Anyone that attended a deadmau5 show in North America this year would have experienced electrifying live renderings of material from his first full length artist album 4×4=12, due out December 6 on Ultra Music. Performing in front of hundreds of thousands at major festivals and venues from coast to coast including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Electric Daisy Carnival, Austin City Limits and Treasure Island Music Festival to name a few, electronic music’s most talked-about artist and producer unveiled a wide range of new songs to accompany his roof-raising visual show.
With his revolutionary LED mau5head which flashed space scenes and robot smiley faces, deadmau5 – at his full production shows and extended sets at his “unhooked” gigs – highlighted his sets with tracks like Cthulhu Sleeps, Some Cords and the atmospheric track Raise Your Weapon featuring Picture Book singer Greta Svabo Bech.
Also included on 4×4=12 is the deadmau5 vs. Wolfgang Gartner collaboration Animal Rights, which Beatport described as, “…a huge club record that combines the styles of both producers and has been heavily compared to Daft Punk. We here at Beatport welcome the new direction and give it our thumbs up.”
The album’s next single Sofi Needs A Ladder, featuring a vivacious delivery by vocalist Sofi, made its live debut this past March at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami where deadmau5 was joined by Sofi and iconic drummer Tommy Lee in front of 50,000 fans and the track has been the opening piece on his current tour. Ultra Music will make it available on October 31. Other highlights from the album include One Trick Pony which Sofi also appears on and the Michael Woods remix of I Said, a deadmau5 collaboration with U.K. DJ/producer Chris Lake.
In addition to many of the high-profile performances, 2010 has been a spectacular year thus far for the Toronto-based deadmau5. He served as the MTV Video Music Award’s House Artist in September where Travie McCoy, Jason Derulo, and Robyn performed never-before-heard mau5-mixes of their current hit singles with him during the show. He also made guest appearances on hit television shows Gossip Girl and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Meanwhile, gaming fans can now find deadmau5 starring as an in-game playable character in Activision Publishing Inc.’s DJ Hero 2. (His smash #1 Billboard single Ghosts ‘n Stuff – which appeared on his last mix album For Lack of a Better Name (also from Ultra Music) – is also included on the game’s soundtrack.)
Recently profiled with a feature in Rolling Stone’s “Hot List” issue, deadmau5 will make his last North American appearances this year with three shows at New York City’s legendary Roseland Ballroom October 28, 29 & 30, the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans October 31 and a New Years Eve show December 31 at the Shaw Conference Center in Edmonton, Canada. The first two nights of his Roseland Ballroom “trifecta” shows will feature his powerful festival show supported by a fantastic cast of guests such as Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Erol Alkan, Afrojack and JDH & Dave P. The final night, for his “unhooked” show, will feature his hit smash I Remember collaborator Kaskade as well as Calvin Harris, Pete Tong and Sleepy & Boo. deadmau5 will bring his full production show to Voodoo and his Edmonton “Mau5quarade” NYE night also featuring guests Skrillex, Showtek, Mike De Rosa, Mikey Wong and Seelo Mondo.
In addition to a full album format, Ultra Music is also making 4×4=12 available via the iTunes Complete My Album program which permits single purchases through the digital retailer to apply for the full album when it releases. Following Sofi Needs A Latter on October 31 will be Some Chords on November 7, Right This Second on November 14, Bad Selection on November 21 and Raise Your Weapon on November 28.
Over the weekend I saw a guy wearing that stupid red mouse head walking up and down the street doing some weird disco dance with music coming out of the head. I said to my friend, “seeing that guy do that makes me hate whatever he is trying to dress up as.” Too bad it’s a music artist that you speak so highly of! Oh well, such is life.
I am not a huge fan of his music, but he has a draw. And if he wants to dress up like a mouse (hence the name I guess) then so be it. He does make a lot more money wearing that mouse head than you and I ever will! If you could dress up like anything and get paid for it, what would it be?