4x4=12

Deadmau5, one of the new millennium’s most successful DJs

Joel Thomas Zimmerman who is turning thirty early next year is known as Deadmau5 to club audiences and is one of the new millennium’s most successful DJs. His music is characterized with a traditional approach – he uses practically no modern technologies such as auto-tune, and all of his works are examples of classic house which made millions of people fond of dancing fall in love with it. People on Ibiza, in New-York and Great Britain are always ready to have a good time with Deadmau5’s sets, and there are a lot of hits among his works. Zimmerman released his debut disc Random Album Title in 2008, then the integral, one hour long set For Lack Of A Better Name followed. Besides, Deadmau5’s discography includes one compilation, It Sounds Like, also released last year, and some digital releases and mixes. This winter, after several delays, his third studio album 4x4=12 is released; it is recorded in the best house music traditions and offers a few potential hits.

A dance marathon 4x4=12

The 4x4=12’s eleven lengthy tracks last more than an hour and a quarter, and one can easily make sure how well Deadmau5 knows his craft during the time. The album opens with the first single Some Chords in which the pulsating beat traditionally acquires more and more new sound layers. Two pieces featuring the songstress SOFI, the second single Sofi Needs A Ladder and the resilient electronic track One Trick Pony are both quite contagious things with a good vocal part in the first case and a female rapping the second one; they will definitely become hits and be heard everywhere it is possible to dance. Such tracks as A City In Florida, I Said (Michael Woods Remix) with Chris Lake’s voice and the longest one, Cthulhu Sleeps (almost eleven minutes) sound a bit monotonous compared to the more unusual Bad Selection. The number starts with slow drums and turns into a furious dance marathon constantly gaining momentum throughout its five and a half minutes. Another highlight is the Wolfgang Gartner collaboration Animal Rights. A rustling beat, a contrasting tuning making a simple and catchy tune – these are the things necessary to make a dance hit. The synthetic composition Right This Second is probably the most progressive and futuristic on the album, one will surely not be bored while listening to it. The keyboards opening and closing Raise Your Weapon featuring Greta Svabo Bech contrast with the heavy electronic middle, and only the vocals make it somewhat lighter. The album closes with a beautiful composition Everything Before comprising the 1980s electronic masterpieces and a nice house beat.

A light sound easy to apprehend and juxtaposition of various beats

Any DJ’s goal is to create the appropriate atmosphere for people who have come to club to forget all about their problems and just dance. The Canadian Deadmau5 does it really well, taking into account that he often wears a stylized mouse head during his live performances. The minimal electronic effect quantity and maximum of the bright contagious beat is the basic formula of most of his works, and the album 4x4=12 is no exception. One can never say that this record is overloaded with sounds, noises and samples as it often happens in the contemporary DJs’ works. On the contrary, Deadmau5 has once again managed to find the perfect balance between a light sound easy to apprehend and juxtaposition of various beats. Even at such moments as Raise Your Weapon, the most ponderous number on the record, the DJ has found a way to equalize the system with ethereal keyboards. On the whole, 4x4=12 confirms once again that Deadmau5 creates great dance sets in which electronic music fans will also find a lot of interesting things for them.