deadmau5 released a new double album titled while(1<2) yesterday on June 17th, and I think I’m not the only who is saying, “WTF!? Where did this come from!”
deadmau5 is known for constantly being in the studio and constantly creating music for no professional purpose other than to try new things, which can confuse the hell out of us on what’s an official deadmau5 release and what is just tickling his fancy right in the middle of a 4am RedBull binge. If you don’t like my excuse, check out his SoundCloud alias where the artist posts every little musical experiment he’s playing with that day. Don’t misunderstand me, this is what I love about deadmau5. Personal creation is at the heart of creativity, and Joel Zimmerman is probably the only artist in the inner circle of popular music today who has set himself up to answer to no one when it comes to what is going into a deadmau5 release. That’s exactly what his new 25 track double album while(1<2) emulates. Here is what Joel himself has to say about it:
“It’s not just about making a dance hit or the brand — I love engineering music of all time… I’ve done hip-hop tracks, glitch tracks, piano concertos, and dance hits. I think a large part of my fan base knows that, so this is for them. And if it’s not for them, then maybe I’ll attract some new fans who aren’t so E.D.M.”
This commentary so perfectly encapsulates what the LA Times calls deadmau5’s “uncomfortable alliance” with EDM. The album feels a lot like a touch back to his breakout work on 2008’s Random Album Title and 2009’s For Lack of Better Name yet tracks like “Seeya” ft. Coleen D’Agostino feel like some sort of funky spawn of deadmau5 and Daft Punk with a great female vocalist thrown in. My personal favorite is “Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer.” It makes me feel like I’m in an F1 version of the TRON videogame.
The album is available now on iTunes.
