producer of note, having worked with Kelis, UK rapper Kano, The Black Eyed Peas, and the South Korean band BIGBANG and has also collaborated with the New York band Scissor Sisters on their single "Only The Horses" from their fourth album, "Magic Hour".
Chilly Gonzales' Ivory Tower is his first fully produced and co-written album, released in August 2010.
He has further collaborated with Erol Alkan: the first record "Death Suite" / "Waves" was released on Ridha's imprint BNR, followed by "Lemonade" / "Avalanche", which came out on Erol's label Phantasy Sound.
In October 2010, the first release of the newly launched sublabel BNR TRAX was presented.
In 2012, Boys Noize released his third studio album, Out of the Black×Out of the Black3 October 2012 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1What You Want5:122XTC4:383Missile4:384Ich R U5:235Rocky 23:196Circus Full of Clowns3:367Conchord6:098Touch It3:279Reality7:0010Merlin7:0811Stop4:5512Got It3:1213Yellow4:59.
In 2012, Boys Noize formed a side-project with Skrillex called Dog Blood which is in the electro genre. Dog Blood performed at the 2013 Miami Ultra Music Festival.
Boysnoize Records celebrated its 100th release in 2013, with electronic dance heavyweights The Chemical Brothers and Justice remixing Boys Noize's "XTC" and "ICH R U×Ich R U19 November 2012 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Ich R U (radio edit)3:242Ich R U (album edit)5:233Yellow4:59".
In 2014, Boys Noize did the theme music composition for a German movie named Who Am I – No System Is Safe. Ridha also collaborated with Chilly Gonzales to form Octave Minds. The self-titled debut album was released on BNR with track premieres on Pitchfork, Dazed and Confused, and the Fader. Besides the album features a track called "Tap Dance", which features Chance the Rapper and the Social Experiment.
Boys Noize released his Go Hard EP in 2013 on Beatport. In August 2015 it was announced that Ridha had collaborated with Jean-Michel Jarre on the track "The Time Machine" from the album Electronica 1: The Time Machine.
In 2016, Boys Noize released his fourth studio album, Mayday×Mayday20 May 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Overthrow4:432Mayday3:183Dynamite3:144Rock the Bells2:505Euphoria4:3462 Live3:257Would You Listen3:158Revolt3:049Starchild4:3210Midnight4:3411Los Niños4:0112Hardkotzen3:0613Birthday3:14, which included collaborations with Benga, Remy Banks, Poliça, Hudson Mohawke, and Spank Rock. He described it as "[his] signal against blind categorization and conformist synchronization", "a call for individuality and diversity", and "a tribute to outsiders". It peaked at number 8 on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
In 2025, he launched an "experimental concept label", Ones and Zeros, with a compilation that featured 22 artists.
His sixth album titled 7LLVSION was announced for release on November 6, 2026.

Nine Inch Noize

In 2024, Ridha began collaborating with Nine Inch Nails. First he remixed the Challengers soundtrack, titled Challengers (Mixed); he was subsequently asked to co-produce tracks for the Tron: Ares soundtrack, including the tracks "As Alive as You Need Me to Be" and "Shadow Over Me".
In 2025 he was booked as the opening act for Nine Inch Nails' Peel It Back Tour in 2025, joining the band on stage each night for an EDM-inspired section of their set. In September, it was announced that Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize would perform at Coachella 2026 as a supergroup called Nine Inch Noize, with the performances acting as an extension of the Peel It Back Tour's third act.
On April 17, 2026, Nine Inch Noize released their self-titled album.

Remixed albums

Oi Oi Oi (Remixed), 2008
Out of the Black – The Remixes, 2013
Challengers (Mixed), 2024

Mix albums

Bugged Out! Presents Suck My Deck (Mixed by Boys Noize) (2008)
I Love Techno 2008 (Mixed by Boys Noize) (2008)
Radio Soulwax Mix (2009)
Mixmag Presents Electro Techno Thunder! (2009)
South West Four Clapham Festival Preview (2010)
Fabriclive 72: Boys Noize (2013)
BNR10YR Bang Mix (Mixed by Boys Noize) (2013)