Deadmau5
Encyclopedia
Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), better known by his stage name deadmau5 , is a Canadian progressive, electro, and house
producer based in Toronto
. His tracks have been included in compilation albums such as In Search of Sunrise 6: Ibiza
, MixMag's Tech-Trance-Electro-Madness (mixed by deadmau5 himself), and on Armin van Buuren's A State of Trance
radio show. His debut album, Get Scraped
, was released in 2006, followed by others in the next few years.
As well as his own solo releases, deadmau5 has worked alongside other DJs and producers, such as Kaskade
, MC Flipside, Rob Swire
of Pendulum
, Skrillex, and Steve Duda under the BSOD alias. He is known for often performing in a titular costume head, which resembles a mouse head, that he originally created while learning to use a 3D program
.
. Zimmerman's career began during the 1990s, his sound influenced greatly by the chiptune
movement. In 2005, he released Project 56
, a compilation of fifty-six demos. Among this EP is "Just Before 8bit", which was later expanded upon in Get Scraped
. Get Scraped, released in 2006, features a variety of genres, including IDM
, Ambient
/Downtempo
, Noise Pop
and Trip Hop
. Soon after, Zimmerman began his own record label, mau5trap, which, along with Ultra Records
and Ministry of Sound
, released the 2008 album Random Album Title
. Random Album Title saw the collaboration of Deadmau5 and San-Francisco producer Kaskade
with I Remember
.
His first mixed album, Random Album Title
, was released electronically in September 2008 via Ultra Records
in the United States and Ministry of Sound
in the United Kingdom and Europe. Physical copies of the album were released in November 2008.
In the United States, deadmau5's collaboration with Kaskade, "Move for Me
," reached No.1 on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Airplay
chart in its September 6, 2008 issue.
Since then, deadmau5 has seen three of his tracks, all collaborations ("Move for Me" and "I Remember
" with Kaskade; "Ghosts N Stuff
" with Rob Swire
) reach number-one on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart, making him the only Canadian on that chart to achieve that status (he is also the fourth Canadian to top that chart, following Deborah Cox
, Nelly Furtado
, and Dragonette
, with one a piece).
In 2009, he was the best-selling artist on Beatport
with more than 30,000 digital download
s with his singles "Not Exactly," "Faxing Berlin," and "Ghosts N Stuff."
Information on his album For Lack of a Better Name was posted on his official MySpace page.
In the fall of 2009, deadmau5's performances were recorded and made available for sale immediately following the concert on USB wristband flash drives.
MTV named deadmau5 as the house DJ for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
and MTV PUSH artist of the week on August 16, 2010. He expressed gratitude towards Lady Gaga
and David Guetta
for bringing dance into the pop music scene and paving the way for the him to the mainstream. At the awards, deadmau5 performed with Jason Derulo
and Travie McCoy
. His song "Ghosts N Stuff" had been featured on the soundtrack for the MTV reality series Jersey Shore
earlier.
His third studio album, titled 4x4=12
, was released on December 6, 2010 in the United Kingdom and December 7, 2010 in the United States. The singles "Some Chords," "Animal Rights
," and "Sofi Needs a Ladder
" have been released and will feature on the album. "Some Chords" was featured on an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
where Deadmau5 guest starred, and an instrumental version of "Sofi Needs a Ladder" was featured in the film The Hangover Part II.
A short while after he released 4x4=12, he stated that he would be releasing a new album some time in 2011 and would not release any material as singles.
deadmau5 is a playable avatar in DJ Hero 2
, a video game released in October 2010. Additionally, one of the initially revealed tracks is a mashup between deadmau5's "Ghosts N Stuff" with Lady Gaga
's "Just Dance."
He also had a radio station dedicated to him in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
for the Nintendo DS
and Sony
PlayStation Portable
(PSP) portable gaming consoles, as well as the iPhone
.
in Ireland. He also headlined LovEvolution in San Francisco, California on October 3. He played at Belsonic in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
on August 28, at the Leeds, Reading, and Creamfields Festivals on August 29 and 30 in the Lock Up/Dance Tent/Mixmag stage, drawing a large crowd at each of the events. He has performed on BBC Radio 1
multiple times, which include an Essential Mix set on August 19, 2008, and a shared set with Pete Tong live at the Warehouse Project in Manchester
on October 11, 2008. He played back to back shows that were broadcast via BBC Radio1 live from Ibiza
on August 31 and September 1, 2009. deadmau5 was offered and accepted to play another set live on New Year's 2010 along with Justice
, Eric Prydz
, and Plump DJs.
deadmau5 performed at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver
, British Columbia on February 19, 2010, during the live medal presentations in men’s luge doubles and biathlon (women’s 15-km individual and men’s 20-km individual). His track "Moar Ghosts N Stuff" was aired on national TV throughout the United States when it was played over loudspeakers during Hannah Kearney
's gold-medal run in women's moguls. deadmau5 also performed live at the Electric Daisy Carnival
's Kinetic Fields section in Exposition Park, Los Angeles on June 25, 2010.
During Winter 2010, deadmau5 toured the United Kingdom and was supported by BBC Radio 1
DJ Zane Lowe
, Magnetic Man
, Calvin Harris
, Stanton Warriors
and Kim Fai. He also performed at the Scottish festival T in the Park 2011
.
Playmate of the Month for October 2009 Lindsey Evans
. They met at the VMA awards. Their breakup was made public through his Facebook account. He's a fan of the indie video game Minecraft
and has performed at MineCon.
in Washington, D.C., deadmau5 collapsed on stage, suffering from exhaustion and vomiting. deadmau5's set was cut short as he was rushed to a hospital, and his collapse also led to the cancellation of the nine shows following the event.
, Maor Levi and Dj Eco created a project named Deadrat6 as a joke on deadmau5, claiming his tracks sound alike. A similar faux project was also created under the name of Sinterklaa5.
, deadmau5 was quoted as follows:
Zimmerman apologized for this comment on November 4, 2008. He explained that the interview was bad, and that it did not express his opinion about DJs correctly:
, and to which deadmau5 claimed copyright. The sample was a direct clip of a full bar of the song. Deadmau5 provided a "Demo Track" which came bundled with FL Studio, along with several loop samples. The case caused a slight discomfort among the users of FL Studio, and some have pointed out potential inconsistencies in the EULA of the software.
Other albums
announced the winners of their annual Beatport Music Awards, awarding deadmau5 Best Electro House Artist, Best Progressive House Artist, and "most influential, relevant and forward-thinking person in electronic music over the past 12 months."
|-
| rowspan="4"| 2008
| rowspan="2"| Deadmau5
| Best Electro House Artist
|
|-
| Best Progressive House Artist
|
|-
| "Not Exactly"
| Best Single
|
|-
| "Community Funk" (Deadmau5 remix) by Burufunk vs. Carbon Community
| Best Remix
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2009
| rowspan="2"| Deadmau5
| Best Electro House Artist
|
|-
| Best Progressive House Artist
|
|-
|-
| 2009
| "The Longest Road" (Deadmau5 Remix) by Morgan Page featuring Lissie
| Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
|
|-
|-
| rowspan="7"| 2010
| rowspan="4"| Deadmau5
| Best Canadian DJ
|
|-
| Best Artist
|
|-
| Best Global DJ
|
|-
| Best Producer
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (feat. Rob Swire)
| Best Electro Track
|
|-
| Best Video
|
|-
| "Strobe"
| Best Progressive/Tech Track
|
|-
at the Juno Awards of 2008
for a track with Billy Newton-Davis
and Melleefresh
. He did not win an award for Melleefresh's "After Hours" song, but he won the award for Newton-Davis' "All U Ever Want".
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2008
| "After Hours" (with Melleefresh)
| Dance Recording of the Year
|
|-
| "All You Ever Want" (with Billy Newton-Davies)
| Dance Recording of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2009
| Random Album Title
| Dance Recording of the Year
|
|-
| "Move for Me" (with Kaskade)
| Dance Recording of the Year
|
|-
| 2010
| For Lack of a Better Name
| Dance Recording of the Year
|
|-
. In 2008, he placed No.11 in the DJ Magazine Top 100 poll, tying Infected Mushroom
(2006) for the highest new entry in the poll's history, showing deadmau5's fast rise to prominence.
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
producer based in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. His tracks have been included in compilation albums such as In Search of Sunrise 6: Ibiza
In Search of Sunrise 6: Ibiza
In Search of Sunrise 6: Ibiza is the sixth album in the In Search of Sunrise series mixed by trance DJ/producer Tiësto, released on September 7, 2007 in the Netherlands and October 16, 2007 in the United States as a double disc album. This information was confirmed on July 31, 2007 on Tiësto's...
, MixMag's Tech-Trance-Electro-Madness (mixed by deadmau5 himself), and on Armin van Buuren's A State of Trance
A State of Trance
A State Of Trance is the title of a weekly radio show hosted by prominent trance producer DJ Armin van Buuren. First airing in March 2001 on ID&T Radio , the show takes the format of a two hour mix in which he plays new trance music, both promotional and commercially released...
radio show. His debut album, Get Scraped
Get Scraped
-Trivia:* The track title 'Bored of Canada' is presumably a reference to Boards of Canada, a Scottish downtempo act whom deadmau5 has pointed as one of his influences. Deadmau5 himself is Canadian. The track itself is a short, interlude-like track that is indeed reminiscent of the sound of Boards...
, was released in 2006, followed by others in the next few years.
As well as his own solo releases, deadmau5 has worked alongside other DJs and producers, such as Kaskade
Kaskade
Ryan Raddon , better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ and record producer. On October 20, 2011, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records Kaskade placed at #30...
, MC Flipside, Rob Swire
Rob Swire
Rob Swire , is an Australian record producer, singer and keyboardist. Swire is best known as lead singer and producer of Australian electronic band Pendulum and is sometimes referred to by the stage name Anscenic...
of Pendulum
Pendulum (band)
Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
, Skrillex, and Steve Duda under the BSOD alias. He is known for often performing in a titular costume head, which resembles a mouse head, that he originally created while learning to use a 3D program
3D computer graphics software
3D computer graphics software refers to programs used to create 3D computer-generated imagery. This article covers only some of the software used.-Uses:...
.
Career
Zimmerman was born in Niagara Falls, OntarioNiagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
. Zimmerman's career began during the 1990s, his sound influenced greatly by the chiptune
Chiptune
A chiptune, also known as chip music, is synthesized electronic music often produced with the sound chips of vintage computers and video game consoles, as well as with other methods such as emulation. In the early 1980s, personal computers became cheaper and more accessible than they had previously...
movement. In 2005, he released Project 56
Project 56 (Deadmau5 album)
Project 56 is a downloadable demo album from the Canadian progressive house artist deadmau5. He has said on the networking website Myspace that "The idea back then was to do a thing called Project 56 which was 56 tracks for people with short attention spans...
, a compilation of fifty-six demos. Among this EP is "Just Before 8bit", which was later expanded upon in Get Scraped
Get Scraped
-Trivia:* The track title 'Bored of Canada' is presumably a reference to Boards of Canada, a Scottish downtempo act whom deadmau5 has pointed as one of his influences. Deadmau5 himself is Canadian. The track itself is a short, interlude-like track that is indeed reminiscent of the sound of Boards...
. Get Scraped, released in 2006, features a variety of genres, including IDM
Intelligent dance music
Intelligent dance music is a term that describes an electronic music genre that emerged in the early 1990s. The genre is influenced by a wide range of musical styles particularly electronic dance music such as Detroit Techno...
, Ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
/Downtempo
Downtempo
Downtempo is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling...
, Noise Pop
Noise pop
Noise pop is a subgenre of alternative rock developed in the mid 1980s in the UK and US, that mixes atonal noise or feedback, or both, with the melodic instrumentation and production elements more often found in pop music, making it more melodic and angst-free than noise rock.-History:Noise pop has...
and Trip Hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
. Soon after, Zimmerman began his own record label, mau5trap, which, along with Ultra Records
Ultra Records
Ultra Records is an American independent electronic dance music record label. Ultra was formed in New York City in 1995 by former Polygram and Virgin Records executive Patrick Moxey, who is still currently the owner...
and Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound London, commonly referred to as simply Ministry of Sound or MoS, is a nightclub based in London, United Kingdom and an associated record label. It was ranked fourth in the 2010 DJ Magazine top 100 clubs poll 2010. As well as the nightclub in London, there is another in Egypt and...
, released the 2008 album Random Album Title
Random Album Title
-Mixed :****-Unmixed :...
. Random Album Title saw the collaboration of Deadmau5 and San-Francisco producer Kaskade
Kaskade
Ryan Raddon , better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ and record producer. On October 20, 2011, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records Kaskade placed at #30...
with I Remember
I Remember (Deadmau5 song)
I Remember is a progressive house song by Canadian artist Deadmau5 and American DJ Kaskade. It features vocals from Haley Gibby. The song appears in the 2010 video games GoldenEye 007 and DJ Hero 2.-Chart performance:...
.
His first mixed album, Random Album Title
Random Album Title
-Mixed :****-Unmixed :...
, was released electronically in September 2008 via Ultra Records
Ultra Records
Ultra Records is an American independent electronic dance music record label. Ultra was formed in New York City in 1995 by former Polygram and Virgin Records executive Patrick Moxey, who is still currently the owner...
in the United States and Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound London, commonly referred to as simply Ministry of Sound or MoS, is a nightclub based in London, United Kingdom and an associated record label. It was ranked fourth in the 2010 DJ Magazine top 100 clubs poll 2010. As well as the nightclub in London, there is another in Egypt and...
in the United Kingdom and Europe. Physical copies of the album were released in November 2008.
In the United States, deadmau5's collaboration with Kaskade, "Move for Me
Move for Me
-Charts:...
," reached No.1 on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Airplay
Hot Dance Airplay
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it...
chart in its September 6, 2008 issue.
Since then, deadmau5 has seen three of his tracks, all collaborations ("Move for Me" and "I Remember
I Remember (Deadmau5 song)
I Remember is a progressive house song by Canadian artist Deadmau5 and American DJ Kaskade. It features vocals from Haley Gibby. The song appears in the 2010 video games GoldenEye 007 and DJ Hero 2.-Chart performance:...
" with Kaskade; "Ghosts N Stuff
Ghosts N Stuff
"Ghosts 'n' Stuff" is a house song produced by progressive house and electro house artist deadmau5 featuring Rob Swire from Australian drum and bass/electronic rock band Pendulum...
" with Rob Swire
Rob Swire
Rob Swire , is an Australian record producer, singer and keyboardist. Swire is best known as lead singer and producer of Australian electronic band Pendulum and is sometimes referred to by the stage name Anscenic...
) reach number-one on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart, making him the only Canadian on that chart to achieve that status (he is also the fourth Canadian to top that chart, following Deborah Cox
Deborah Cox
Deborah Cox is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. Her 1998 song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" held the record for longest-running number one single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart , a record held for nearly eight years. She has achieved ten number-one hits on...
, Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
, and Dragonette
Dragonette
Dragonette is a Canadian electropop group active since 2005. Dragonette consists of singer-songwriter Martina Sorbara, bassist and producer Dan Kurtz and drummer Joel Stouffer....
, with one a piece).
In 2009, he was the best-selling artist on Beatport
Beatport
Beatport is an online music store specializing in electronic dance music and culture. Beatport is a privately held company owned and operated by Beatport LLC and based in Denver, Colorado.-History:...
with more than 30,000 digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
s with his singles "Not Exactly," "Faxing Berlin," and "Ghosts N Stuff."
Information on his album For Lack of a Better Name was posted on his official MySpace page.
-
- “On September 22, 2009 (U.S only, rest-of-world release October 5) deadmau5 launches his brand new mix album, the Grammy-nominated, Juno Award-winning electronic music sensation who has racked up more than 5,000,000 hits on MySpace will unleash his second album for ULTRA Records – titled 'For Lack of a Better Name' – and then set off on a massive fall tour throughout North America.
In the fall of 2009, deadmau5's performances were recorded and made available for sale immediately following the concert on USB wristband flash drives.
-
- On For Lack of a Better Name, the follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2008 debut Random Album Title, deadmau5 takes a different turn by incorporating various styles of music into multi-blocks of songs. The album will include "Ghosts N Stuff", featuring Pendulum's Rob Swire”.
MTV named deadmau5 as the house DJ for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards
2010 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year...
and MTV PUSH artist of the week on August 16, 2010. He expressed gratitude towards Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
and David Guetta
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
for bringing dance into the pop music scene and paving the way for the him to the mainstream. At the awards, deadmau5 performed with Jason Derulo
Jason Derulo
Jason Joel Desrouleaux , better known by his stage name Jason Derülo, is an American singer-songwriter, actor and dancer. After producing records for several artists and writing songs for Cash Money Records, co-founder of the label Birdman, Young Money Entertainment owner Lil Wayne and rapper...
and Travie McCoy
Travie McCoy
Travie Lazarus McCoy is an American singer and rapper. He is the lead vocalist of the alternative hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes. He released his debut solo album Lazarus on June 8, 2010....
. His song "Ghosts N Stuff" had been featured on the soundtrack for the MTV reality series Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore (TV series)
Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...
earlier.
His third studio album, titled 4x4=12
4x4=12
4×4=12 is the fifth album by Canadian electronic artist deadmau5 . It was released worldwide on December 6, 2010 through Virgin Records. The album was released in the United States on December 7, 2010 through Ultra Records...
, was released on December 6, 2010 in the United Kingdom and December 7, 2010 in the United States. The singles "Some Chords," "Animal Rights
Animal Rights (Deadmau5 song)
"Animal Rights" is the second single taken from Deadmau5's album, 4x4=12. The song is a collaboration with the American electro-house producer, Wolfgang Gartner. The single debuted on BBC Radio 1's coverage of Creamfields 2010 on 28 August 2010, at which Deadmau5 was playing. On 1 December 2010,...
," and "Sofi Needs a Ladder
Sofi Needs a Ladder
"Sofi Needs a Ladder" is the third single taken from deadmau5's album, 4x4=12. The song features vocals from Sofia Toufa, also known as SOFI. The song was originally an instrumental track entitled "You Need a Ladder," which deadmau5 previously performed, but vocals were added on afterward. The song...
" have been released and will feature on the album. "Some Chords" was featured on an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
where Deadmau5 guest starred, and an instrumental version of "Sofi Needs a Ladder" was featured in the film The Hangover Part II.
A short while after he released 4x4=12, he stated that he would be releasing a new album some time in 2011 and would not release any material as singles.
deadmau5 is a playable avatar in DJ Hero 2
DJ Hero 2
DJ Hero 2 is a rhythm video game and a sequel to DJ Hero, a spinoff of the Guitar Hero series. DJ Hero 2 uses a special turntable-controller, the same as introduced in DJ Hero, to simulate turntablism, the act of creating a new musical work from one or more previously recorded songs using record...
, a video game released in October 2010. Additionally, one of the initially revealed tracks is a mashup between deadmau5's "Ghosts N Stuff" with Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's "Just Dance."
He also had a radio station dedicated to him in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is a video game for Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and iOS, developed by Rockstar Leeds in conjunction with Rockstar North. It is the thirteenth game in the Grand Theft Auto series, and the very first for Nintendo DS and iOS.-Gameplay:Chinatown Wars has a...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
(PSP) portable gaming consoles, as well as the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
.
Live performances
deadmau5 headlined the Dance Arena on July 10, 2009, at the Oxegen FestivalOxegen 2009
Oxegen 2009 was the sixth Oxegen festival to take place since 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 10 July, Saturday, 11 July and Sunday, 12 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland...
in Ireland. He also headlined LovEvolution in San Francisco, California on October 3. He played at Belsonic in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
on August 28, at the Leeds, Reading, and Creamfields Festivals on August 29 and 30 in the Lock Up/Dance Tent/Mixmag stage, drawing a large crowd at each of the events. He has performed on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
multiple times, which include an Essential Mix set on August 19, 2008, and a shared set with Pete Tong live at the Warehouse Project in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
on October 11, 2008. He played back to back shows that were broadcast via BBC Radio1 live from Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
on August 31 and September 1, 2009. deadmau5 was offered and accepted to play another set live on New Year's 2010 along with Justice
Justice (French band)
Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...
, Eric Prydz
Eric Prydz
Eric Sheridan Prydz is a Swedish DJ and producer based in London, United Kingdom. The pronunciation of his surname is often questioned; it is pronounced "prids", but when under his alias, Pryda, it is pronounced "pride-ah"...
, and Plump DJs.
deadmau5 performed at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia on February 19, 2010, during the live medal presentations in men’s luge doubles and biathlon (women’s 15-km individual and men’s 20-km individual). His track "Moar Ghosts N Stuff" was aired on national TV throughout the United States when it was played over loudspeakers during Hannah Kearney
Hannah Kearney
Hannah Kearney is an American mogul skier who won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.-Personal life:Born in a hospital in Hanover, New Hampshire, Kearney grew up and still lives in Norwich, Vermont. She is the daughter of Tom and Jill Kearney, who met while attending McGill University in...
's gold-medal run in women's moguls. deadmau5 also performed live at the Electric Daisy Carnival
Electric Daisy Carnival
Electric Daisy Carnival is an annual electronic dance music festival held in the South West United States on the last weekend of June. The event was held in Southern California from 1997 to 2010, and was moved to Las Vegas in 2011....
's Kinetic Fields section in Exposition Park, Los Angeles on June 25, 2010.
During Winter 2010, deadmau5 toured the United Kingdom and was supported by BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
, Magnetic Man
Magnetic Man
Magnetic Man is an electronic music project consisting of dubstep producers and DJs, Benga, Skream and Artwork. The trio first met in the late 1990s at the Big Apple Records store in Croydon, England. They perform using three computers, one playing drum samples, one playing basses and the third...
, Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
, Stanton Warriors
Stanton Warriors
Stanton Warriors are the breakbeat duo Dominic Butler and Mark Yardley. They are a DJ and producer team. Originally from the West Country, the pair now play sets at nightclubs such as Fabric and Ciros in the UK, and travel the globe with international work in Europe, Canada, America and Australia...
and Kim Fai. He also performed at the Scottish festival T in the Park 2011
T in the Park 2011
T in the Park 2011 was a three day music festival which took place from 8–10 July 2011 in Balado, Scotland, the eighteenth event to take place. The full line up was revealed in February 2011: Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, Beyoncé and Foo Fighters were revealed as the headliners...
.
Personal life
Up until September 2011 he lived with American model and the PlayboyPlayboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
Playmate of the Month for October 2009 Lindsey Evans
Lindsey Evans
Lindsey Gayle Evans is an American model and beauty queen who was selected as the Playboy Playmate of the Month for October 2009...
. They met at the VMA awards. Their breakup was made public through his Facebook account. He's a fan of the indie video game Minecraft
Minecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox-building independent video game written in Java originally by Swedish creator Markus "Notch" Persson and now by his company, Mojang, formed from the proceeds of the game. It was released as an alpha on May 17, 2009, with a beta version on December 20, 2010...
and has performed at MineCon.
Name origin
The name "deadmau5" originated when Zimmerman found a dead mouse in his computer while he was replacing his video card. He discussed this with chat room users and became known as "that dead mouse guy." His nickname "Dead Mouse" was too long for the IRC character limit, and was then shortened to deadmau5.Health
On July 30, 2010 at the 9:30 Club9:30 Club
Foo Fighters Promise to come back to D.C. and play the 9:30 ClubNightclub 9:30 is a nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C. Originally located at 930 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C., in the 1970s it was called the "Atlantis Club", and hosted primarily rock, New Wave, and punk bands...
in Washington, D.C., deadmau5 collapsed on stage, suffering from exhaustion and vomiting. deadmau5's set was cut short as he was rushed to a hospital, and his collapse also led to the cancellation of the nine shows following the event.
Parodies
In December 2007, Marcus SchossowMarcus Schössow
Marcus Schössow born 1985 is a Swedish DJ and electronic music producer living in Helsingborg, Sweden.- History :A DJ and Producer, Marcus Schössow rose to fame after the release of the Tiesto mix compilation In Search of Sunrise 6, in which his track "Chase My Rabbit" was featured. He also...
, Maor Levi and Dj Eco created a project named Deadrat6 as a joke on deadmau5, claiming his tracks sound alike. A similar faux project was also created under the name of Sinterklaa5.
Comment about DJs
Zimmerman doesn't like to be referred to as a DJ. In an October 2008 interview with the Irish Daily StarIrish Daily Star
The Irish Daily Star is a tabloid newspaper published in Ireland by the Independent Star Limited. Independent Star Limited is a joint venture between Richard Desmond's UK based Express Newspapers Limited, which owns the British Daily Star, and Irish news magnate Denis O'Brien's Independent News &...
, deadmau5 was quoted as follows:
-
- “It puts me to fucking sleep, to be quite honest; I don’t really see the technical merit in playing two songs at the same speed together and it bores me to fucking tears and hopefully, with all due respect to the DJ type that will fucking go the way of the dinosaur, I'd like them to dis-a-fucking-ppear! It's so middle man, they’re like fucking lawyers! You need them, but they’re fucking cunts. God bless them, they’re my number one customer right, so I’m not gonna go diss every fucking DJ. But to say you become this massive, "up on a podium" performer by playing other peoples productions, at the same speed as someone else's productions and fading between the two of them, I don’t get it...”
Zimmerman apologized for this comment on November 4, 2008. He explained that the interview was bad, and that it did not express his opinion about DJs correctly:
-
- "Let me start by admitting…. I did not grow up in the EDM scene. I don't consider my career to be about “being a DJ”. I don't have “DJ roots”. I never had any intention of becoming a DJ, and my conception of “DJ’s” in general from this standpoint has always been being forced into some nightclub when I would have rather stayed home, and watch some dude mash the “play / stop” button and occasionally move a pitch slider. Love it or hate it... that’s just been my conception of the traditional “DJ”. Mind you, I'm not a total fucking idiot, and I recognize talent when I see it... and there are many talented DJ’s out there for sure. In my eyes, those would be the individuals who utilize technology to deliver the music in ways that are both skillful and innovate, more-so than my vision of the “play/stop/pitch” DJ. To me, the club is about “the party”; the people make the night; the DJ obviously needs to use that to his advantage, it’s give and take."
DirtyCircuit
In 2008, an artist called DirtyCircuit claimed to have been threatened with legal action after using a sample called "LP_Faxing Berlin C_128bpm" that came bundled with FL StudioFL Studio
FL Studio is a digital audio workstation developed by the Belgian company Image-Line. FL Studio features a graphical user interface based on a pattern-based music sequencer...
, and to which deadmau5 claimed copyright. The sample was a direct clip of a full bar of the song. Deadmau5 provided a "Demo Track" which came bundled with FL Studio, along with several loop samples. The case caused a slight discomfort among the users of FL Studio, and some have pointed out potential inconsistencies in the EULA of the software.
Discography
Studio albums- Get ScrapedGet Scraped-Trivia:* The track title 'Bored of Canada' is presumably a reference to Boards of Canada, a Scottish downtempo act whom deadmau5 has pointed as one of his influences. Deadmau5 himself is Canadian. The track itself is a short, interlude-like track that is indeed reminiscent of the sound of Boards...
(2006) - VexillologyVexillology (album)Vexillology is a progressive house album by deadmau5. This is his second studio album, and one of two of his albums that does not contain the typical "mau5head" — deadmau5's best known recognition feature and part of his costume on stage — on its cover image .-Track listing:...
(2006) - Random Album TitleRandom Album Title-Mixed :****-Unmixed :...
(2008) - For Lack of a Better Name (2009)
- 4x4=124x4=124×4=12 is the fifth album by Canadian electronic artist deadmau5 . It was released worldwide on December 6, 2010 through Virgin Records. The album was released in the United States on December 7, 2010 through Ultra Records...
(2010)
Other albums
- Full Circle (2007)
- Project 56Project 56 (Deadmau5 album)Project 56 is a downloadable demo album from the Canadian progressive house artist deadmau5. He has said on the networking website Myspace that "The idea back then was to do a thing called Project 56 which was 56 tracks for people with short attention spans...
(2008) - At PlayAt PlayAt Play is a compilation album from the progressive house artist deadmau5. It consists of ten deadmau5 tracks that DJs could play and mix.- References :*...
(2008) - It Sounds LikeIt Sounds LikeIt Sounds Like is a 'singles collection' from the progressive house artist deadmau5....
(2009) - At Play Vol. 2 (2009)
- At Play Vol. 3 (2010)
Beatport Music Awards
On May 1, 2008, deadmau5 became the most awarded DJ/producer of the Beatport Music Awards. He was named "Best Progressive House Artist" by Beatport. (In 2009, Beatport also awarded deadmau5 the most awards that year, winning first place in both of his nominations, as well as being given the "Greatest House DJ Ever" award, two years in a row). In June 2010, BeatportBeatport
Beatport is an online music store specializing in electronic dance music and culture. Beatport is a privately held company owned and operated by Beatport LLC and based in Denver, Colorado.-History:...
announced the winners of their annual Beatport Music Awards, awarding deadmau5 Best Electro House Artist, Best Progressive House Artist, and "most influential, relevant and forward-thinking person in electronic music over the past 12 months."
|-
| rowspan="4"| 2008
| rowspan="2"| Deadmau5
| Best Electro House Artist
|
|-
| Best Progressive House Artist
|
|-
| "Not Exactly"
| Best Single
|
|-
| "Community Funk" (Deadmau5 remix) by Burufunk vs. Carbon Community
| Best Remix
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2009
| rowspan="2"| Deadmau5
| Best Electro House Artist
|
|-
| Best Progressive House Artist
|
|-
Grammy Awards
In 2009, he was nominated for Grammy Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical ("The Longest Road" [deadmau5 Remix] by Morgan Page featuring Lissie).|-
| 2009
| "The Longest Road" (Deadmau5 Remix) by Morgan Page featuring Lissie
| Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
|
|-
International Dance Music Awards
In March 2010, deadmau5 was nominated for four International Dance Music Awards, and won a further three, including Best Artist (Solo) and Best Canadian DJ (see complete list below).|-
| rowspan="7"| 2010
| rowspan="4"| Deadmau5
| Best Canadian DJ
|
|-
| Best Artist
|
|-
| Best Global DJ
|
|-
| Best Producer
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (feat. Rob Swire)
| Best Electro Track
|
|-
| Best Video
|
|-
| "Strobe"
| Best Progressive/Tech Track
|
|-
Juno Awards
deadmau5 received two nominations for the Juno Award for Dance Recording of the YearJuno Award for Dance Recording of the Year
The Juno Award for "Dance Recording of the Year" has been awarded since 1990, as recognition each year for the best dance music album in Canada.-Best Dance Recording :*1990 – Kon Kan, "I Beg Your Pardon "...
at the Juno Awards of 2008
Juno Awards of 2008
The Juno Awards of 2008 were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on the weekend ending 6 April 2008. These ceremonies honoured music industry achievements in Canada in the latter part of 2006 and in most of 2007....
for a track with Billy Newton-Davis
Billy Newton-Davis
Billy Newton-Davis is a Canadian R&B, jazz and gospel singer-songwriter.Newton-Davis grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio a suburb of Cleveland. He was one of two lead singers in a local soul band called The Illusions. After working as a singer and dancer on Broadway, he moved to Toronto, Ontario in 1980...
and Melleefresh
Melleny Brown
Born in Toronto, Canada, Melleny Brown is a singer, songwriter, artist, music producer, video producer and voice actress....
. He did not win an award for Melleefresh's "After Hours" song, but he won the award for Newton-Davis' "All U Ever Want".
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2008
| "After Hours" (with Melleefresh)
| Dance Recording of the Year
Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year
The Juno Award for "Dance Recording of the Year" has been awarded since 1990, as recognition each year for the best dance music album in Canada.-Best Dance Recording :*1990 – Kon Kan, "I Beg Your Pardon "...
|
|-
| "All You Ever Want" (with Billy Newton-Davies)
| Dance Recording of the Year
Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year
The Juno Award for "Dance Recording of the Year" has been awarded since 1990, as recognition each year for the best dance music album in Canada.-Best Dance Recording :*1990 – Kon Kan, "I Beg Your Pardon "...
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2009
| Random Album Title
| Dance Recording of the Year
Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year
The Juno Award for "Dance Recording of the Year" has been awarded since 1990, as recognition each year for the best dance music album in Canada.-Best Dance Recording :*1990 – Kon Kan, "I Beg Your Pardon "...
|
|-
| "Move for Me" (with Kaskade)
| Dance Recording of the Year
Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year
The Juno Award for "Dance Recording of the Year" has been awarded since 1990, as recognition each year for the best dance music album in Canada.-Best Dance Recording :*1990 – Kon Kan, "I Beg Your Pardon "...
|
|-
| 2010
| For Lack of a Better Name
| Dance Recording of the Year
Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year
The Juno Award for "Dance Recording of the Year" has been awarded since 1990, as recognition each year for the best dance music album in Canada.-Best Dance Recording :*1990 – Kon Kan, "I Beg Your Pardon "...
|
|-
Other awards
He was also named "Producer of 2007" by DJ magazine's 2007 Top 100 winner Armin van Buuren, and by runner up TiëstoTiësto
Tijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...
. In 2008, he placed No.11 in the DJ Magazine Top 100 poll, tying Infected Mushroom
Infected Mushroom
Infected Mushroom is an Israeli psychedelic trance DJ act and electronic group originally formed in late 1997 as a duo by producers Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani in Haifa...
(2006) for the highest new entry in the poll's history, showing deadmau5's fast rise to prominence.
- DJmag.com Top 100 DJs – 11th Place (2008)
- DJmag.com Top 100 DJs – 6th Place (2009)
- DJmag.com Top 100 DJs – 4th Place (2010)
- DJmag.com Top 100 DJs – 4th Place (2011)