Even beyond late nights, energy drinks, and headset hair, today’s dance DJ/producers and pro gamers have a lot in common. Both emerged from subterranean online communities and graduated to the arena stage, the biggest stars transfixing millions with intuitive control over keyboards and consoles. Now with Ninjawerks, Vol. 1, the gaming and EDM worlds collide. Tyler Blevins, a.k.a. Ninja, is a world-famous Halo and Fortnite gamer who joined up with dance music label Astralwerks to create an original soundtrack featuring music from top electronic artists (and not-so-closeted gamers) like Dillon Francis’ trappy moombahton banger “LFGD” and Alesso’s classic rave track “Tilted Towers.”
To navigate this world, we enlisted a 13-year-old Fortnite enthusiast, Maceo, who helped put Ninjawerks into perspective and broke down some key tracks. The middle-schooler and son of an Apple Music editor has been playing Fortnite since Season 4. At the time of writing, he has one solo win, two duo wins, and two squad wins.
“LFGD” - Dillon Francis (feat. Chris Melberger): “It means ‘Let’s Freaking Go, Dude.’ It’s something Ninja says when he gets a kill or gets a #1 Victory Royale.” [Ed.: Awarded when you’re the last one standing in a Battle Royale.]
“Tilted Towers” - Alesso: “This sounds like the high-intensity moments when you’re in a Final Two or a Build Battle. Tilted Towers is more of a heavily populated place with so many people. When you drop down, you immediately get a gun or you get killed.”
“Love Cemetery” - CRAY: “Maybe it’s for the ‘love’ of the game, and ‘cemetery’ because you’re eliminating other players.”
“On Your Mind” - Kaskade: “I can imagine this song playing when you’re dominating a game. One kill after another.”
“Lullaby” - Nero: “The feeling when you’re chasing a guy using launch pads, grapplers, even balloons to get to them.”
“Affliction” - Tiësto & Zaxx (feat. Olivera): “This is like playing in a duo or squad match, fighting together. They got your back when you’re trying to beat other players.”
“Jetty” - Tycho: “It’s not fast or too slow—it’s preparation music. You’re in the lobby, preparing to battle, deciding where to land, and strategize.”
“Game Time” - 3LAU (feat. Ninja): “When the beat drops, it's like getting a No Scope or a 360 kill. You’re battling, building, and getting some shots on.”
“Velvet” - ARTY: “This is a celebration-type song, like when you get a #1 Victory Royale. It’s amazing. It’s like winning a tournament or trophy.”