Deadmau5 Random Album Title

Some artists take years to make it on to the main curcit across the world, But for some artists who bring a unique sound and style to the table make a larger impact a lot quicker and put themselves in a prime position to become a household name .
Now I would say all the artists that I have previously blogged about have all been household names within the clubbing community . Deadmau5 is no exception in fact he has in the past three years he positioned himself as one of the top DJ/ Producers of the decade and in my eyes, of all time .
But how did this Canadian go from zero to Hero becoming a must have artist in your mix set and now having one of the hottest new record lables out slamming out tune after tune?

Joel Zimmerman

Joel Zimmerman known as Deadmau5 , grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario, 75 miles south east of Toronto. He doesn’t see himself as a Dj and I would agree with that, as he doesn’t use vynil or cds to create his music. Instead using sound samples and computer software that he actually designed himself, he is able to create masterpieces that have a distinct sound that cant be easily replicated .
This is because he started off with a fascination for computers which grew into a passion for creating CGM (Computer Generated Music) .
Now I feel very strongly in the same line as Joel Zimmerman AKA Deadmau5 as most hard core djs are so fixated in keeping with tradition they are so afraid to move on to better programming and new technologies. In all honesty djs who cling on the past techniques are part of a dying breed of DJ .
Let me explain

Deadmau5 Live performance

As a professional DJ it is up to me (any dj)to keep up with current trends as well as current systems, to ensure that you are able to cater for all crowds of different ages and genres. New Technology frees up a djs time from solely concentrating on beat matching, giving him the freedom to explore new ideas sounds and ways in which to blend a mix or create totally new sounds. Lets remember it is all for the benefit of the crowd in front of you !! Now I am in no way taking away from the art form that is vinyl mixing as this is no doubt the most unchanged form of djing for the past 100 years and in its own right an art form, but as Mr Zimmerman has proven with technology , you can take an idea or sound that previously would have been impossible to create or replicate and make a world wide hit .

In the words of Deadmau5 ‘its not a dj set but more of a live performance’ as he is not using songs but samples and loops to create new unheard compositions in a completely new arrangement which for any hard core dj or music lover is something to be in awe of.
It was only recently I learned that Zimmerman was actually a software designer and had actually designed software for Frooty loops one of the first companies to offer easy to use loop systems and samples to create new music !! This is most probably why he has such a good understanding of the construction of music and what it takes to get people dancing. Before the birth of deadmau5, Zimmerman started off making music as a duo with Steve Duda under the name B.S.O.D ( Blue Screen Of Death). Initially they started off making the music as a sort of joke to show how easy it was to construct house music using the standard formula to create a song. This turned out to be a massive success on beatport going to number 1 on the downloads chart. At this point gone was the joke and hello to new form of income lol!!!

Steve Duda and Joel Zimmerman make up the duo B.S.O.D.

The 00′s is when Deadmau5 really came into his own hooking up with some of my favourite artists of that period to create some of the finest club sounds still to be used today . With the likes of Chris Lake, Kaskade and loads more
Like Armand van Halden, if you look closer at emerging artists , you will see the hand of deadmau5 behind the scenes as the engine driving the success of new artists . The clearest example of this can be found in Alexis Jordan . A fantastic young (hot) singer in her own right blasted onto the music scene with her smash hit Happiness. To the true fans of Deadmau5 you would have recognised that the backing track to that song is actually taken from his first album Random Album Title.

Alexis Jordan

No jokes its literally the same song simply with her singing over it! Not that there is anything wrong with this as at least the lyrics were self made. Alexis Jordans success is due to her hard work so i cant take anything away from her but It doesn’t disguise the fact that in the same way armand van halden took Dizzy Rascal to the next level , Deadmau5 has also taken Alexis Jordan into the main stream….
Recently he has made waves with his record lable mou5trap signing artists like FEED Me ( one of my favourites at the mo) Releasing tune after tune taking on Lables that have been in the industry for decades!!!. This comes down to Zimmerman’s desire to push the envelope and not to conform but rejoice in the musically different !!

Deadmau5 in the mix

Its still early days for this Label and for deadmau5 himself. But one thing is clear, there are no signs of his fame and fortune slowing down as it is near impossible to get tickets to any of his tours literally minutes after they have been put on sale !!

As we look at the year past, we look back at our limited amount of time in the sun . For all party goers and music fanatics, 2010 Summer festivals was where you wanted to be.  Now I was fortunate enough to go to the last festival of the season. As they say always keep the best for last !!!This was definitely the case when making our 4 day trek to the isle of white to experience Bestival for the very first time.

Not having experienced a festival in the UK before , I had no idea what to expect or if i would be able to enjoy myself crammed in with what turned out to be 75000 other party goers. Not to mention i am always weary to see my favourite artists live as due to modern studios we have many artists that make great music in studio but cant back it up with an equally good stage performance . I mean its one thing to perform in a studio where you can pause reset or retake a bad run . In front if 70 odd thousand people is a different story , So I entered the festival with bated breath.

After the mammoth mission of setting up camp was complete, i decided it was time to explore this wonderland of adventure that was to be my home for the next 4 days.

I have to say that the organisers of this festival definitely deserve recognition for the hard work and effort to make an event of this size run like clockwork unbeknown to the thousands of people milling around . A big factor for us having such a great time, was simply down to the locals on the Island. At every point of our journey, we were greeted with smiles and someone was always willing to help if there was a problem. It made us feel so welcome and up for having an awesome time.

Now I Literally could go on for pages on end about which artists I saw and I would be here for ever . But instead, I have decided to focus on just two acts , For me and everyone in our camp the first act on the menu was Simian Mobile disco and man was it awesome!!

I First got into Simian Mobile disco about 2 to 3 years ago playing grand theft Auto  Liberty City where on one of the radio stations in a car i just hijacked was playing an awesome track that i found later to be SMD-TITTS and Acid!!! Shortly after I decided get the latest album temporary pleasures and since then the album has become a permanent addition in my Set i.e. Audacity of Huge , Cruel Intentions , 10 000 Horses cant be wrong, along with good old titts and Acid . For me watching their set was like for filling a desire to see how these artists created these amazing sounds, and it was as expected …… Awesome  

By some fluke of nature after main stage had closed, me and a group of friends were walking up to the enchanted forest when we happened to be strolling passed James Ford . One half of the Simian mobile disco Duo .

No one else realised who he was as by this stage, we all were well into the festival spirit and partying as hard as the next person . Normally I would have let him carry on along his way but after watching him on stage and  being totally in awe of his skills, I felt compelled to go up and tell him what I thought of his set .  Now I doubt he remembers this encounter with me as by this stage everyone in the vicinity was enebriated or close to it. But this being a life defining moment for me was not going to pass me by. Having met quite a few DJs and producers over the years it was so refreshing to have an artist be truly grateful to hear that a fan thoroughly enjoyed their  music .

I have to be honest,  many artists I have met are so stuck up their own ass they don’t even have an appreciation for fans and feedback from the audience. James Ford however was completely the opposite as he was genuinely glad to hear that we loved the set.

Before letting him go on his way I had to take the opportunity to grab a photo with him which at first he wasn’t to sure of being in the ‘’great’’ state that he was in was worried about where the pic would end up( and rightly so as it has now ended up on my website lol) but after  a few attempts  we got a good enough picture where all of us looked sober enough lol. After that spontaneous meeting of an artist i had much respect for, I was done for the evening as nothing could top that so it was beer and bed for me .

Now as I have said with so many artist on the line up we  were honestly spoilt for choice but the only other artist that I felt was a must see was Radio 1s very own Jaguar Skills

Every Friday and Saturday Night I spend an hour or 2 driving to my residencies and usually have Radio 1 on to get myself in the frame of mind to play commercial parties. On Saturday nights Its always something to look forward to as there is normally a mix from Jaguar Skills .  Now Jaguar Skill having come from the 1 extra crew normally plays a very urban style of music which can be a detorant for some including me on occasion but its not the music he plays which makes me a massive fan but the ability he has of mixing and mashing up every and any style of music together along with funny sound clips and samples to create the aptly named Jaguar Skills Adventures .

I was glad to see that he had several sets throughout the festival so made sure that i was able to at least see him perform at one of his gigs. As expected he did not disappoint. Getting to the Bollywood tent where he was performing , the place was already packed out in anticipation for his arrival. I found myself a comfortable place to stand near the back door as the tent was beyond boiling  it was soo hot. On his arrival, he started as expected with the voiceover that is synonymous with Jaguar Skills.

Below is a brief video of how he started

his set !!!!

Now i have to say my only chriticism was that as his set went on it became more and more urban underground which in all honesty is what people were there to see , Not my particular cup of tea but that no way diminished the fact that he took the roof off the bollywood stage ripping up the decks.

He is definitely someone I am keeping my eye on as I believe big  thing will be coming from him in years to come hopefully breaking away from his urban roots to more of a mainstream audience.

Many people might have an issue with this statement but lets be honest internationally , Urban is not the top earning bracket . A prime example of this would be Plan B , Who initially came onto the music scene with his rapping, along with Singing . But he was catapulted into Fame and fortune once people discovered his singing ability beyond his rapping skills, Not to say he has forsaken his roots but embraced his new musical Direction and used his rapping abilities to produce amazing music !!

If you have heard Jag Skills doing his weekly mini mixes you would have heard his versatility to be able to mix any genre of music together and make it work. Hats off to you Jag and good luck in the future…

I firstly have to say that before I go slating other artists, that I am in no way being biased and don’t exclude myself from the belittling.

I have no delusions of grandeur about my Dj career at present. Yes I consider myself a good Dj and have gone toe to toe with Some Top Djs in the UK and around the world. But in the grand scheme of things I am a very small fish with a long ways to go before getting my foot on the rung of the big boy’s ladder. I know my place within the industry at the moment and act accordingly. But just because Im not a big fish,  doesn’t mean I can’t see when music artists are making huge career ending mistakes!!!  If 10 years of Djing has taught me anything, it’s that the way you portray yourself to your audience has a big part to play in your musical success. Some artists have succeeded in moving effortlessly with the times while others have taken the wrong rout and stopped their careers dead.  Then there are those whose careers you wish would be dead!!!

For me a prime example of this would have to be Madonna!! Now I know there are a lot of Madonna fans out there and I am in no way saying ALL her music is rubbish but it’s not only her music making abilities of late but the way she is still trying to portray herself. Always trying to prove she can still dance and move better than the young talent today and that men all ages still find her attractive!!

At the age of 52 we all agree that Madonna still has a remarkable body. There is no reason to shove it down our throats with Yoga style positions and gyrating your Minge on stage in a leotard to get the message across , I’m sorry to say that shipped sailed a long time ago and to be quite honest there is no real way Madonna would be able to compare to the likes of Modern takes of the sexual diva like Lady Gaga who definitely come across as the Madonna of the new generation ( which in my opinion there is nothing wrong with and I actually happen to be a fan of.) 

My question is why hasn’t Madonna taken Kylie Manogues approach to her music career…?

Although 10 years younger than Madonna, Kylie Manogue has moved with the times yet been sensible in the way she has developed her on screen character. Instead of trying to portray a 20 something bopping around on screen, you feel that you are looking at a gorgeous Woman not girl who is acceptant of that fact and not trying to prove anything to the younger generation but just be sexy in herself and in my opinion she hit the nail on the head in her latest hit, All the Lovers,

The best way to show this properly is a visual aid here is a way I thought would make more sense. Below we have Madonna in her hung up video trying to show us she is sexy and has still got it and below that we have Kylie in her latest smash hit All the Lovers, wearing about the same amount of clothing yet not forcing us to stare at her Minge !!

Now you tell me which one you find more attractive!!! I vote Kylie. And this is my point that Madonna could pull off a similar style to her music if she wanted to yet she opts for the rout of trying to prove something when in actual fact she has nothing to prove !!! she has had a successful career in music, film and fashion over the last 3 decades how many other artists can say the same?!!! . I just feel that she is selling herself short and doesnt have to try prove her abilities to joe public  .

 Now in no way am I Saying that Madonna should just stop making music or stop trying to be sexy, but simply that her position in the music industry has changed and instead of fighting it by latching on to the hottest artist at the time and doing a collaboration trying to stay in the lime light, or trying to overdo it so people think she still has it. Instead just accept her age and new position within the industry and I’m pretty sure her career could last a lot longer and she won’t end up moving into the same category as Cher parading in her underwear at age 60!!

Now I am expecting some heated debate regarding this blog so wether you agree or not please feel free to post your own coments so i can see what your views on the subject are as im sure this debate is far from over !!!

Not many people know too much about the two Dj/producers behind DP, they have been able to keep their on stage persona’s in the lime light and their personal lives separate. Even current photos of the duo are few and far between compared to them in their full robot getup which I think is amazing and allows them to keep their persona the way they want it many years down the line not to mention when they don’t want to be Daft Punk and just be able to walk down the road as a normal person, all they need to do is take off their helmets, Something to be envied by other artists. Meaning they are able to enjoy the best of both worlds of being a superstar but still have some sort of normality in their day to day lives . It is only people in the right circles, or top fans that would be able to recognise them on the street.

I guess the best place to start would be at the beginning to see where Daft Punk came from and try to find points of inspiration from their past that made them into the performers they are today.  The first question for me is always where did the Name Daft Punk come from?

Thomas Banbalter and Guy-Manual de Homem-Christo met in 1987 while attending Lycee Carnot, a secondary School in Paris. In 1992 they formed a band with a few mates from school along with a guitarist called Laurent Brancowitz forming the band, Darlin.

As the band Darlin they made alternate Indi Rock with a beach boys feel to it. Bangalter was on the Bass and Homem-Christo was on guitar along with Brancowitz who went on to join the Rock group phoenix. They recorded a few demos were they eventually were invited to the UK to open stage shows where they got a negative review from a writer at the Melody Maker .  Now this is the interesting bit! The journalist dubbed the group as a bunch of Daft Punks which both Bangalter and de Homem-Christo found amusing.  Not long after Darlin disbanded and the two went on their way to form well um… Daft Punk and began experimenting with Synths and drum machines.

Not long after in 1993  Daft Punk were attending a rave at Euro Disney and met Stuart Macmillan of Soma Quality Recordings and gave him a demo tape , This demo then formed the basis of their debut Single The new Wave released in 1994 . A year later in May 1995, they released the Da Funk giving them their first commercially successful album and from then on they continued growing, becoming the household name they are today.

If there is one thing I need to talk about, it has to be Interstella 5555. With the success of their first few singles and albums in the 90s, Daft punk then moved outside of the Realms of normal song promotions and did something I don’t think has been done since in this specific way. They joined forces with the legendary anime  Leiji Matsumoto !!! To create a feature length animated ‘Musical ‘using all daft punk songs.

Now the thing about this movie is there is absolutely no talking in the film, just the daft punk songs and awesome imagery that takes you on an amazing journey between two galaxies.  Now I must say and my partner and anyone who knows me will tell you how I DETEST MUSICALS!!! But this to me is not a musical but more of a form of modern art as there is no break in consistency and the story actually captivates you for the full length of the film. I will be honest; I was reeling from it for about a day afterwards just thinking about the story and the ingenious way DP has promoted their music in a completely groundbreaking way. Initially I thought to myself ‘What , no talking just music , I don’t know if I could sit through this’, but by the time Harder better faster started playing , you see the story line develop to the point that you have to see how it ends. I also love the fact that they have a small appearance in the movie as themselves in a music awards ceremony, if you are a fan of daft punk and love their classic tunes; this will definitely tickle your fancy!!

It is definitely something to rave about to see that now in 2010 we still have Daft Punk making waves on the music scene with their mind blowing live performances playing old and new tracks and STILL getting the crowds jumping. For me I believe it comes down to the fact once again (as with all the artists I feature in my blog) that these artists have not sacrificed their creative style in pursuit of fame and fortune. Instead they let their musical genius speak for itself instead of the record companies.

I have said it before and I will say it again. It is artists like these that give me inspiration to chase my dream of becoming a house hold name in the DJ world. I look forward to the future of Daft punk and what they have to offer the music world and let’s hope somewhere along the way they will create something even more memorable and enjoyable than Interstella 5555

Lets not forget that the Duo will be on Tour around the UK this year so watch this space!!!

 Now in the same way we can look at music genres and use the same  analogy for those great motions of notes that fill our ears known as music.In today’s world because of vast amount of people making music, we are now in the world beyond genres and sub genres

If we look at house music for example , Springing up in the early 90s house music was the core of the underground music scene at time went, Not too long after  off shoots of the genre began forming  where people into trance, moved towards Hard house and people into jazz began to merge into The Funky house scene . Now we get House , Tech house minimal house  , Electro tribal etc etc ..   the list can go on and on  but this isn’t only evident in Electronic music production but variations can also be found in band musicians breaking the mould of a stereotypical band  Ie Bass, Drums lead singer and guitar….

 With the explosion of computers and endless possibilities found in electronic music production we see bands changing shape to accommodate the modern age of music. One of the first bands that immediately springs to mind is Hot Chip.

Formed in 2000 Hot chip fall under the Genre of Synth or electro Pop also known as alternative dance. The great thing about this group is that they are not afraid to experiment with different sound effects and instruments which they constantly change depending on the format in which they play their music , They can be seen using Key boards pianos, Keytars, Drums, Drum machines, percussion and Bass guitar, meaning that they can create a range of sounds and effects more so than your stereotypical band giving their music I feel, more depth.

 Having pointed out bands breaking away from the mould to expand into new futuristic genres, I feel it my duty to also shine a light on the artists who have not been afraid to take a step back in time using instruments and sounds from much older influences to create chart topping songs , Namely Mumford and Sons and even Paolo Nutini …..

 Looking like your average run of the mill four man band Mumford and Sons are far from it … Having formed only in 2007 they have gained an awesome following of fans with their powerful, thought provoking music. I could go on for hours talking about their music and lyrics but for the purpose of this blog i want to focus on their instruments and the genre they play.

Using an interesting mix of instruments from bass to banjo Mumford consider themselves a new Folk group. Keeping the essence of the classic folk musicians, This group has brought this ‘new’ sound to a much wider audience.  The proof of their success can be measured in the length of time it has taken them to reach chart topping success again, Having only formed in 2007 . They created a gutsy, old-time sound that marries the magic of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with the might of Kings Of Leon, and their incredible energy and amazing harmonies draws us in quickly to their circle of songs leaving you wanting more…..  For me as a DJ, having a great love for All derivatives of house music and  mainly having to play chart music, I find it refreshing to hear bands like this making music outside of the norm and still staying true to themselves… This is one of the first complete  albums i have looked forward to buying in a long time  rather than just buying random tracks off said album.

In The same way we can look at the Singer Song writer -Paolo Nutini and his fantastic track Pencil full of lead . Unlike Mumford and sons  all his songs don’t echo the same feeling but  changes with each track. Yet he also chooses to use different instruments and styles of music to create songs that will stand the Test of time. For me this is especially evident in his track Pencil full of lead , where he breaks away from normal rock instruments to use  1950s style band music to make a Bugsy Malone style track that is such a crowd pleaser for ANY age.  Making music like this is risky for any artist as they risk being pigeon holed into that specific style of music but this has not been the case for Paolo as he already had a large enough fan base to be able to extend his musical reach beyond his genre of choice.

 Once again i find myself inspired by artists like these spacifically because the music and entertainment industry is such a volatile one that stepping outside of your comfort zone could mean the end of your career yet we see artists like these taking big risks because of their love and passion and it paying off for them.  This gives the industry is diversity and colour meaning that whatever music you like, You will be sure to find something to tickle your fancy  even if your taste is to the most specific of Sub genres .As they say Different strokes for different folks ……