Deadmau5 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Deadmau5
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Deadmau5 performing at Belknap Park of Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2023
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joel Thomas Zimmerman |
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| Born | January 5, 1981 Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
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Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known as deadmau5 (pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian music producer and DJ. He creates electronic music, especially progressive house and electro house. He also makes techno music under the name Testpilot. Deadmau5 is famous for wearing a special helmet that looks like a mouse head when he performs. He has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards and has won four Juno Awards for his music.
Zimmerman has worked with many other artists like Wolfgang Gartner and Kaskade. He also started his own record label called Mau5trap in 2007. Deadmau5 is one of the highest-paid electronic music producers in the world.
He 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, his album For Lack of a Better Name was released. It featured hits like "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" and "Strobe". His 2010 album 4×4=12 had songs such as "Some Chords" and "Raise Your Weapon".
Later, in 2012, he released singles like "The Veldt" and "Professional Griefers". These were part of his album Album Title Goes Here. In 2014, he released While(1<2). After a short break, his album W:/2016Album/ came out in 2016. He also created the music for the 2019 movie Polar. More recently, he has released songs like "Pomegranate" (with the Neptunes) and "Bridged by a Lightwave" (featuring Kiesza).
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Early life and the "Mau5head"
Joel Thomas Zimmerman was born on January 5, 1981, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. His mother, Nancy, is an artist, and his father, Rodney, worked at General Motors. Joel received his first keyboard as a teenager.
He finished high school at Westlane Secondary School. Then, he worked as a programmer for an online music company. The name "Deadmau5" came from a funny incident. While he was chatting online, his computer suddenly turned off. When he opened it up, he found a dead mouse inside that had chewed some wires! His friends started calling him the "dead mouse guy." When he tried to use "Deadmouse" as a name in an online chat room, it was too long. So, he shortened it to "Deadmau5." The "5" instead of an "s" is a type of internet slang.
Joel started making music in his mom's basement in Niagara Falls. Later, he moved to a small apartment in Toronto.
Music career highlights
Early music and first albums
Zimmerman began his music journey in the late 1990s. He was inspired by early computer music styles. In 1999, while learning 3D modeling, he created the "Mau5head" logo. This mouse-head logo has appeared in many colors and designs. It is now on most of his album covers.
In 2000, Zimmerman and Derek Caesar formed a group called Dred and Karma. They released some early vinyl records. In 2005, Zimmerman released his first album, Get Scraped. Around this time, he also formed the duo BSOD with producer Steve Duda. Their song "This Is The Hook" became very popular in 2006.
In 2006, Zimmerman also released two collections of his older songs: Deadmau5 Circa 1998–2002 and A Little Oblique.
Starting Mau5trap and breakthrough success
In 2006, Zimmerman released his second album, Vexillology. In 2007, he started his own record label, Mau5trap. This label helped release his songs like "Faxing Berlin" and his 2008 album Random Album Title. This album included "I Remember" with Kaskade, which became a number one hit on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart. Random Album Title also won a Juno Award.
In 2008, Deadmau5 started wearing his famous mouse-head helmet during performances. This idea came from his friend, Jay Gordon. That same year, his song "All U Ever Want" with Billy Newton-Davis also won a Juno Award. He also received his first Grammy nomination for a remix.
Popular albums and stage shows
On September 22, 2009, Deadmau5 released For Lack of a Better Name. The song "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" became a number one hit. Another song, "Strobe", was highly praised by critics and fans. Billboard Dance later called "Strobe" Deadmau5's best song ever. This album also won a Juno Award in 2010.
In April 2010, Deadmau5 showed off his "Cube" stage at the Coachella music festival. He was also the house DJ for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.
His fifth album, 4×4=12, came out on December 7, 2010. The title refers to a funny mistake he made online, saying that four banks of four "equals 12" instead of 16. Songs like "Sofi Needs a Ladder" from this album won a Juno Award. 4×4=12 was also nominated for a Grammy. A song from the album, "Some Chords," was even featured on the TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
New music and collaborations
In 2012, Deadmau5's sixth album, Album Title Goes Here, was released. It included popular songs like "The Veldt" and "Professional Griefers". Both songs were named among the best of 2012 by music magazines. This album was also nominated for a Grammy.
In 2013, Deadmau5 left his long-time record label and signed with Astralwerks. He said he found a place that understood his music.
In March 2014, he officially launched his techno music project called 'Testpilot'. Later that year, he announced his seventh album, While(1<2), which had 25 tracks. It was released on June 17, 2014, and was nominated for a Grammy.
Taking a break and returning
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In 2015, Deadmau5 created music for the video game Dota 2. He also performed at the game's big competition, The International 5. In October 2015, he announced he would be fully independent with his own label, Mau5trap.
In December 2015, he took a break from social media. He later explained that he was dealing with depression and would return to music after the new year.
On May 27, 2016, he released "Snowcone", his first new song in almost two years. This was the first single from his next album, W:/2016Album/, which was released on December 2, 2016.
Recent projects and awards
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In 2017, Deadmau5 released Stuff I Used to Do, a collection of his older songs 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 March 2018, he released Where's the Drop?, an album with orchestral versions of his music.
He also started a series of EPs (smaller albums) called Mau5ville: Level 1, Mau5ville: Level 2, and Mau5ville: Level 3. These EPs featured collaborations with other artists like Rob Swire and Lights. In 2019, he released the soundtrack for the Netflix movie Polar.
In 2020, he released "Pomegranate" with The Neptunes and "Bridged by a Lightwave" with Kiesza. In 2021, he teamed up with Rezz to form the supergroup Rezzmau5. He also released "When the Summer Dies" with Lights and "Hyperlandia" with Foster The People.
In 2022, Deadmau5 and Kaskade announced a new project called Kx5. Their first song, "Escape," came out on March 11. In December, they performed for a huge crowd of 50,000 people in Los Angeles. Their first album, Kx5, was released on March 17, 2023. Deadmau5 also performed at the Coachella music festival in April 2023.
In March 2024, Deadmau5 received the Legend Award at the Electronic Dance Music Awards. In June 2024, he was inducted into the Music Industry Hall of Fame at Canadian Music Week. He released new music under his Testpilot name in July 2024, including the "Some EP." In November 2024, he released another four-track EP. In December 2024, he worked with the game World of Tanks Blitz to release the song "Familiars." In January 2025, he released "Jupiter" and "Endless" with Irish producer Rebūke. In March 2025, his music catalog was acquired by Create Music Group.
Video game appearances
Deadmau5 has appeared in several video games. He is a playable character in the 2010 game DJ Hero 2. His music, like "Ghosts 'n' Stuff," has been featured in games such as Dota 2 and Fuser. In the mobile game Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff, Deadmau5 was a character you could buy.
His helmet has also appeared as an accessory in the game Rocket League. In Minecraft, Deadmau5's account has special ears that are linked to his username. In May 2020, he performed a virtual concert in Fortnite: Battle Royale to celebrate a new game mode.
In November 2024, he collaborated with the mobile game World of Tanks Blitz, adding Deadmau5-themed tanks and quests. In 2025, Deadmau5 and Oberhasli Studios released the video game "Meowingtons Simulator," where players control his cat, Meowingtons.
Personal life
In September 2012, Joel Zimmerman started dating tattoo artist Kat Von D. They got engaged in December 2012 but ended their engagement in June 2013.
In 2014, Zimmerman bought a home in Milton, Ontario, Canada. On August 12, 2017, he married Kelly Fedoni. They separated in June 2021.
Legal disputes
Disney trademark dispute
In 2014, Disney filed a request to investigate Deadmau5's application to trademark his Mau5head logo. Disney said the logo looked too much like Mickey Mouse's head and ears. Deadmau5 argued that people wouldn't confuse an electronic musician with a cartoon mouse. He also pointed out that Disney had used his song "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" in a Mickey Mouse video without his permission.
In June 2015, Deadmau5's lawyer announced that he and Disney had "amicably resolved their dispute." This means they worked out their differences in a friendly way.
Meowingtons trademark dispute
In 2015, Deadmau5 tried to trademark the name of his pet cat, Professor Meowingtons. He had adopted the cat in 2010 and used its name for some of his merchandise. However, his request was rejected because an online store already had a trademark for "Meowingtons" since 2014. This store sold cat-themed items.
Deadmau5 tried to resolve the issue, but in March 2017, the owner of the website sued him. Deadmau5 then filed his own lawsuit. In March 2018, they both resolved their dispute. Professor Meowingtons passed away in 2023 at the age of 16.
Discography
Studio albums
- Get Scraped (2005)
- Vexillology (2006)
- Random Album Title (2008)
- For Lack of a Better Name (2009)
- 4×4=12 (2010)
- Album Title Goes Here (2012)
- While(1<2) (2014)
- W:/2016Album/ (2016)
Collaborative studio albums
- Kx5 (with Kaskade as Kx5) (2023)
Awards and nominations
See also
In Spanish: Deadmau5 para niños
- List of ambient music artists
