Deadmau5

If you like your house music progressive and your electro housey then Canadian producer Deadmau5 (real name Joel Zimmerman) with his extensive back catalogue of beats and bleeps is the man for you. Deadmau5 released his debut album, Random Album Title in 2008 and then followed that up with a compilation album of work both old and new, For Lack of a Better Name, in 2009. He’s gradually grown over the last few years both in reputation and profile so much so that in last October’s 2009 DJ Magazine Top 100 DJ Poll he came in at an impressive number 6, a jump up five places from number 11 the year before. Not only that but in 2009, he was the best-selling artist on Beatport with more than 30,000 digital downloads from his singles “Not Exactly,” “Faxing Berlin,” and “Ghosts N Stuff”.

Deadmau5 has developed a pretty deep and extensive solo back catalogue, that includes tracks such as “Arguru” and “Not Exactly”, which have been included in compilation albums like  In Search of Sunrise 6: Ibiza, MixMag’s Tech-Trance-Electro-Madness (mixed by deadmau5 himself) and is also recognised for his work alongside numerous other DJs and producers, such as: Kaskade, MC Flipside, Rob Swire of Pendulum, and Steve Duda under the BSOD alias.

Deadmau5 has had a good dose of scandal surrounding his career too, which is always important for someone in the dance music buying public eye. In December 2007 a project named Deadrat6 was created by one Marcus Schossow as a joke, followed by a similar faux project Sinterklaa5 and then a counter-move by deadmau5 releasing under the name “Marcus Fatsow”. Oooh handbags. The rivalry between the two escalated at an event in April 2008 in Oslo, where, deadmau5 allegedly refused to play at a club if Marcus Schossow was going to play, leading to the latter being refused entry and the becoming night a deadmau5 solo event.

If you want to see the man behind all this achievement and rivalry you can catch him at Brixton Academy on 30th April, 1 May and 2 May. Tickets available from www.seetickets.com.