Joel Zimmerman doesn’t like being called a DJ. The dance music phenomenon from Toronto, better known as deadmau5, rolls his eyes at the description which he sees as a hopelessly outdated way of describing what he does. His sets are closer to live performances as he assembles tracks on the fly using cutting edge computer technology including software that he’s helped to write himself. “There are no CDs involved,” he explains. “It’s a technological orgy up there and I try and keep it more my music than anyone else’s. If people come out to see deadmau5 I want them to hear deadmau5 music.”

Now firmly established as one of the most innovative and popular electronic live acts globally, Deadmau5 has had an outstanding year. His driving foresight is constantly pushing the technological boundaries of his stage show. In May 2010 he unveiled the visual orgy of the cube stage and his highly anticipated L.E.D ‘mau5ehead’. The year climaxed with a 17,000 capacity sell out show at London’s Earls Court. He is the first ever electronic artist to headline the legendary venue. Additionally the dancefloor icon’s multi award winning albums have seen him achieve that rare balance, appealing to both the clubbing cognoscenti and musical masses. 

When he tried to convince local recording studios that they needed to embrace computers at the turn of the millennium, no-one was interested. “They had an old school approach to recording music. They were really in denial about that kind of thing. It was rocket science to them. They didn’t get it.” Zimmerman did. Eventually he managed to convince a small studio in Toronto to let him install new technology and he helped to record numerous local bands.