Deadmau5

As a leading Canadian producer of electronic music who heads the Mau5trap label, Deadmau5 ranks among the most visible names in present-day dance music, distinguished at once by his trademark oversized mouse helmet. He stepped forward in the late 2000s and established an early global profile with the 2009 release For Lack of a Better Name. After that point he held a steady position inside the Top Ten of both the U.S. and Canadian Dance charts, earning platinum certification in 2010 for 4x4=12 and securing three consecutive number-one albums with Album Title Goes Here (2012), While (1<2) (2014), and W:/2016ALBUM/ (2016). Following the EP trilogy Mau5ville: Level Complete (2020) and the Kaskade partnership Kx5, he issued the Some EP (2024). Renowned for his concerts and elaborately designed stage productions, he also pursues video gaming and has supplied music to soundtracks for Grand Theft Auto, Need for Speed, and additional titles.

Born Joel Zimmerman in Niagara Falls, the Toronto-based DJ gained attention in 2008 after his track “Faxing Berlin” entered the playlist of legendary DJ/producer Pete Tong’s radio show. Deadmau5 quickly emerged as a key voice in progressive house music. He issued material on his own Mau5trap Recordings imprint and collected several honors that year, among them a Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year. He also put out Random Album Title along with the opening installment of the remix series At Play.

The singles compilation It Sounds Like and the mix album For Lack of a Better Name appeared in 2009, while the studio album 4 X 4 = 12 arrived in 2010. The following year Deadmau5 released the DVD Live @ Earl’s Court and a collection of remixes. Two 2012 singles, “Maths” and “The Veldt” with Chris James, were included on that year’s Album Title Goes Here. The aptly named set further featured contributions from producer Wolfgang Gartner and vocalists Imogen Heap and My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way.

Deadmau5’s subsequent full-length, While(1<2), came out on Mau5trap/Astralwerks in June 2014. Titled after the programming syntax for an endless loop, the double album included the singles “Avaritia” and “Seeya” with guest vocals from Colleen D’Agostino, plus reworkings of How to Destroy Angels’ “Ice Age” and Nine Inch Nails’ “Survivalism.” 5 Years of Mau5 appeared at the close of 2014 to mark the fifth anniversary of the Mau5trap label. Also in 2014, Zimmerman unveiled his techno TESTPILOT alias with the track “Sunspot (White Space Conflict).”

Following a short stretch during which the future of his Deadmau5 identity stayed unclear amid personal difficulties, Zimmerman resumed activity in spring 2016 with the single “Snowcone.” That track later appeared on his eighth LP, W:/2016ALBUM/, issued in December and marking his third straight U.S. Dance chart-topper. In 2018 he returned with the Mau5ville: Level 1 EP, which included appearances by Rob Swire and nothing,nowhere, and Mau5ville: Level 2, on which he collaborated with Lights and Mr. Bill. A third installment, Mau5ville: Level 3, featured Rob Swire alongside DJs Getter and GTA. In 2020 Deadmau5 combined the EP trilogy into Mau5ville: Level Complete, removing the remixes to form a continuous listening experience. Later that year he released “Bridged by a Lightwave,” a dark, gritty electro-house collaboration with Canadian artist Kiesza. He followed with further joint efforts such as “Hypnocurrency” with Rezz, “When the Summer Dies” with Lights, and “My Heart Has Teeth” with Skylar Grey.

In 2022 Zimmerman began an extensive project alongside fellow producer Kaskade under the name Kx5. The pairing produced tracks including the hit single “Escape” with Hayla, “Take Me High,” “Alive,” and “Avalanche.” He resumed solo work with the 2024 Some EP, which contained the singles “Sever” and “Quezacotl” as well as the TESTPILOT alias track “Wet.”