The Illenium trilogy is a series of three studio albums by American DJ and producer Nick Miller, better known by his stage name Illenium. The albums – Ashes, Awake, and Ascend – were released between 2016 and 2019 and represent a musical journey that has propelled Illenium to international stardom in the electronic dance music (EDM) scene.
Ashes (2016)
The first album in the trilogy is Ashes, released on February 5, 2016 via Kasaya and Seeking Blue Records. It consists of 10 tracks blending melodic dubstep, future bass, and pop with Illenium’s signature emotive style. Two pre-release singles came out ahead of the full album – “I’ll Be Your Reason” featuring vocalist Shantee and “Reverie” featuring King Deco. Other standout collaborations on Ashes include “Fortress” featuring Joni Fatora and “With You” featuring Quinn XCII and Chelsea Cutler.
Upon release, Ashes was well-received, signalling Illenium as an up-and-coming force in melodic electronic music. YourEDM described it as “a glittering debut album” with “heavy hitting melodic dubstep and heart piercing future bass.” In a 9/10 review, ThisSongIsSick said “From start to finish the album takes you on an emotional rollercoaster.” Ashes peaked at #6 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Albums chart and #129 on the Billboard 200.
Key Ashes tracks
- “I’ll Be Your Reason” ft. Shantee
- “Reverie” ft. King Deco
- “With You” ft. Quinn XCII & Chelsea Cutler
- “Fortress” ft. Joni Fatora
- “Sleepwalker” ft. Joni Fatora
Awake (2017)
The momentum from Ashes carried into Illenium’s sophomore album Awake, released on September 29, 2017 via Astralwerks Records. It continued to showcase his versatility across melodic dubstep, bass, and pop. This time around, singles arrived well in advance – “Feel Good” with Gryffin featuring Daya came out 7 months before the full album.
Other Awake collaborations included the huge hit “Crawl Outta Love” featuring Annika Wells, “Leaving” featuring EDEN, “Lonely” with Said the Sky and 1788-L, and “Let You Go” with Nevve. With its broader range of styles and higher profile vocalists, Awake marked a significant breakthrough and achieved greater mainstream success than Ashes.
| Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | #14 |
| Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums | #2 |
Critics praised the album, with YourEDM calling it “13 tracks of pure musical genius” and Dancing Astronaut describing it as “euphoric, evocative, and artistically diversified.” Awake was later nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards, cementing Illenium’s status as a top act in the EDM scene.
Key Awake tracks
- “Feel Good” ft. Gryffin & Daya
- “Crawl Outta Love” ft. Annika Wells
- “Leaving” ft. EDEN
- “Let You Go” ft. Nevve
Ascend (2019)
In August 2019, Illenium completed the trilogy with the release of his third studio album, Ascend. He signed to Astralwerks Records and continued to push his sound forward across hip hop, pop, bass music, and melodic dubstep. Singles arrived steadily in the lead up to the full album – “Take You Down”, “Takeaway”, “Goodbye”, “Pray” with Kameron Alexander, and “Blood” with vocalist Foy Vance.
Other high profile Ascend collaborations included “Hold On” with Georgia Ku and “Gorgeous” with Bipolar Sunshine. The tracklisting flowed cohesively from one track to the next, taking listeners through different tones and textures across the LP. Illenium worked with a Grammy-winning mixing engineer to polish the final sound.
Ascend went on to become Illenium’s first #1 album, topping Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Albums chart. It also made a big splash on the Billboard 200 at #14. The EDM world agreed it was his most complete and ambitious effort yet. Dancing Astronaut described Ascend as Illenium’s “magnum opus” filled with “radiant dynamism.” YourEDM said it “weaves textbook quality songwriting with forward-thinking production.”
| Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | #14 |
| Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums | #1 |
Key Ascend tracks
- “Good Things Fall Apart” ft. Jon Bellion
- “Takeaway” ft. Lennon Stella
- “Blood” ft. Foy Vance
- “Lonely” ft. Chandler Leighton
Thematic storytelling
Beyond the musical evolution across the trilogy, Illenium also weaved an overarching narrative through the three albums using spoken word interludes and snippets. Ascend begins with a departing message referencing the previous two albums (“I know it’s hard to leave them, Ashes and Awake, but this is your Ascension”). This conceptual continuity rewards longtime fans.
Reviewers praised this unique approach to electronic music albums. EDM Sauce explained: “Where many artists would have left their albums disconnected, Illenium has a near theatrical approach to how he assembles a concept album.” The narration brings deeper meaning and emotion to complement the music.
Live shows
Illenium’s live shows have become legendary over the course of the trilogy for their production value and ability to complement his evocative music. He utilizes drum pads, keyboards, guitars, live vocals, and custom visuals to create an immersive atmosphere.
From early club shows to major festivals like Coachella, EDC, and Lollapalooza, Illenium’s popularity as a live act has skyrocketed in tandem with his album success. His Ascend Tour following the third album included 4 sold out shows at New York’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and his first headline performance at Madison Square Garden.
The production continues to get bigger and more ambitious, reflecting his rise to stardom within electronic music. A Rolling Stone feature described Illenium’s live show as “part rock concert, part rave, part space odyssey, merging the digital and analog through custom electronics and live instrumentation.”
Impact and legacy
The Illenium trilogy of Ashes, Awake, and Ascend represents one of the most compelling electronic music arcs in recent memory. It propelled Nick Miller from a promising up-and-comer into one of the most popular artists in the scene. His willingness to blend genres and incorporate meaningful themes connected with diverse fanbases.
The albums’ commercial success also helped bring melodic bass and emotional EDM to the forefront. Illenium has been credited as a pioneer of the trend, now reflected in the music of artists like Said the Sky, Dabin, Seven Lions, and William Black.
It will be interesting to see how Illenium progresses from here. For now, the trilogy stands as a monumental achievement that has reshaped the dance music landscape.
Conclusion
The Illenium trilogy showed impressive artistic growth across three albums while catapulting Nick Miller into electronic music stardom. Ashes, Awake, and Ascend built upon one another musically and thematically, keeping fans engaged album after album. Miller’s willingness to blend styles and incorporate lyrical depth created a unique hybrid sound that resonated. The live shows also kept pace with his popularity through cutting edge production.
Illenium is now solidified as one of the leaders of the melodic bass trend and his trilogy run stands as an iconic achievement in the 2010s dance music scene. Now at the peak of his powers, the possibilities seem endless for what he may explore next. But the Ashes to Ascend journey will go down as pivotal period that charted a new course for EDM.
