Deadmau5 Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Deadmau5
Deadmau5 performing at Belknap Park of Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Joel Thomas Zimmerman
Also known as	Halcyon441 Karma K Testpilot
Born	(1981-01-05) January 5, 1981 (age 44) Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Progressive house electro house electronic
Occupation(s)	Record producer DJ
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Mau5trap Virgin EMI Ultra Astralwerks Ministry of Sound SongBird Play Virgin Parlophone

Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known as deadmau5 (pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ. He is famous for wearing custom mouse-head helmets during his shows. Deadmau5 has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards for his music.

He mostly creates progressive house and electro house music. But he also makes other types of electronic music, sometimes under the name Testpilot. Deadmau5 has worked with many other artists like Wolfgang Gartner and Rob Swire. In 2007, he started his own record label called Mau5trap. He also formed music groups like Kx5 with Kaskade and Rezzmau5 with Rezz. Deadmau5 is one of the highest-paid electronic music producers in the world.

Deadmau5 became well-known with his 2008 album Random Album Title. This album included popular songs like "Faxing Berlin" and "I Remember" (with Kaskade). In 2009, he released For Lack of a Better Name, which featured "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" and "Strobe". His 2010 album, 4×4=12, had hits like "Sofi Needs a Ladder" and "Raise Your Weapon".

In 2012, he released singles "The Veldt" and "Professional Griefers" (with Gerard Way). These songs were on his album Album Title Goes Here. In 2014, he released his seventh album, While(1<2). After a short break, his eighth album, W:/2016Album/, came out in 2016. He also created the music for the 2019 film Polar. More recently, he released songs like "Pomegranate" in 2020 and "Hypnocurrency" with Rezz in 2021.

Early Life and the Mau5head
Music Career Highlights
Video Game Appearances
Images for kids
Discography
Awards and Nominations
See also

Early Life and the Mau5head

Joel Zimmerman was born on January 5, 1981, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. His mom is an artist, and his dad worked at General Motors. He got his first keyboard as a teenager. His music journey began in the late 1990s, making music influenced by old computer sounds.

Zimmerman graduated from Westlane Secondary School. He used to work as a programmer. He got the name Deadmau5 because he found a dead mouse inside his computer! He tried to use "Deadmouse" online, but it was too long, so he changed the "s" to a "5". This is a type of internet slang called leet.

He created his famous "mau5head" logo while learning 3D modeling software. The mau5head comes in many colors and designs and is on most of his album covers. A friend gave him the idea to wear a helmet based on the logo. Deadmau5 wants his logo to be a well-known symbol. Fans often wear their own mau5heads to his concerts.

Music Career Highlights

Early Releases and First Albums

In 2000, Joel Zimmerman released a song called "I Don't Want No Other" with Derek Caesar. His first album, Get Scraped, came out in 2005. He also released other collections of songs, like Project 56, in 2006.

In 2006, he released his second album, Vexillology. In 2007, he started his own music label, Mau5trap. This label helped release his 2008 album, Random Album Title, which included his song "I Remember" with Kaskade.

Big Hits and MTV Appearances

In 2009, his album For Lack of a Better Name was released. It featured two of his most famous songs: "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (with Rob Swire) and "Strobe".

MTV chose Deadmau5 as the main DJ for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. He performed with artists like Jason Derulo. His song "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" was even used in the TV show Jersey Shore.

His fifth album, 4×4=12, came out in late 2010. It included songs like "Some Chords" and "Raise Your Weapon". Deadmau5 even made a small appearance in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation where his song "Some Chords" was featured.

New Albums and Collaborations

In 2012, Deadmau5 released his sixth album, Album Title Goes Here. This album had popular songs like "The Veldt" and "Professional Griefers" (with Gerard Way).

In 2014, he announced his new album, While(1<2). It was a big album with 25 tracks. After a short break from music, he released his eighth album, W:/2016Album/, in 2016.

In 2017, Deadmau5 released Stuff I Used to Do, a collection of his older music from 1998 to 2007. He also started a concert tour called "Lots of Shows in a Row" with his new "Cube 2.1" stage. In 2018, he released Where's the Drop?, an album with orchestral versions of his songs. He also created the music for the Netflix film Polar.

Recent Projects and Awards

In 2020, Deadmau5 released the song "Pomegranate" with The Neptunes. He also worked with Kiesza on "Bridged by a Lightwave". In 2021, he teamed up with Rezz to release "Hypnocurrency" and formed the group Rezzmau5. He also released "When the Summer Dies" with Lights.

In 2022, Deadmau5 and Kaskade announced a new project called Kx5. Their first song, "Escape", came out in March. They performed a huge concert in Los Angeles for 50,000 fans. Their first album, Kx5, was released in March 2023.

In April 2023, Deadmau5 performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. In March 2024, he received the Legend Award at the Electronic Dance Music Awards. He continues to release new music, including "Quezacotl" and "Wet" (under his Testpilot name) in 2024.

Video Game Appearances

Deadmau5 has appeared in several video games:

He is a playable character in DJ Hero 2 (2010). The game features his music, including a mix of "Ghosts 'n' Stuff".
He is a secret character in Goat Simulator (2014) as "deadgoa7".
His music is in Dota 2, a popular video game.
In the mobile game Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff, Deadmau5 was a character you could buy.
His helmet is an accessory in the car soccer game Rocket League.
"Ghosts 'n' Stuff" is a mixable song in the 2020 game Fuser.
His Minecraft account has special ears linked to his username.
In May 2020, he performed a concert in Fortnite: Battle Royale to celebrate a new game mode.
In November 2024, he worked with the mobile game World of Tanks Blitz, adding Deadmau5-themed tanks and releasing a new song called "Familiars" through the game.