deadmau5 needs no introduction, so let’s just get right to it. To celebrate his 40th birthday today, relive the magic of five of his most iconic tracks below.
“STROBE”
“Strobe” is one of those songs that—when played—brings time to a standstill. When deadmau5 drops it at his shows, everyone stops what they’re doing, closes their eyes, and enjoys the moment. A generational anthem, “Strobe” influenced electronic music as we know it and remains crystallized in EDM lore as one of its most storied tracks.
“GHOSTS ‘N’ STUFF”
What would this list be without “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff,” one of the biggest and most inescapable hits deadmau5 has ever produced? The second those organs hit, you know what’s about to go down. From the booming, industrial kicks to Rob Swire‘s stentorian vocal performance, every sonic element of the track is iconic.
“RAISE YOUR WEAPON”
A masterclass in electronic music production, “Raise Your Weapon” is one of EDM’s true crown jewels. It is versatility at its finest. Greta Svabo Bech‘s languid vocals serenade deadmau5’s signature melancholic chords before the arrangement cranes into a deep house rhythm. And deadmau5 fans know what happens next—a mind-melting dubstep drop that influenced the genre forever.
“I REMEMBER”
deadmau5’s 2008 collaboration with Kaskade has stood the test of time as one of the most memorable in his discography. Led by Haley Gibby‘s spellbinding vocals, which have a numbing effect on the brain, the track’s deep, hypnotic sound design served as a welcome respite among the pounding music of the late 2000s rave scene.
“MATHS”
deadmau5’s catalog is a grab bag of anthems and there are many other songs to include here, such as “Faxing Berlin” or “Snowcone.” But “Maths” is a vastly underrated and ageless track. A banger of galactic proportions and a staple in his DJ sets to this day, the electro house banger plunges listeners to the center of a frenzied game of Tetris.
WISH DEADMAU5 A HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
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