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.Boys Noize official biography by Boysnoize records
In 2012, Boys Noize released his third studio album, Out of the Black.
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".
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.Bein, Kat (28 August 2015). "Jean Michel Jarre Announces Star-Studded 'Electronica Pt. 1: The Time Machine' LP". Billboard.
In 2016, Boys Noize released his fourth studio album, Mayday, 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 Billboards 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.
Discography Albums and EPs Studio albums as lead artist + List of albums as lead artist, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions BEL(FL) BEL(WA) FRA SWI USDance USHeat. Oi Oi OiReleased: 2007 Label: Boysnoize Records65—95——— PowerReleased: 2009 Label: Boysnoize Records2462144—23— Out of the BlackReleased: 2012 Label: Boysnoize Records4949123902342 MaydayReleased: 2016 Label: Boysnoize Records87128———— +/-Released: 2021 Label: Boysnoize Records—————— 7LLVSIONReleased: 2026 Label: Ones and Zeros—————— "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
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)
Extended plays + List of EPs Title Album details Are You In? Released: 2005 Label: Datapunk Erole Attack Released: 2005 Label: Turbo Records Kill the KidReleased: 2006 Label: Boysnoize Records Sessions, Vol. 1 Released: 2011 Label: Boysnoize Records Adonis Remix Released: 2012 Label: Cocoon Recordings Go Hard Released: 2013 Label: Boysnoize Records Strictly Raw Vol. 1 Released: 2015 Label: Boysnoize Records Strictly Raw Vol. 2 Released: 2018 Label: Boysnoize Records Strictly Bvnker Vol. 1 Released: 2020 Label: Boysnoize Records HARDC0RE DR3AMZ (with Rico Nasty)Released: 2024 Label: Sugar Trap/Atlantic Records/Big Beat LVLYReleased: 2024 Label: RAW
Collaborations + List of collaboration albums Title Album details Artists Thomas Released: 2006 Label: Boysnoize Records PUZIQUe (Boys Noize and D.I.M.) Don't Go Released: 2007 Label: Boysnoize Records PUZIQUe (Boys Noize and D.I.M.) #1 Released: 2012 Label: Boysnoize Records Handbraekes (Boys Noize and Mr. Oizo) Middle FingerReleased: 2013 Label: Boysnoize Records, Owsla Dog Blood (Boys Noize and Skrillex) Middle Finger Pt. 2: The Remixes Released: 2013 Label: Boysnoize Records, Owsla Dog Blood (Boys Noize and Skrillex) #2 Released: 2014 Label: Boysnoize Records Handbraekes (Boys Noize and Mr. Oizo) Octave Minds Released: 2014 Label: Boysnoize Records Octave Minds (Boyz Noise and Chilly Gonzales) #3 Released: 2018 Label: Ed Banger Records Handbraekes (Boys Noize and Mr. Oizo) Nine Inch Noize Released: 2026 Label: The Null Corporation, Interscope Nine Inch Noize (Boys Noize and Nine Inch Nails)
Singles Singles as lead artist + List of singlesYear Title Label2004"The Bomb / Boy Neu"International DeeJay Gigolo Records2005"Optic / He-man"Boysnoize Records "Volta 82"2006 "Feel Good (TV=Off)"Kitsuné Musique2007 "& Down"Boysnoize Records "Don't Believe the Hype" "Lava Lava"2008"My Head"2009 "Starter"2010 "Transmission (Pt. 1 and Pt. 2)" "1010 / Yeah" "Nott / Trooper"2011 "Adonis"Cocoon Recordings2012 "XTC"Boysnoize Records "What You Want" "Ich R U"2013 "Go Hard"2014 "Alarm"2015 "Cerebral" "Overstayer"2016 "Overthrow"Boysnoize Records "Euphoria"(featuring Remy Banks) "Starchild"(featuring Polica) "Birthday" (featuring Hudson Mohawke, Spank Rock, Danny Brown, and Pell) "Midnight"2018 "Disco Inferno" (featuring Marteria and Haftbefehl) "Orange" (with Virgil Abloh) "Killer" (featuring Steven A. Clark)2020 "Buchla 100" "Girl Crush"(featuring Rico Nasty) "Mvinline"Defected Records2021 "All I Want"(featuring Jake Shears)"IU" (featuring Corbin)Boysnoize Records"Nude / Xpress Yourself""Affection" (featuring ABRA)"Detune""Biate"2022"Let Us Rave" (featuring Naeem and Velvet Negroni)2023"Pvssy" (featuring Pilo and DEEVIOUS)"Chastity" (featuring Pussy Riot and Alice Glass)2024 "FVKVRVND"Hard Records2025"CDXOTA" (featuring Locked Club and Me Jesmay)ONES and ZEROS"Sireneh"2026"HYYTUP / Sh5b0mbe""Shut It Down" (featuring TAICHU and Taube)"ITVLO"Running Back"Baile DF"ONES and ZEROS"1+1+1"
Collaborative tracks + List of collaboration singlesYear Title Artists Album Label2009"Waves / Death Suite"Erol Alkan & Boys NoizeBoysnoize Records2010"Avalanche / Lemonade" "The Ultimate" Feadz featuring Boys Noize The T.U.F.F. EPEd Banger Records2011"Shizzo"Boys Noize and HousemeisterBoysnoize Records"Avalanche (Terminal Velocity)"Erol Alkan & Boys Noize featuring Jarvis CockerPhantasy Sound2012"Roland Rat / Brain Storm"Erol Alkan & Boys NoizeBoysnoize Records "Feeling" Boys Noize and BIGBANG Alive (Japanese Edition)YGEX, Avex Trax2013 "I Love It" G-Dragon featuring Zion.T and Boys Noize Coup d'EtatYG Entertainment2014"Danger"RL Grime featuring Boys NoizeVOIDWeDidIt Records2015"100"Tiga and Boys NoizeTurbo Recordings "#Capture the City" Boys Noize and Yoon Mirae (윤미래)Boysnoize Records "The Time Machine" Jean Michel Jarre and Boys Noize Electronica 1: The Time MachineSony Music2016"Ruhe"Mr. Oizo featuring Boys NoizeAll WetEd Banger Records2018"Orvnge"Boys Noize & Virgil AblohBoysnoize Records"Spree"Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Andi Toma, Jan St. Werner, Boys Noize & Thom Sonny GreenPEOPLE Mixtape 137d03d2019"Midnight Hour"Skrillex, Boys Noize, and Ty Dolla SignAtlantic / OWSLA"FMU"Brooke Candy featuring Boys Noize and Rico NastySEXORCISM"Why Not?"Boys Noize & Francis and the LightsBoysnoize Records2021"Ride or Die"Boys Noize & Kelsey Lu featuring Chilly Gonzales+/-"Love & Validation"Boys Noize & Kelsey Lu "Unlock It" Abra and Boys Noize featuring Playboi CartiPolo Grounds Music / RCA Records2022"Fashion"Kungs and Boys NoizeClub AzurVal / Def Jam"Trip"Boys Noize and SkreamBoysnoize Records2023 "Steady Pace" VTSS and Boys NoizeBig Beat Records "Fine Day Anthem" Skrillex and Boys NoizeBoysnoize Records / Atlantic2024"Spa8cid"Unklevon featuring Boys NoizeUN1CBoysnoize Records"tell me"Shygirl featuring Boys NoizeClub ShyBecause Music "Arintintin" Rico Nasty and Boys Noize HVRDC0RE DR3AMZSugar Trap / Atlantic Records / Big Beat2025"ZEET NOISE"Skrillex featuring Boys Noize and Dylan BradyFuck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol but Ur Not!!Atlantic / OWSLA"Dominator"Boys Noize and Human ResourceArmada Music B.V."RED"LSDXOXO featuring Boys NoizeDGTL ANMLFantasy Audio Group"TRUE RELIGION""Crazy For It"Keinemusik and Boys Noize featuring VinsonKeinemusik2026"HOT WIFE"Tiga and Boys NoizeHOTLIFETurbo Recordings"Get Away"Kungs and Boys NoizeOut LoudVal / Polydor France"I Bring My Gun To The Function"Brutalismus 3000 with Boys NoizeLIVE FROM EARTH / Columbia
Remixes