Dead Mouse Singing

Apart from the surprise drops (bass-heavy beats in a harmonic melody), Deadmau5 gigs are known most for their visual delights. He gets on stage wearing his signature oversized, glowing Mickey Mouse headgear and his fans reciprocate with similar “mau5heads”. The LED screens and the trippy visuals make his gigs YouTube bestsellers. About his performances in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, he says “I would like to keep the set list under wraps. That is one way of giving the audience a pleasant surprise but, you know the hits, and most, if not all, should be a part of it.”

Rumour is that when the DJ was in his teens, he found a dead rat in his computer, and began being teased by his friends as the “dead mouse” guy. When he debuted in the EDM scene in 2005, the story of the dead rat stayed with him. “When I was in my teens, I didn’t go out much and just worked in the studio. We have a great clubbing culture in Toronto and I’ve listened to so much music. That’s where it began for me,” he says.

In 2008, the EDM world took notice of this reticent, geeky DJ who was producing tracks that broke all the rules and even had the non-EDM crowds give him a chance. When he released Ghosts and stuff in the same year, the next big thing had clearly arrived. “I am still attempting to get used to the fame, but it’s fun to be recognised, and even more fun to be able to travel around the world,” he says. A year later, he released his hit album For Lack of a Better Name that included his second hit, the progressive-ambient single Strobe.

A fair share of controversies have also kept Deadmau5 in the news – from posting a harsh tweet about pop star Madonna to randomly deleting tons of music from his Sound Cloud account last year. As far as the future is concerned, he says, “I am collaborating with Boards of Canada (a Scottish EDM duo), since they have a great sound. Or Autechre (electronic music duo) from Germany. While travelling through India, I would like to meet DJs and go club hopping. I also want to meet percussionist Trilok Gurtu.”

Also, he wants to “ride an elephant in India”.

Deadmau5 will perform at Buddh International Circuit, Delhi, on March 16. Tickets: Rs 3,750 to Rs 6,000, can be bought on http://www.bookmyshow.com

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