Rating: NNN
Deadmau5 is one of the biggest names in club culture and largely responsible for electronic music’s recent surge in popularity. This makes him a lot of money, but also makes him a target for anyone who worries about the commercialization of underground club culture. The fact that he looks down on DJs (he doesn’t mix records himself) and is happy to give grumpy quotes to the press doesn’t earn him a lot of friends on the mainstream end of the business either.
This is important to take into account when reading reviews of Album Title Goes Here, since he’s often used as a symbol. His house-derived grooves don’t have a lot of the swing and soul that older heads crave, but they’re also not nearly as heavy-handed and macho as his haters claim. On the other hand, his sound is far more derivative than his fans would admit. On this album he dumps the brostep sound and, instead borrows some distorted disco riffs from Justice. He’s got a workmanlike talent, but the most groundbreaking thing about him is his massive popularity.
Top track: Maths
