“i fucking don’t. i really REALLY don’t.”
Mau5trap/Parlophone will release deadmau5’s ‘The Veldt’ EP’ on 25th June 2012. The electronic dance music titan is an artist that is constantly looking for innovative ways to push his craft forward. With this release he’s set another yardstick of what it is to be an artist in this socially networked age. The mau5 recently overhauled his studio in his home town of Toronto. Since the end of his gruelling North American tour he’s locked himself in and gone on a creative spree. Ever committed to his fan base, he has invested in a high tech setup so that he can Live Stream his writing / recording sessions and give fans a window into that process.
“Unlike the ancient, deadmau5 created the track live. The fans were ringside watching the creative process. This is a 180 from the bands a decade ago who claimed Napster was negligent in allowing their unfinished work to be exposed. Once again, Deadmau5 is using the tools to his advantage instead of being a Luddite resistance to change.” Bob Lefsetz
Over the weekend of 17th / 18th March during a 22 hour Live Streaming session, deadmau5 created a new track titled ‘The Veldt’ inspired by a short Sci-Fi story written by Ray Bradbury (check back page for Joel’s full blog post). He then uploaded it to his FML Soundcloud page for his fans to enjoy. At this time it was just an instrumental.
“I’m keen on short stories, since I lack the time to dip into a massive novel. And well, as some of you know, other peoples art, poetry, writting or otherwise can very easily juxtapose to your own craft, inspirring you to create your own personal extension or compliment to the work…hence the track itself…anyway, after being inspired, I felt…man, I’d really like to create a soundtrack to this…a somewhat melancholic yet uplifting audio image of kids bestowed with insane technology which enables them to conjure up any setting or any thing they desire… which in this case, as children sometimes wish their parents were dead by an unfounded retaliation to being disciplined. what a great story, I figured.” deadmau5
The next day he found that his fans were tweeting him about a vocal version on Soundcloud. He didn’t react to their tweets initially as he gets so many submissions, but the volume of messages was such that he gave in and decided to check out what all the fuss was about. The fan had taken his comments on board and based his lyrics on the short story. When deadmau5 heard the fan’s version he was totally blown away. This has all been caught on video during the Live Stream.
“He righteously did his homework, and came up with just a few bang on verses that completely compliment the story and the mood, which is all i ever want from a song that contained lyrical content. Can’t give him props enough.” deadmau5
deadmau5 then messaged the vocalist, Chris James, that he was going to officially release it with his vocals (again all on his Live Stream). A short while later he got his manager and Chris on the phone to work out the details and asked him to add another verse. Again all captured on the live stream for his fans to see as it unfolded.
‘The Veldt’ will be the lead track on ‘The Veldt EP’. The EP will include another new track, ‘Failbait’, featuring hip hop legends Cypress Hill, as well as a few key remixes of ‘The Veldt’. Details T.B.C. shortly.
‘The Veldt EP’ is the first in a series of EPs from deadmau5 to be released over the coming months. These will be compiled into an album later in the year.
deadmau5’s full blog post on… Collaborations, Songwritting and the like…
http://deadmau5.tumblr.com/post/19570452553/collaborations-songwritting-and-the-like
“So, i’ve had a revelation these past couple of days, and i really feel the need to draw attention to the results here.
There’s a perfectly valid reason why i dont usually enjoy the idea of a “collaboration” … allthough you can rest assure whatever collaborations i have done in the past were the results of stuff im totally into, like Flipside, the Foo’s, Cyprus Hill, etc.
All to often, there’s an influx of “big names” that would get thrown around the label from time to time and of course, they fly off the table and out the fuckin door faster than they hit my desk. eg. do you want to do a track with big name X, remix huge pop act y, etc etc.
no. i fucking don’t. i really REALLY don’t.
im passionate about music, engineering said music, and especially art… at least i certainly feel that i am. And the last thing i want to do… is take the meanings and feelings of a piece of music and have some fucking dipshit blab about lookin sexy, poppin bottles, “droppin bass”, or ANYTHING club related. which fortunately for the world *rolls eyes* makes up for 99% of the “electronic music” fad that’s apparently considered mainstream now.
Obviously, this little rant was mainly inspired by “the veldt”.. which i read a couple weeks ago. Im keen on short stories, since i lack the time to dip into a massive novel. And well, as some of you know, other peoples art, poetry, writting or otherwise can very easily juxtapose to your own craft, inspirring you to create your own personal extension or compliment to the work… hence the track itself.
for those of you familiar with the story, check it out here: http://www.veddma.com/veddma/Veldt.htm
anyway, after being inspired, i felt… man, i’d really like to create a soundtrack to this.. a somewhat melancholic yet uplifting audio image of kids bestowed with insane technology which enables them to conjure up any setting or any thing they desire… which in this case, as children sometimes wish their parents were dead by an unfounded retaliation to being disciplined.
what a great story, i figured.
so, the melodies done… and a vocal really was optional at that point, wasnt too concerned about it. However, the electronic music community needs more people like Chris James, who i actually just randomly stumbled on via twitter, pretty insane.
he had posted a link claiming he did a vocal to the track ive uploaded on soundclud, ill be honest, i *do* check demos out from time to time… but not nearly as often as they come in… for whatever reason, i took a shot and checked it out… i was fucking nearly in tears. Not because i think he’s the best singer in the world… but because HE FUCKING GOT IT. TOTALLY and COMPLETELY got it.
i had previously stated on the demo that the song was loosely connected to the short story i read… the kid went and read the story, and did what i did. His verses are connected to me in that way, this track is pure. This is how inspiration is supposed to work. Even before hitting the play button on his soundcloud, i almost wanted to roll my eyes waiting for the first verse to have a mention about his last breakup, or this other bitch he thinks is hot, or how he was on his way to a club, or just how warm and fuzzy he felt about THA BEAT (or ‘tha bass’ for that mater).
fuck all that.
he righteously did his homework, and came up with just a few bang on verses that completely compliment the story and the mood, which is all i ever want from a song that contained lyrical content. Can’t give him props enough.
The moral of the story is here, is that this is what songwritting should be about. Music is meant to provoke feeling and thought. So if we were to go by popular music, we should all be thinking how sexy we are and we know it, or how our hands should be contstantly up in the air… or maybe we should drop that bass because itss too fucking heavy to lift or whatever the fucking problem with bass is these days.”
The Veldt EP is released 25th June 2012
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