S3RL Lives a Story of Resilience Over Relevance

S3RL opens up about his 20-year career, recent resurgence in the scene, coming out of retirement, and so much more!

Do you remember those late nights in the mid-to-late 2000s filled with video games, anime marathons, or maybe even hardcore raving in abandoned warehouses? If so, you probably qualify for a senior discount at your favorite retail store. But seriously, it’s also safe to say that any of those experiences were fueled by the sounds of Aussie icon S3RL.

For so many ravers, S3RL is the soundtrack to their lives, known as one of the most prolific artists of the underground. Even with the massive success from hits such as “Pretty Rave Girl,” “MTC,” “Bass Slut,” and plenty of others, S3RL has always remained true to his signature style that ravers from multiple generations have fell in love with.

Of course, all good things come to end, and this was the case with S3RL back in 2019. He embarked on a final tour to close out this chapter of his career so he could shift his focus to family life. “I promised myself that I would stop traveling while my kids were young,” he told EDM Identity. “Then, when they became old enough, I would reassess.”

During his time away, his music continued to deepen its roots in the digital world. S3RL experienced a massive resurgence through social media, and he once again found himself engrained in mainstream culture. His catalog exploded on TikTok, his songs were included in widely-played levels of Beat Saber, and Doja Cat even performed “Pretty Rave Girl” on one of her tours.

These accolades continued to pile on silently, for the most part, for many years. “Meanwhile, my friend Rob, who was kicking goals with his production company, HSU, had been laying the foundations for me to have my come back at HTID,” he said. “On top of that, my wife was also subtly hinting that I should ‘just do one more show.'” This perfect storm led to his epic return at HTID Australia in 2025.

“One more show” has led to a few big performances since then, and fans are wondering if they can expect S3RL to tour full time again. “I wouldn’t say it’s safe to say, but my listeners are telling me that I’m definitely not allowed to stay retired,” he divulged. “I’m just taking it slow. Before I retired, I toured for ten years straight and maxed out all my stats. From here on out, it’s all endgame bonus content.”

Amid S3RL’s resurgence, his ten-year-old record, “Trillium,” recently went viral, too. This isn’t new for S3RL, but he still expressed that “it’s pretty surreal to have such an old track blow up all of a sudden.”

Reflecting on its initial release, he said that it’s ironic this record went viral now considering that most fans’ feedback at the time was along the lines of “I miss your old stuff more than what you’re making now.” Of course, S3RL tied in some humor, expressing that those fans were right because now, “Trillium” is the old stuff that fans love!

On the topic of EDM’s evolution, S3RL also had some interesting thoughts about the current wave of hard dance music gaining popularity, arguing that it’s not as different as it seems. He argues that hard dance is merely evolving just as he did. “I always liked that my happy hardcore was relatively ‘mainstream proof’ and would keep me underground, but I guess I’ve been around too long,” he said.

“New waves of technology have made EDM more and more accessible, and that accessibility is how I got into it in the first place,” he shared. As an example, S3RL cites that the current hardtekk wave feels like the next evolution of the nightcore phenomenon.

With similar steps, artists are taking a popular song, making minor adjustments, and enjoying great success. This formula lets people shape the music they like, even if they aren’t professional producers. “It’s all about people with good ideas sharing them with people that like those ideas,” he said.

S3RL’s artistic journey is truly one that highlights the importance of resilience over relevance. Since his early beginnings in the mid-2000s, he’s remained a fixture in everyone’s minds, even when he wasn’t actively involved in touring. While sustaining a career that lasts as long as his seems like an impossible feat, S3RL was kind enough to share some hard-earned wisdom to the current generation of artists.

He also expressed that while resilience is the right word to describe his career, consistency is just as important. “I was pretty lucky that I found the music that I loved from the start,” he said. “It never crossed my mind as to whether I was making hits or not. I was going to make that music anyway.”

S3RL’s story is no longer about an underground anomaly. Now, it’s about an artist who built a loyal audience without an industry machine, outlasted the system, and is still impacting the culture on a worldwide scale.

S3RL has some scheduled appearances in Australia throughout 2026, like Culture Festival and Nekonation, as well as Knockout Festival in 2027. Make sure to snag your tickets and experience one of dance music’s greatest unsung heroes in person.

Follow S3RL:

Website | Instagram | SoundCloud | YouTube | TikTok | Spotify

The post S3RL Lives a Story of Resilience Over Relevance appeared first on EDM Identity.