Guardian Review of Deadmau5 new Album

[TCMuc]

If you claim EDM DJs are nothing but "button pushers" and dance music itself is "just 120bpm with a fucking kick drum on every quarter note", you probably should be prepared to take some beating yourself...


There's one paragraph in particular that I really like..

First part is about the current state of EDM, especially in the USA saying:

"Perhaps Deadmau5 appeals to a middle-American audience traditionally resistant to dance music because he seems to have taken a genre born out of a largely black, largely gay club scene and ruthlessly expunged any lasting sonic evidence of its birthplace."


Which is largely the same as some music industry executives stated in the recent RA advisor feature here: http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1709



The rest of the paragraph is how that deviance from the music's roots made Deadmau5's music what it is, what in my opinion is a really nice summary of what's wrong with (mainstream) dance music these days:

"You can hear his style's roots in the big stars of 90s electronica, their respective sounds adjusted to cut them adrift from the music that inspired them. It's the Chemical Brothers without their love for hip-hop and Detroit techno; Daft Punk without their deep understanding of Chicago house; the Prodigy without their roots in breakbeat hardcore. What's left is bizarrely unfunky, unambiguous, unsexy and unreconstructedly macho: Maths or Fn Pig offer a noisy euphoria that makes you think not of the communal transcendence of the dancefloor, but a bloke from sales with his tie wrapped round his head, waving a can of Relentless in the air and roaring. It's house music that Frankie Knuckles wouldn't understand, but Finchy from The Office would get straight away."

Read the full review here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012...es-here-review

[oliosky]

It's house music that Frankie Knuckles wouldn't understand, but Finchy from The Office would get straight away

That is probably the most eloquent and succinct description of "EDM" I have read thus far...

[Adzm00]

I am pretty sure he is just being a total utter twat for PR reasons, either that or he is a bigger fucking mong than I ever gave him credit for.

[disparate]

Great review, sums him up pretty well.

[lingk]

I have been a fan of deadmau5 for a very long time now. I really do like is holder stuff and his more spaced out chill stuff then the "EDM" type stuff. when it comes to this album, there are a few tracks I dig. The production quality is top notch. I don't think anyone masters electronic music like he dose. With all that said though, I'm a little let down with the album. It's his fault, but not for what people will flame war over.

a lot of big name DJ/Producers these days make all there tunes on a notebook while on tour and that works for them. Deadmau5 on the other had really can't. he has stated it before, tho I do think ghost n stuff was made in a hotel. I really don't think he had the time to really work on a real album. These are just tracks that he made trying to get back in the groove of making music but never had the time to really work on any thing.

this one album won't stop me form enjoying his music, nor do I think it makes him look worse with all his rants of late. He is just an ass and everyone knows it. Most artistic, technically incline people are dicks... ever met an I.T./programmer guy who was nice? nope.. I haven't and I work in I.T. lol.

[DJNR]

I have listened to Mau5 off and on, so I had an idea of what he would sound like in this album. After listening to a few tracks, I wasn't impressed at all.

[disparate]

The production quality is top notch. I don't think anyone masters electronic music like he dose.

That's where some of the frustration lies - the guy clearly has a lot of skill and talent, and would probably be capable of making some pretty special stuff. But he knows the right buttons to push (hee hee) for commercial success. Even though I often tend towards a more raw sound in my music tatse I can't deny his production and sound design skills are top notch.

Most artistic, technically incline people are dicks... ever met an I.T./programmer guy who was nice? nope.. I haven't and I work in I.T. lol.

A few of my friends, and my brother, work in IT and programming and they're nice people. I work in a somewhat similar field and I wouldn't say I'm a dick unless it comes to my techno elitism and I've met a few big DJs and producers (not Deadmau5 big but I'm talking well respected in underground dance music circles, Levon Vincent, Addison Groove, etc) as well as lots of well-respected locals and the majority are great people. Maybe once you get to the Guetta/Deadmau5 popstar level of success things change...

[Sigma]

The production quality is top notch. I don't think anyone masters electronic music like he dose.

Go listen to a Lorn LP.

deadmau5 has probably done this on purpose to prove that people will buy any old shit. Once he's retired he'll say "the title of the LP should have given it away!".

[Mahatma Coat]

deadmau5 has probably done this on purpose to prove that people will buy any old shit. Once he's retired he'll say "the title of the LP should have given it away!".

I think you're giving Joel Thomas Zimmerman far too much credit there. The man has the force, but he uses it for the darkside. There are loads of producers equal to and surpassing Zimmerman, but they don't go and make music to sell in supermarkets.

It's house music that Frankie Knuckles wouldn't understand, but Finchy from The Office would get straight away

That is probably the most eloquent and succinct description of "EDM" I have read thus far...

Seconded.

Music for the masses, stripped of its 'pesky' gay/black/counter culture history.

Zimmerman knows exactly what he's doing = $$$$

[Divercity]

Oh gawd.. Not another one of these threads.