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Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known professionally as Deadmau5 (stylized as deadmau5; pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ. He mainly produces progressive house music, though he also produces and DJs other genres of electronic music, including techno under the alias Testpilot. Zimmerman has received six Grammy Award nominations for his work.
He has worked with other DJs and producers, such as Kaskade, Wolfgang Gartner, Rob Swire, and Chris Lake. He has also collaborated with Steve Duda under the group name BSOD (Better Sounding On Drugs), and was part of the group named WTF? with Duda, Tommy Lee and DJ Aero. In 2007, he founded his own record label, Mau5trap. Deadmau5 is currently one of the highest paid electronic music producers in the world, and is a masked music artist similar to Marshmello and
Daft Punk
Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
. His works have been included in compilation albums such as Tiësto's '' In Search of Sunrise 6: Ibiza'', and presented on Armin van Buuren
Armin Jozef Jacobus Daniël van Buuren ( , ; born 25 December 1976) is a Dutch DJ and record producer from Leiden, South Holland. Since 2001, he has hosted ''A State of Trance'' (ASOT), a weekly radio show, which is broadcast to nearly 40&nbs ...
's '' A State of Trance'' radio show.
In 2000, an early 12" single produced on vinyl titled "I Don't Want No Other" was released by Zimmerman and Derek Caesar, under the group name Dred and Karma. A 2006 compilation album titled '' Deadmau5 Circa 1998–2002'' was self-released under the alias Halcyon441. His debut studio album, ''Get Scraped
''Get Scraped'' is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released on July 26, 2005, by the independent record label Zoolook.
Background
The track title "Bored of Canada" presumably refers to Boards of Canada, ...
'' was released in 2005, with follow-up '' Vexillology'' in 2006. His breakthrough, '' Random Album Title'', was released in 2008 and was certified gold in Canada, and silver in the United Kingdom. The album includes seminal release "Faxing Berlin
"Faxing Berlin" is an instrumental by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5. It was released as the lead single from his third studio album ''Random Album Title''. On July 23, 2007, "Faxing Berlin" became the first release on Deadmau5's label ...
", "Not Exactly
"Not Exactly" is an instrumental by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5. It was released as the second single from his third studio album, ''Random Album Title''. First released on August 27, 2007, "Not Exactly" became the second release o ...
", and moderate chart hit " I Remember" (with Kaskade). In 2009, his fourth studio album '' For Lack of a Better Name'' was released to critical acclaim, featuring Rob Swire collaboration "Ghosts 'n' Stuff
"Ghosts 'n' Stuff" is an electro house song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5 featuring vocals by Australian producer Rob Swire. Its instrumental was released as a single on October 27, 2008, and re-released with vocals on September ...
", "Hi Friend", and the critically acclaimed "Strobe
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope. The word originated from the Ancient Greek ('), meaning ...
". His fifth studio album, ''4×4=12
''4×4=12'' (pronounced "four times four equals twelve") is the fifth studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released on December 6, 2010 by Virgin Records, Ultra Records and Mau5trap. The album's title refers to a miscalcu ...
'', released in late 2010, supported by singles "Some Chords
"Some Chords" is an instrumental by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released on 3 May 2010 as the first single from his fifth studio album ''4×4=12''. The song peaked at 13 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart in the US, a ...
", " Animal Rights", "Sofi Needs a Ladder
"Sofi Needs a Ladder" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, featuring vocals from German singer SOFI. It was released as the third single from deadmau5's fifth studio album, '' 4×4=12''.
Background
The song was originally an ...
", and " Raise Your Weapon".
In 2012, Zimmerman released singles " The Veldt" and "Professional Griefers
"Professional Griefers" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5 featuring vocals by American singer Gerard Way. The song was released as the third single from his sixth studio album ''Album Title Goes Here
''Album Title Goes ...
" (featuring Gerard Way) to commercial success. These singles were featured on his sixth studio album, ''Album Title Goes Here
''Album Title Goes Here'' (stylized as ''> album title goes here album title goes here <''
at
at
Discogs
...
''. Following his departure from long-time label Ultra Records, Zimmerman released his seventh studio album, '' While(1<2)'', through Astralwerks
Astralwerks is an American record label primarily focused on electronic music owned by Universal Music Group. Its material is distributed via Capitol Music Group in the United States. The label was founded in 1993 and, in its early years, featur ...
and Virgin EMI in 2014. The album's release was supported by its four singles; " Avaritia", " Seeya", "Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer
"Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released as the third single from his seventh studio album '' While(1 album title goes here album title goes here <''
at ", and "
In 2006, Zimmerman released his second studio album, '' Vexillology'', on November 6, 2006, through Play Records.
In 2007, Zimmerman founded his own record label, Mau5trap, which, along with Ultra Records and
On September 22, 2009, Ultra Records released his album '' For Lack of a Better Name'' in the United States, and October 5 internationally. On a subsequent tour in the fall of 2009, Zimmerman's performances were recorded and made available for sale immediately following the concerts on USB wristband flash drives. ''For Lack of a Better Name'' includes two of Zimmerman's most popular songs, "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (featuring Rob Swire) and "
On August 9, 2012, Zimmerman announced his sixth studio album, ''
at ", and "
Phantoms Can't Hang
"Phantoms Can't Hang" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released as the fourth and final single from his seventh studio album '' While(1<2)'' on June 10, 2014.
". After a brief hiatus, Zimmerman's eighth studio album, '' W:/2016Album/'', was released in late 2016, with singles " Snowcone" and " Let Go". He subsequently composed the score for the 2019 action film ''Background and release
This song was or ...Polar
Polar may refer to:
Geography
Polar may refer to:
* Geographical pole, either of two fixed points on the surface of a rotating body or planet, at 90 degrees from the equator, based on the axis around which a body rotates
* Polar climate, the c ...
'', and released the singles "Satrn", "Coasted", "Fall" the same year. In 2020, "Pomegranate" and "Bridged by a Lightwave
"Bridged by a Lightwave" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5 and singer-songwriter Kiesza, released as a single on November 10, 2020. It is an EDM
EDM or E-DM may refer to:
Music
* Electronic dance music
* Early Day Miners ...
" were released ahead of his ninth album.
Early life
Zimmerman was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. His mother, Nancy (née Johnson), is a visual artist, and his father, Rodney Thomas "Rod" Zimmerman, is aGeneral Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
plant worker. He has two siblings, Jennifer (older) and Chris (younger). His ancestry includes German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
, Swiss, and English heritage. He received his first keyboard for Christmas when he was a teenager. His music career began in the late 1990s, with a chiptune
Chiptune, also known as chip music or 8-bit music, is a style of synthesized electronic music made using the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade machines, computers and video game consoles.
The t ...
and demoscene movements-influenced sound with the Impulse Tracker
Impulse Tracker is a multi-track music tracker (music sequencer). Originally released in 1995 by Jeffrey Lim as freeware with commercial extensions, it was one of the last tracker programs for the DOS platform.
In 2014, on its 20th anniversary, ...
.
Zimmerman graduated from Westlane Secondary School
Westlane Secondary School is a Canadian public secondary school located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. It serves the Lundy's Lane area, and is part of the District School Board of Niagara. , it had 669 students. In the Fraser Institute's ' ...
in Niagara Falls. He then worked with an online music licensing company and as a programmer. He adopted the name Deadmau5, which referred to a dead mouse he found in his computer; the unique spelling was a result of a maximum character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
limitation.
Career
1998–2006: ''Get Scraped'' and self-released compilations
Zimmerman released his debut studio album, titled ''Get Scraped
''Get Scraped'' is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released on July 26, 2005, by the independent record label Zoolook.
Background
The track title "Bored of Canada" presumably refers to Boards of Canada, ...
'' on July 26, 2005. The tracks "Just Before 8bit", "Nice Try, Kiddo" and "Uploading and Downloading" from '' Project 56'' were edited and expanded upon in ''Get Scraped'' under the names "8bit", "Try Again", and "Unspecial Effects", respectively. Tracks "Bored of Canada", "Intelstat" and "I Forget" reappear on this album as is, as well as "The Oshawa Connection" from '' Deadmau5 Circa 1998–2002''.
Three self-released compilations, ''Project 56'', ''Deadmau5 Circa 1998–2002'', and ''A Little Oblique
The following is a comprehensive discography of Deadmau5, a Canadian record producer and DJ. His discography most notably comprises eight studio albums, nine compilation albums, one soundtrack album, two video albums, seven mix albums, six exte ...
'', were finished in 2006, with ''Project 56'' seeing an official release two years later.
2006–2008: ''Vexillology'', Mau5trap, and ''Random Album Title''
In 2006, Zimmerman released his second studio album, '' Vexillology'', on November 6, 2006, through Play Records.
In 2007, Zimmerman founded his own record label, Mau5trap, which, along with Ultra Records and Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publishing business and fitness studio.
James ...
, released the 2008 album '' Random Album Title'', which saw the collaboration of Zimmerman and Chicago producer Kaskade with " I Remember". ''Random Album Title'', saw a digital release on September 2, 2008, via Ultra Records in the United States and Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publishing business and fitness studio.
James ...
in the United Kingdom and Europe. Physical copies of the album were released in November 2008. Singles "Faxing Berlin
"Faxing Berlin" is an instrumental by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5. It was released as the lead single from his third studio album ''Random Album Title''. On July 23, 2007, "Faxing Berlin" became the first release on Deadmau5's label ...
" on October 25, 2006, and "Not Exactly
"Not Exactly" is an instrumental by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5. It was released as the second single from his third studio album, ''Random Album Title''. First released on August 27, 2007, "Not Exactly" became the second release o ...
" on August 27, 2007, were released prior to the album's release. Single "I Remember" (with Kaskade) was later released on September 15, 2008, before the album's release.
In the United States, Zimmerman's collaboration with Kaskade, "Move for Me
"Move for Me" is a song by American DJ and record producer Kaskade and Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5. It was released as the lead single from Kaskade's fifth studio album, '' Strobelite Seduction''. The single, which features vocals ...
", reached number one on ''Billboard'' magazine's Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart in its September 6, 2008, issue. Since then, Zimmerman has seen two more tracks, also collaborations ("I Remember" with Kaskade and "Ghosts 'n' Stuff
"Ghosts 'n' Stuff" is an electro house song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5 featuring vocals by Australian producer Rob Swire. Its instrumental was released as a single on October 27, 2008, and re-released with vocals on September ...
" with Rob Swire), reach number one on ''Billboard''s Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, making him the only Canadian to have three number-one tracks on that chart. He is also the sixth Canadian to top that chart, following Deborah Cox, Nelly Furtado, Dragonette, Justin Bieber, and The Weeknd, each with one apiece.
2009–2011: ''For Lack of a Better Name'' and ''4×4=12''
On September 22, 2009, Ultra Records released his album '' For Lack of a Better Name'' in the United States, and October 5 internationally. On a subsequent tour in the fall of 2009, Zimmerman's performances were recorded and made available for sale immediately following the concerts on USB wristband flash drives. ''For Lack of a Better Name'' includes two of Zimmerman's most popular songs, "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (featuring Rob Swire) and "Strobe
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope. The word originated from the Ancient Greek ('), meaning ...
". "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" was released on November 25, 2008, before the album, while "Strobe" was released on February 23, 2010, after the album's release.
MTV named Zimmerman as the house DJ for the 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. Chelsea Handler hosted the event, the first woman in sixteen years – since the 1994 MTV ...
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 him to the mainstream. At the awards, Zimmerman performed with Jason Derulo
Jason Joel Desrouleaux (born September 21, 1989), known professionally as Jason Derulo (; formerly stylized as Derülo), is an American singer and songwriter.
and Travie McCoy. His song "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" had been featured on the soundtrack for the MTV reality series ''Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...
'' earlier.
His fifth studio album, ''4×4=12
''4×4=12'' (pronounced "four times four equals twelve") is the fifth studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released on December 6, 2010 by Virgin Records, Ultra Records and Mau5trap. The album's title refers to a miscalcu ...
'', was released on December 6, 2010, in the United Kingdom and December 7, 2010, in the United States. Singles "Some Chords
"Some Chords" is an instrumental by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released on 3 May 2010 as the first single from his fifth studio album ''4×4=12''. The song peaked at 13 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart in the US, a ...
" on May 3, 2010, " Animal Rights" (with Wolfgang Gartner) on September 6, and "Sofi Needs a Ladder
"Sofi Needs a Ladder" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, featuring vocals from German singer SOFI. It was released as the third single from deadmau5's fifth studio album, '' 4×4=12''.
Background
The song was originally an ...
" (featuring SOFI
Sofi may refer to:
*Sofi (mascot), the Mascot for 2010 ISF Women's World Championship
*Sofi Marinova (born 1975), Bulgarian singer
SOFI may refer to:
*Swedish Institute for Language and Folklore
* Spray-On Foam Insulation, used on the Space Shutt ...
) on November 1 were released and were featured on the album. " Raise Your Weapon" (featuring Greta Svabo Bech
Greta Svabo Bech (born in Tórshavn) is a Faroese singer-songwriter. She first became known for her work with Canadian producer Deadmau5, when "Raise Your Weapon" was nominated for Best Dance Record at the 2011 Grammy Awards54th Annual Grammy Aw ...
) was released later on May 23, 2011. "Some Chords" was featured on an episode of ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'' where Zimmerman made a cameo appearance, and an instrumental version of "Sofi Needs a Ladder" was featured in the film '' The Hangover Part II''. That year, he also released two non-album singles "Aural Psynapse
"Aural Psynapse" is an instrumental recording by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5. It was released on November 4, 2011 by Mau5trap and Ultra Records (US and Canada) and featured on his 2014 greatest hits album ''5 Years of Mau5''.
Back ...
" and "HR 8938 Cephei".
2012–2014: ''Album Title Goes Here'' and ''While(1<2)''
On August 9, 2012, Zimmerman announced his sixth studio album, ''Album Title Goes Here
''Album Title Goes Here'' (stylized as ''> album title goes here album title goes here <''
at
at
Discogs
...
'', which was released on September 24 of that year. Singles from this album include " Maths" on February 17, 2012, " The Veldt" (featuring Chris James) on May 8, and "Professional Griefers
"Professional Griefers" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5 featuring vocals by American singer Gerard Way. The song was released as the third single from his sixth studio album ''Album Title Goes Here
''Album Title Goes ...
" (featuring Gerard Way) on August 14. Singles " Channel 42" (with Wolfgang Gartner) on February 12, 2013, and "Telemiscommunications
"Telemiscommunications" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5 and English singer Imogen Heap. It was released on March 12, 2013, by Ultra Records as the fifth single from Deadmau5's sixth studio album ''Album Title Goes Here
...
" (with Imogen Heap) on March 12 were released in 2013, after the album was released. His collaboration with Gerard Way on "Professional Griefers" was announced on Facebook prior to release. In December 2012, FUSE TV named "Professional Griefers" one of the top 40 songs of 2012.
In November 2013, Zimmerman deleted three years worth of music from his SoundCloud account, replacing them with an EP of seven melancholy piano sonatas, simply called ''7'', named after the Latin translations for the seven deadly sins: "Acedia", "Avaritia", "Gula", "Invidia", "Ira", "Luxuria", and "Superbia". The same month, Zimmerman left longtime label Ultra Records and signed with record label Astralwerks
Astralwerks is an American record label primarily focused on electronic music owned by Universal Music Group. Its material is distributed via Capitol Music Group in the United States. The label was founded in 1993 and, in its early years, featur ...
, a famed NYC-based imprint that houses artists such as Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, and The Chemical Brothers. Speaking on the partnership, Zimmerman admitted, "I found a place that knows what to do with my music."
On January 7, 2014, Zimmerman announced via his Twitter account that his much-anticipated new album is complete. "In other news... I finished my album today," the tweet read. "2 discs. 2 continuous mixes. 25 tracks. and something I'm proud of." On May 10, 2014, Deadmau5 announced through his subscription service that his upcoming album would be titled '' While(1<2)'' and would be released on June 17, 2014. The album was preceded by the release of four singles: " Avaritia", " Seeya" (featuring Colleen D'Agostino
Colleen Marie D'Agostino is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Simi Valley, California. In 2005, while attending San Diego State University she formed The Material. They released their first EP entitled ''Tomorrow'' on September 1, 2 ...
), "Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer
"Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released as the third single from his seventh studio album '' While(1 album title goes here album title goes here <''
at " and "
On January 13, 2015, it was announced that Deadmau5 would be a headlining act for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, in Manchester, Tennessee, which was held on June 11–15, 2015. On February 2, 2015, it was announced he would appear at Reading and Leeds Festivals. On July 23, 2015, Valve announced that Deadmau5 was creating a series of sound clips to be featured in their video game ''
On July 30, 2010, at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., Zimmerman collapsed on stage, suffering from exhaustion and vomiting. This resulted in the cancellation of the rest of the show, as well as nine shows following the event.
In September 2012, Zimmerman began dating American tattoo artist and TV personality Kat Von D. After breaking up in November 2012, they rekindled their relationship shortly afterwards. On December 15, 2012, Zimmerman proposed to Von D via Twitter, and they announced that they would marry in August 2013 with an aquatic-themed wedding. They both have several matching tattoos, including the numbers "289m3d22h" on both of their arms, a sentimental reference to the day when they met, as well as two black stars underneath their eyes. Zimmerman moved to Los Angeles to live with Von D. In June 2013, Von D announced that they had ended their engagement.
In 2014, Zimmerman purchased a $5 million home in the
at " and "
Phantoms Can't Hang
"Phantoms Can't Hang" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released as the fourth and final single from his seventh studio album '' While(1<2)'' on June 10, 2014.
". Starting on the week of May 20, 2014, each single was released weekly for a total of four weeks leading up to the release of the album.
Background and release
This song was or ...2015–2016: Absence, return, and ''W:/2016Album/''
On January 13, 2015, it was announced that Deadmau5 would be a headlining act for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, in Manchester, Tennessee, which was held on June 11–15, 2015. On February 2, 2015, it was announced he would appear at Reading and Leeds Festivals. On July 23, 2015, Valve announced that Deadmau5 was creating a series of sound clips to be featured in their video game ''Dota 2
''Dota 2'' is a 2013 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game by Valve. The game is a sequel to ''Defense of the Ancients'' (''DotA''), a community-created mod for Blizzard Entertainment's '' Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.'' ''Dota 2' ...
''. The music pack was released alongside the announcement. On August 8, 2015, Deadmau5 performed live at KeyArena in Seattle at the conclusion of the Dota 2
''Dota 2'' is a 2013 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game by Valve. The game is a sequel to ''Defense of the Ancients'' (''DotA''), a community-created mod for Blizzard Entertainment's '' Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.'' ''Dota 2' ...
competition The International 5
The International 2015 (TI5) was the fifth edition of The International, an annual '' Dota 2'' esports championship tournament, which took place at the KeyArena in Seattle. Hosted by Valve, the game's developer, the tournament began in May with ...
(TI5). On October 7, 2015, Deadmau5 officially announced that he was leaving his then label Astralwerks and going entirely independent with his own label Mau5trap.
On December 17, 2015, it appeared that Zimmerman was either taking a leave of absence or ending his career altogether after deleting both his Twitter and his Facebook accounts. His Instagram account, however, had not been deleted. On December 21, 2015, Zimmerman reopened his Twitter account and posted an apology to his Tumblr account explaining his disappearance from social media, saying that he was suffering from depression and would be returning to producing music after the new year.
On May 27, 2016, " Snowcone", the first single from Zimmerman in nearly two years, was released as a digital download. This track was later revealed to be the first single from his next album. On November 4, 2016, Zimmerman announced his next studio album, '' W:/2016Album/'', which was released on December 2, 2016, digitally, with vinyl and CD releases on February 17, and March 17, 2017, respectively.
2017–present: ''Stuff I Used to Do'', ''Where's the Drop?'', ''Polar'' soundtrack, ''Mau5ville'', and Kx5
On January 7, 2017, Zimmerman announced a compilation of his earlier work ranging from the years of 1998 to 2007 on Twitter, titled ''Stuff I Used to Do
''Stuff I Used to Do'' (stylized as ''stuff i used to do.'') is a retrospective compilation album by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5. The first 13 tracks were prereleased and available for free via file-sharing on WeTransfer on Februa ...
''. Zimmerman also stated that the compilation would release in February of that year. On February 24, 2017, Zimmerman released a limited version of ''Stuff I Used to Do'' on WeTransfer. The edition, available until March 3, featured three tracks less than the full album. The album includes tracks from ''Get Scraped
''Get Scraped'' is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released on July 26, 2005, by the independent record label Zoolook.
Background
The track title "Bored of Canada" presumably refers to Boards of Canada, ...
'' and early compilations, in addition to an alternative mix of "Creep" from '' While(1<2)''. The album was officially released on Mau5trap a week later, on March 3, 2017.
On March 25, 2017, Zimmerman began a concert tour with his new "Cube 2.1" stage set entitled Lots of Shows in a Row
Lots of Shows in a Row was a concert tour by Canadian electronic music producer, Deadmau5, to promote his eighth studio album '' W:/2016ALBUM/'', with support from British producer and DJ Feed Me.
The tour initially took place just in North Ameri ...
to promote the release of ''W:/2016Album/''. Zimmerman toured around North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
for two months, before touring the rest of the world from June 3, 2017, and Canada from October 6, 2017, with the tour concluding on October 31, 2017. On August 25, 2017, Zimmerman released a stand-alone single entitled " Legendary", featuring guest vocals from rapper Shotty Horroh
Adam Rooney (born 22 September 1986), better known by his stage name Shotty Horroh, is a British rapper, singer, songwriter and actor. In 2017, Shotty Horroh signed a four-album record deal with Sony Music Canada and released his major label deb ...
. A music video for the song was released on Mau5trap's YouTube channel on September 11, 2017. In September 2017, Zimmerman confirmed his next studio album is "on the way".
In March 2018, Zimmerman announced a compilation album comprising orchestral performances of previously released music, titled '' Where's the Drop?''. On March 30, 2018, the album was initially released exclusively on the music streaming service Tidal for a period of three months. On June 29, 2018, the album was officially released on other digital download and streaming services, as well as vinyl. On July 3, 2018, Zimmerman announced an EP and compilation album titled '' Mau5ville: Level 1'', featuring " Monophobia", a collaboration with Rob Swire, as well as tracks from Getter and GTA. It was released on July 13, 2018, through Mau5trap. On September 18, 2018, Zimmerman announced that he was in the process of producing his first ever original film score for the Netflix film ''Polar
Polar may refer to:
Geography
Polar may refer to:
* Geographical pole, either of two fixed points on the surface of a rotating body or planet, at 90 degrees from the equator, based on the axis around which a body rotates
* Polar climate, the c ...
'' directed by Jonas Åkerlund
Hans Uno Jonas Åkerlund (; born 10 November 1965) is a Swedish film director, screenwriter, music video director, and drummer. His video for Madonna's song "Ray of Light" won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Short Form, and a record of fiv ...
. In October 2018, the track listing of a follow-up EP, '' Mau5ville: Level 2'', was leaked, showing featured collaborations with Lights
Light is an electromagnetic radiation, part of which stimulates the sense of vision.
Light or Lights may also refer to:
Illumination
* Light bulb
* Traffic light
Arts and entertainment Music
* Lights (musician) (born 1987), Canadian singer-son ...
and Mr. Bill, with no release date confirmed at the time. The EP was released officially on November 16, 2018, through Mau5trap.
On January 25, 2019, ''Polar'' premiered on Netflix, with Zimmerman releasing the soundtrack album, '' Polar (Music from the Netflix Film)'', through Mau5trap. On February 1, 2019, the third installment in the ''Mau5ville'' series, '' Mau5ville: Level 3'' was released through Mau5trap. The compilation EP featured collaborations with Shotty Horroh, Scene of Action as well as tracks from No Mana and C.O.Z. In November 2019, Zimmerman released three new singles, entitled "Satrn", "Coasted" and "Fall", released on the 16th, 22nd and 29th, respectively.
On May 20, 2020, Zimmerman released the single "Pomegranate", featuring The Neptunes. Later in November that year, he worked with Kiesza on the track "Bridged by a Lightwave
"Bridged by a Lightwave" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5 and singer-songwriter Kiesza, released as a single on November 10, 2020. It is an EDM
EDM or E-DM may refer to:
Music
* Electronic dance music
* Early Day Miners ...
". Both singles are expected to appear on Zimmerman's next album.
On March 29, 2021, Zimmerman released the single "Nextra" on his new "Hau5trap" label. In 2021, Rezz and Deadmau5 collaborated to release a single named "Hypnocurrency" on Mau5trap.
He also released a new single with singer Lights
Light is an electromagnetic radiation, part of which stimulates the sense of vision.
Light or Lights may also refer to:
Illumination
* Light bulb
* Traffic light
Arts and entertainment Music
* Lights (musician) (born 1987), Canadian singer-son ...
titled "When the Summer Dies" on July 16.
In 2022, Zimmerman and Kaskade announced a collaboration project named Kx5, marking the fourth time the producers have worked together. The first single from the project, "Escape", was released on March 11.
Video game appearances
Zimmerman is a playable avatar in ''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 n ...
'', a video game released in October 2010. The game featured several tracks by the artist, including a mix of "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" with Lady Gaga's " Just Dance". He is also featured as a secret unlockable character in the 2014 video game ''Goat Simulator
''Goat Simulator'' is a third-person perspective action video game developed and published by Coffee Stain Studios. It was released for Microsoft Windows in April 2014, and ports for Linux and OS X were released in June 2014. Mobile versions fo ...
'' as "deadgoa7" His music has been included in other video game titles, including a custom soundtrack for ''Dota 2
''Dota 2'' is a 2013 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game by Valve. The game is a sequel to ''Defense of the Ancients'' (''DotA''), a community-created mod for Blizzard Entertainment's '' Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.'' ''Dota 2' ...
''.
In the mobile app ''Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff'' by TinyCo, Deadmau5 was available for purchase as a playable character during the "PeterPalooza".
Virtual versions of his helmet are also an available accessory as a topper and antenna in '' Rocket League''.
In the 2020 video game FUSER, "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" is featured as a mixable song.
Personal life
On July 30, 2010, at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., Zimmerman collapsed on stage, suffering from exhaustion and vomiting. This resulted in the cancellation of the rest of the show, as well as nine shows following the event.
In September 2012, Zimmerman began dating American tattoo artist and TV personality Kat Von D. After breaking up in November 2012, they rekindled their relationship shortly afterwards. On December 15, 2012, Zimmerman proposed to Von D via Twitter, and they announced that they would marry in August 2013 with an aquatic-themed wedding. They both have several matching tattoos, including the numbers "289m3d22h" on both of their arms, a sentimental reference to the day when they met, as well as two black stars underneath their eyes. Zimmerman moved to Los Angeles to live with Von D. In June 2013, Von D announced that they had ended their engagement.
In 2014, Zimmerman purchased a $5 million home in the Campbellville
Campbellville is a compact rural community in the geographic township of Nassagaweya in the Town of Milton, Regional Municipality of Halton, Ontario, Canada. It is on the Niagara Escarpment and is a tourist destination for residents of the Gre ...
area of Milton, Ontario.
On August 12, 2017, Zimmerman married his fiancée Kelly Fedoni. On June 7, 2021, Zimmerman announced via Instagram that he and Fedoni
had separated and would divorce, but stated that their relationship had ended amicably.
Etymology
Zimmerman's father claims that when his son was in his early teens, he was chatting with a friend on his computer, which then abruptly shut off. According to Zimmerman's father, he said that it had a smell of burnt wire and had a strange odor. Zimmerman started to dismantle his computer and happened to find a dead mouse. Zimmerman then became known as the "dead mouse guy" among friends. He tried to change his name to "Deadmouse" in an online chat room, but it was too long, so he shortened it to "Deadmau5". "Maus" is the German word for "mouse" and is pronounced the same as in English; the ending character 5 instead of an 's' is a form of leet. Zimmerman created the original logo—called "mau5head"—while learning how to use 3D modelling software. The logo appears in many different colors and designs, and has been shown on the cover art of most of Zimmerman's albums. He was given the idea to wear a helmet based on the logo by one of his friends, Jay Gordon of the industrial metal band Orgy. In an interview withCBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...
, Zimmerman said that he wants his logo to be an "icon". Fans often attend Deadmau5 concerts sporting their own copy or alteration of the mau5head.
He created his website and began uploading songs to SectionZ and producing under the alias "Deadmau5" in 2002.
Controversies
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 withFL Studio
FL Studio (previously known as FruityLoops before 2003) is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by the Belgian company Image-Line.
FL Studio features a graphical user interface with a pattern-based music sequencer. The program is avail ...
, and to which Zimmerman claimed copyright. The sample was a direct clip of a full bar of the song. Zimmerman provided a "Demo Track" which came bundled with FL Studio, along with several loop samples. The case caused slight discomfort among the users of FL Studio, and some have pointed out potential inconsistencies in the EULA of the software. Subsequent versions, after FL Studio 8, no longer contained those loop samples.
Disney trademark dispute
In a 2012 interview with '' Rolling Stone'', Zimmerman acknowledged possible similarities between his Mau5head logo and that ofMickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
, joking that "someone at the Disney patent office fell asleep on that one."
In March 2014, it was reported that The Walt Disney Company had filed a request with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to investigate Zimmerman's application to register the Mau5head emblem as a trademark, noting its resemblance to the figure of Mickey Mouse. Disney officially filed its opposition in September 2014, arguing that the mark is likely to cause confusion because it is "nearly identical in appearance, connotation, and overall commercial impression" to Disney's trademarked iconography of Mickey Mouse. In response to the opposition, Zimmerman spoke out against Disney on Twitter, arguing that the company thinks of people as being "stupid" because " heymight confuse an established electronic musician/performer with a cartoon mouse." Zimmerman also believed that he had been targeted by Disney due to their attempts to "cash in" on the EDM market, specifically alluding to ''Dconstructed
''Dconstructed'' (stylized in all caps) is a remix album released by Walt Disney Records on April 22, 2014.
Background
The album features remixes of select songs from various Disney films, animated shorts, television series, and theme park attr ...
''—a recently released compilation album containing remixes of music from Disney properties by major electronic musicians such as Armin van Buuren
Armin Jozef Jacobus Daniël van Buuren ( , ; born 25 December 1976) is a Dutch DJ and record producer from Leiden, South Holland. Since 2001, he has hosted ''A State of Trance'' (ASOT), a weekly radio show, which is broadcast to nearly 40&nbs ...
, Avicii and Kaskade.
On September 4, 2014, Zimmerman revealed on Twitter that Disney had used "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" in a Mickey Mouse "re-micks" video on their website and YouTube channel without his or his labels' permission, and posted pictures showing a takedown notice
Notice and take down is a process operated by online hosts in response to court orders or allegations that content is illegal. Content is removed by the host following notice. Notice and take down is widely operated in relation to copyright infri ...
that had been sent to Disney by his lawyers. The letter also contained a trademark infringement accusation, arguing that the use of Deadmau5's name in material regarding the video falsely implied his endorsement of it. Disney argued that it had properly licensed the song and that there was "no merit to his statement."
In an October 2014 USPTO filing, Zimmerman argued that Disney has attempted to co-exist with him in goodwill. Zimmerman presented evidence that Disney had been in contact with him regarding potential collaborative projects, including an offer to participate in a "re-imagining" of ''Fantasia
Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
'' as a live concert tour for the film's 75th anniversary.
In June 2015, Zimmerman's attorney stated that he and Disney had "amicably resolved their dispute."
Meowingtons trademark dispute
In 2015, Zimmerman attempted to register a trademark for the name of his pet cat, Professor Meowingtons, whom he adopted in 2010 and has incorporated into some of his own merchandising. However, the registration was rejected due to a pre-existing Meowingtons trademark held by an online retailer of the same name established in 2014, which sells cat-themed accessories and clothing. After discovering the trademark, Zimmerman petitioned against it, citing his pre-existing uses. In March 2017, Zimmerman was sued by Emma Bassiri (the owner of the website) for trademark infringement and unfair competition; the suit argued that claims by Zimmerman that she had named the site specifically after the cat was false. Zimmerman himself told '' The Hollywood Reporter'' that "from the very beginning I was working to find a way to resolve this situation amicably", but that he had been forced to "litigate this woman out of existence". On May 15, 2017, Deadmau5 filed a countersuit against Bassiri with the intention of seeking forfeiture of Bassiri's website and domain name. In March 2018, ''World Intellectual Property Review'' reported that Zimmerman and Bassiri had resolved their dispute.Offensive slurs
In October 2018, Zimmerman posted comments on Twitter during an argument including the statements "I'll bet you suck a guy off for 40 grand, zero fucking questions asked" and "women don't posses penises". These comments were construed by readers as being homophobic and transphobic. Zimmerman apologized for his comments, saying that he "wasn't trying to make blatant transphobic statements", and had "just got into a heated arguement with some dude online", noting that his comments had been taken "somewhere unintended". A few days later, during a gaming stream, he referred to a track by artist Slushii as "AIDS fucking music" and calling it "autistic shit". Slushii – who is on the autism spectrum – responded to these comments on Twitter, calling them "really disappointing". Zimmerman later apologized for these comments, citing mental health issues that required "professional help", and stating that he would take time "off the radar" to "work on imself. In February 2019, whilst playing '' PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds'' on a livestream on Twitch, Zimmerman called another player a "fucking cock-sucking stream sniper fag." Twitch suspended Zimmerman from their platform for hate speech, after which he posted: "I know who I am, and I don't have to fucking sit here and cry and defend my fucking self with the obligatory 'I'm not that person, I am sorry' reflex," vowing to never work with the company again. Zimmerman later apologized for his remarks in a Reddit post, and was subsequently reinstated.Discography
* ''Get Scraped
''Get Scraped'' is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released on July 26, 2005, by the independent record label Zoolook.
Background
The track title "Bored of Canada" presumably refers to Boards of Canada, ...
'' (2005)
* '' Vexillology'' (2006)
* '' Random Album Title'' (2008)
* '' For Lack of a Better Name'' (2009)
* ''4×4=12
''4×4=12'' (pronounced "four times four equals twelve") is the fifth studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released on December 6, 2010 by Virgin Records, Ultra Records and Mau5trap. The album's title refers to a miscalcu ...
'' (2010)
* ''Album Title Goes Here
''Album Title Goes Here'' (stylized as ''> album title goes here album title goes here <''
at
Artist Site at Ultra Records
{{Authority control 1981 births Ableton Live users Canadian DJs Canadian electronic musicians Canadian house musicians Canadian people of Swiss descent Canadian people of German descent Canadian people of English descent Canadian people of Swiss-German descent Electro house musicians Electronic dance music DJs Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year winners Living people Masked musicians Mau5trap artists Musicians from the Regional Municipality of Niagara People from Niagara Falls, Ontario Progressive house musicians Remixers Tracker musicians Ultra Records artists Virgin Records artists 20th-century Canadian male musicians 21st-century Canadian male musicians
at
Discogs
...
'' (2012)
* '' While(1<2)'' (2014)
* '' W:/2016Album/'' (2016)
Awards and nominations
See also
* List of ambient music artistsReferences
External links
*Artist Site at Ultra Records
{{Authority control 1981 births Ableton Live users Canadian DJs Canadian electronic musicians Canadian house musicians Canadian people of Swiss descent Canadian people of German descent Canadian people of English descent Canadian people of Swiss-German descent Electro house musicians Electronic dance music DJs Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year winners Living people Masked musicians Mau5trap artists Musicians from the Regional Municipality of Niagara People from Niagara Falls, Ontario Progressive house musicians Remixers Tracker musicians Ultra Records artists Virgin Records artists 20th-century Canadian male musicians 21st-century Canadian male musicians