5 Years Of Mau5

Well establishing himself among the EDM festival circuit for his show-stopping musical antics, the artists known as deadmau5 has been sharing his particular brand of electronic, progressive-house beats for nearly a decade. The Toronto, Ontario native who is otherwise known as Joel Thomas Zimmerman, but prefers the internationally more recognizable moniker pronounced "dead mouse," redefined the electronic dance music scene with greater reverence and not much fanfare -�except for the signature mouse ears that have become his trademark.

On his latest musical retrospective "5 Years of mau5," the talented and prolific electro prodigy has assembled a collection of some of his most memorable works and remixes that continue to brand him a pioneer in his genre. The 22-track setlist on the standard album release enlists the usual suspects, including Kaskade and Eric Prydz, while supporting the reinventions of some of deadmau5 most popular hits by NERO and Wax Motif.

While his contemporaries sought a more high-profile place in the sun for themselves, deadmau5 rabid fans on the festival circuit are the real deal. Ever since he first donned his headpiece and syncopated its electronic digital lights to match his beats per minute, audiences were suspended in animation, and a movement would soon emerge. Electronic based dance music was only peddling along until deadmau5 and David Guetta, Kaskade and Avicii came along and legitimized it.

You can hear on tracks like "I Remember," the powerful collaboration with Kaskade appearing on "5 Years," just how emotive and imaginatively dedicated these artists are. They have created a symphonic musical experience our of the digital bleeps and textures that popularize the genre. If there's anything more compelling about deadmau5's beats, it's the way the producer crafts his nuanced flows - his compositions revel up to parry the feel of the crowd and tunnel down in a satisfying finale.

The profoundly bass-ladened "Some Chords" is perhaps among deadmau5's most recognizable because it is often the most appropriated of his catalog. "5 Years of mau5" doesn't necessarily come off as the artist's greatest hits package, but it is a wonderful assortment for the uninitiated who have speculated about the man (the myth) behind the mouse-eared grin, always purring with perfection. "5 Years" is a distinct celebration of the impact deadmau5 continues to have on dance music, and the evolution of the artist.

deadmau5 "5 Years of mau5"
is available now on CD and most digital download store platforms
$11.99 - $9.99
Released on mau5trap Recordings, licensed to Ultra Records