| Childhood Revisited Pt. 2: deadmau5 (100 - 1) |
| 100 |  | Deadmau5
While(1
Coelacanth I/II – 6/10: Two ambient pieces that are essentially different sides of the same coin. They work best as transitional moments on While, but they can work as okay doses of isolated atmospheres if that’s what you’re into. |
| 99 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Monday – 6/10: A rather nihilistic While cut that borrows quite a bit in concept from “Careless” of deadmau5’s early work. This isn’t a bad rendition of that attitude by any means as it captures that familiar sense of daily struggle decently. There’s not a ton of significance in this lined up to Joel’s other works, but it works for what it is. |
| 98 |  | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
GG - 6/10: It’s your signature 8 and a half minute house banger with a good detail for texture. It’s certainly not among his best, but it’s at least the kind of quality you’d expect out of Joel at this point in his career. |
| 97 |  | Deadmau5
W:/2016ALBUM/
Deus Ex Machina – 6/10: Another W:/2016ALBUM/ cut that grew on me pretty significantly since first listen. This is a more minimal house number than what the rest of the album often presented with a consistently low-key bass synth presence and barrages of sound effects that basically come straight out of a sci-fi horror movie. Not bad at all. |
| 96 |  | Deadmau5
4x4=12
I Said (Michael Woods Remix) – 6/10: Probably one of the only outsourced remixes that qualify for the list because it’s easily the most well-known addition on the track and was the sole version of the song to be added on 4x4=12. With that out of the way, I’d say that this is a pretty well-done remix. It’s atmosphere is complimented well with the surrounding textures and it makes good use of many subtle effects through the track. While it’s not one of my favorites in Joel’s discography, it’s interesting to hear him claim this as one of his favorites in an older interview. |
| 95 |  | Deadmau5
For Lack of a Better Name
For the Lack of a Better Name – 6/10: I think this and “I Said” run together very clearly as a pair of majorly overlooked tracks that have a “marsh-like” vibe to them. For further elaboration, both songs kinda sound like an EDM representation of trudging through a swamp with murky synth patterns and effect blemishes that sound like bullfrogs or insects depending on the said effect. This particular track has a very slight edge for its string section, but I still wouldn’t say either are classics. |
| 94 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
The Reward is Cheese - 6/10: A fairly decent clubby banger with nice grooves and a production style that fits its sound quite well. I can see why this is one of Joel’s more popular tracks that never made it past the single stage. |
| 93 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Gula – 6/10: This is basically an improved version of “Acedia”. The heavily contrasting passages are still there. I definitely prefer the individual passages on this track even with the rehash of the “Avaritia” synth lead making a quick drop-by. |
| 92 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Somewhere Up Here – 6/10: Yeah, the instrumentation sounds cheaply produced and a little tacky, but there’s a charm to its sound I can’t really deny. It’s an especially nice fit for the album it’s on. There’s not much like it on the rest of the record while keeping a consistent textural value. That part of it I appreciated quite a bit. |
| 91 |  | Deadmau5
Polar (Music From the Netflix Film)
End - 6/10: This is just “Somewhere Up Here” in a more ambient context matching the soundtrack it’s on. It’s still pretty decent; not much more to be said than that. |
| 90 |  | Deadmau5
Get Scraped
Overdraft – 6/10: An older IDM number that has a nice, driving beat with glossy space synths and the occasional piano break. It’s mid-tier Get Scraped material. It’s put at a pretty decent degree of regard considering there aren’t many deadmau5 IDM bangers that pay as close attention to how its atmosphere works out. |
| 89 | | Deadmau5
W:/2016ALBUM/
Cat Thruster – 6/10: If you imagined a quirkier synthfunk version of an instrumental “Seeya”, this is probably what you’d come up with. It goes as one would expect it to even if the wind chimes and harp appearances are pleasant surprises. However, I feel like stripping away the vocals for such a straightforward track leaves its sound a little limited, but it’s a decent daytime jam. |
| 88 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Invidia – 6/10: A chilling piano piece captures note emphases very well and is a generally nice-sounding composition. Maybe it’s a little over-the-top and straightforward, but I think it fits the album decently enough. |
| 87 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Secrets (ft. Melleefresh) – 6/10: Finally! The last time I have to talk about this collaboration. However, their best work isn’t even an original song, but rather a remix of the aforementioned “Whispers”. I believe the remix straight-up improves on that track in both the production and mixing department. The best is loud and bopping while Melleefresh is still given a chance to belt out the song’s vocal sample effectively. |
| 86 | | Deadmau5
4x4=12
Some Chords – 6/10: Probably a top 10 deadmau5 song in terms of popularity, I think a lot of its success has to do with it sounding like a faithful continuation of “Ghosts N’ Stuff” with more progressive undertones. It’s not a bad song and it sets the scene for 4x4=12 really well, but part of its issues overlap those of 4x4=12 as an album, and it’s that it relied on too many now-abandoned EDM effects that infested the scene at the time. I’m glad that this was organized as well as it was to save it from the depths of mediocrity, I even think there were 4x4 tracks that pulled many of these sounds off in a manner that made more sense. |
| 85 | | Deadmau5
Get Scraped
Careless (Acoustic Version) – 6/10: While I prefer the additional EDM touches on the original song to a straightforward piano version, I really appreciate how the live-setting production is used here to give it enough distinction from the original “Careless”’s sound. Plus, you get the same dose of good ol’ nihilism if that’s what you’re looking for. |
| 84 |  | Deadmau5
mau5ville: Level 3
Polyphobia - 6/10: A version of “Monophobia” with a backbone beat more typical of deadmau5’s usual house stylings. It’s a pretty decent rendition of the track, but I kinda miss the endearing poppiness of the original cut even if some of that still exists in the keyboard melody. |
| 83 |  | Deadmau5
Stuff I Used To Do
Screen Door - 6/10: Probably Joel’s weirdest track. “Screen Door” is a humorous spoken word piece with a healthy amount of string sections and occasional IDM-heavy effects. I don’t have too much to say outside of the description other than that it’s a shockingly effective bop. Give this one a try if you wanna hear deadmau5 sampling a woman going on about the dangers of watching solar eclipses. |
| 82 | | Deadmau5
4x4=12
City In Florida – 6/10: A certified Jersey Shore type of club jam that you can effectively play at any party. The production on this particularly makes the main groove pop out, which makes it stand out at least considerably more than other clubby dance anthems of this style. It isn’t the most layered or textured EDM piece ever, but it’s good for what it’s meant to do. |
| 81 | | Deadmau5
W:/2016ALBUM/
Imaginary Friends – 6/10: If there was any track off of W:/2016ALBUM/ that make Joel sound like he never left the While days, this would be it. Instead of simply ripping off that sound, however, “Imaginary Friends” feels like a faithful recreation of its epic synth leads and its prominent bass synth passages. It’s not going to set a benchmark for Joel’s career, but it was a fair addition to the new LP. |
| 80 |  | Deadmau5
Random Album Title
So There I Was – 6/10: For as long as I’ve been listening to RAT and its closer, “So There I Was”, I only recently conjured an idea as to why this track feels so irrelevant considering it’s a debut album closer. I think that’s because many compare how it sends off RAT to how Strobe sends off FLoaBN, which it will obviously never live up to in a million years. I still feel a little bad for this song, though, as the bass synths provide fantastic texturing and the song’s pacing is very well done. I personally have issues with the melodic synth patterns being a little underwhelming, but that takes away only a little of what standing power I feel like this song has in Joel’s career. |
| 79 | | Deadmau5
Get Scraped
Sometimes I Fail – 6/10: Yeah, sometimes you do, but I wouldn’t say this Get Scraped cut was a fail at all. In fact, it’s a respectable breakbeat bop with production that held up much, much better than some of its similar-sounding peers over time. Like “Screen Door”, the humor factor also comes into good play with the vocal sampling. |
| 78 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Ira – 6/10: A chilling piano piece captures note emphases very well and is a generally nice-sounding composition. Maybe it’s a little over-the-top and straightforward, but I think it fits the album decently enough. [2] |
| 77 |  | Deadmau5
>album title goes here
Take care of the proper paperwork – 6/10: I get that a lot of ATGH songs get some flack, much of it deserved to a degree, but I disagree with the overall backlash against this particular cut. Not only is the production of the track an awesome throwback to deadmau5’s breakbeat days, but the only real issue I have with the song is that it sticks to one sound for far too long. It actually reminds me of a better “Right This Second” with the second half’s highly repetitive nature in both tracks. |
| 76 |  | Deadmau5
It Sounds Like
Everything After – 6/10: Basically an upgrade from “Everything Before” that brings together textures that make more sense to the track’s overall vibe. |
| 75 |  | Deadmau5
At Play 4
1891 - 6/10: Basically an upgrade from [“1981”] that brings together textures that make more sense to the track’s overall vibe. [2] |
| 74 | | Deadmau5
Get Scraped
Try Again – 6/10: A chaotic, yet somewhat beautiful glitch number that reminds me of these modern bedroom drum & bass producers that swim around RYM to get their projects noticed. Unlike most of their stuff, however, Joel kinda nailed it with the production on this one. Its replayability is kinda low, but it was nice to see Joel take this direction so successfully. |
| 73 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Stay (Drop the Poptart Edit) - 6/10: Okay, hear me out: the individual passages of this are gorgeous, there’s no denying that. However, let’s not kid ourselves, there is no excuse for this to be 13 and a half minutes long. The progression is far too basic in this song to justify that sort of length even if there are some moments here absolutely worth going back to. |
| 72 | | Deadmau5
Random Album Title
Not Exactly – 6/10: Ah, a RAT classic. Unfortunately nowadays, I don’t think it goes anywhere interesting enough to put it in a truly great status, but it’s certainly dripping with atmosphere. I feel like I’m in a giant museum when listening to this, gazing over all of the beautiful artifacts on display. A certified vibe, for sure. |
| 71 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Suckfest 9001 - 6/10: Yeah, the title’s dumb as hell, but how could you not dance to that groove? Everything’s so damn punchy and rich with it. I did find the melodic part in the middle to be a little generic for my taste, but that groove! Very nice stuff. |
| 70 |  | Deadmau5
mau5ville: Level 1
Monophobia - 6/10: Is it very, very cheesy? Yes. But not only does the mau5 sometimes like some good cheese, but he knows how to make some quality cheese as well. Even if it’s not all that great quality-wise, I’d say this is the best EDM pop hit he’s made since “Ghosts N’ Stuff” and one of the better hits of that type around (Not that he has a lot of competition, but it’s still a good feat to have under his belt). |
| 69 | | Deadmau5
W:/2016ALBUM/
Whelk Then – 6/10: Chill, more chill, and even more chill. Sometimes that’s all you need for a minimal house bop and we have just that right here and now. It has such a cool atmosphere, in fact, that it climbed its way onto the top of the song rankings for W:/2016ALBUM/. Very, very chill. |
| 68 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer – 6/10: Even if there is another track (which I’ll discuss later) that successfully expanded on the ideas this had set in place, “Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer” worked nicely as a lead single to While with a familiarly epic intro and undeniable dance groove. You’ve heard it all before on previous works, but you still can’t discount how well the track is made. |
| 67 | | Deadmau5
>album title goes here
Fn Pig – 6/10: It’s like an original version of “Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer” with its epic intro and strong emphasis on a funky main groove. The two go well in a pair, I suppose, especially if you dig that sound. |
| 66 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Porcelain – 6/10: Although the track provides sounds that are likely inspired by this song, it’s not a remix of Moby’s “Porcelain” that the situation would otherwise have you believe. This is a good little piece of downtempo stuff with heavy vocal effects and some fantastic production on hand. The lyrics and vocals are… not perfect, but it’s an admirable effort for something from the A Little Oblique project. |
| 65 | | Deadmau5
For Lack of a Better Name
The 16th Hour – 6/10: “The 16th hour” has problems with its pacing that are similar to “Not Exactly” in that it sticks to its sound for a little longer than it had the room for. However, it’s still a pretty good progressive house cut with very pretty instrumental breaks including string sections and climbing synth patterns. It’s at least a worthy “prelude”, if you could call it that, to the album closer that shall not be named… for now. |
| 64 | | Deadmau5
At Play 4
GH - 6/10: A quirky and fun high point of the At Play series that uses the same sampling as “Sometimes I Fail”. This is like Joel’s imagined progressive house version of that track, and I’m fairly happy with the way that turned out here. |
| 63 | | Deadmau5
Random Album Title
Slip – 6/10: This is essentially the song “Phantoms Can’t Hang” was trying to be. A groovy, catchy house number that fits squarely onto its respective album. The defining difference between the two, however, is that “Slip” plays around with its synth lead very effectively, occasionally adding distortion effects, layering effects, and more whereas “Phantoms Can’t Hang” lets its synth lead go stale quickly without much in terms of variation. Besides that rather silly comparison, this is a certified bop even without the deepest of textural layering or progression. |
| 62 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Coasted - 7/10: Now, we’re starting to get into the great stuff, and thankfully there’s quite a lot of it here as we start with my favorite single of the trio released recently. The vocal sample brings a nice modern edge to the overall sound and the production is especially nice this time around. It's a good little futuristic piece of EDM. |
| 61 |  | Deadmau5
At Play 2
R My Dreams (feat. Billy Newton-Davis) – 7/10: A groovy, hard-hitting remix of “All U Ever Want” that’s nearly as good as the original. Joel can knock it out of the park with his remixes sometimes, and, despite its apparent repetitive nature, this was certainly one of those moments. |
| 60 |  | Deadmau5
At Play 5
All U Ever Want (feat. Billy Newton-Davis) - 7/10: Another version of the previous remix with a more high-pitched synth lead. It’s quite difficult to bring a totally different vibe surrounding a track you’ve already remixed and do it correctly, but that’s exactly what was done here. In fact, it’s up to par with the remix on At Play Vol. 2. Very commendable stuff. |
| 59 |  | Deadmau5
At Play
Sex Lies Audiotape – 7/10: One of At Play’s best house bangers with a nice helping of trance. I’ll just let the quality speak for itself on this one. |
| 58 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Terrors in My Head – 7/10: Although the main groove is pretty minimal, there’s something about how everything comes together on this one that gets a good emotional resonance out of me on most listens. I’d say that this is comfortably in the top half of material on While, but I’ll also warn that this isn’t even the best version of the album’s homophone on the list... |
| 57 |  | Deadmau5
Vexillology
Fustercluck – 7/10: A strange track from the Vexillology days that uses a smooth mix of glitchy samples from the Get Scraped days and Joel’s established house sound. It’s quite the compelling dance track with good production and even better progression. |
| 56 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Bridged by a Lightwave (Original Mix) - 7/10: This claim might bewilder some die-hard “I Remember” fans, but I think this acts as a modern reimagination of the staple house anthem. Because Joel’s core sound has changed quite a bit over the near-decade between then and this song’s release, it was about time for another version of a repetitive, yet glamorous mix of electro house and vocal pop. The lyrics are admittedly not quite up to snuff, but I enjoy Kiesza’s performance a lot and Joel does a great building around the modern EDM sound he set up for this song specifically. |
| 55 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Hypnocurrency - 7/10: deadmau5’s newest single is an intriguing dive into midtempo bass with famed producer Rezz. It’s about as hypnotic as its title suggests with a good sense of restraint on the synths and excellent pacing. The 2nd pre-chorus also reminds me of Radiohead’s “Subterranean Homesick Alien” for some reason. Maybe it’s the synths. Great stuff, nonetheless. |
| 54 | | Deadmau5
Polar (Music From the Netflix Film)
Camilla - 7/10: This one was popping up all over deadmau5’s emotionally heavy playlists on YouTube, Spotify, you name it. The 8-bit background synths makes the track a little cornier than it really could’ve been, but the mixing and overall ambience of the track are nothing short of fantastic. Even with me not caring for those background synths, they somewhat help this song's inclusion into the unofficial “chillwave” genre, somewhere I never realized deadmau5 could easily dabbled in and succeed. |
| 53 | | Deadmau5
4x4=12
Animal Rights – 7/10: When you think “first exposure”, tracks like “Strobe”, “Ghosts N’ Stuff”, or “I Remember” should come to mind first, right? Not in this case! I was introduced to deadmau5 in late 2012 through the Skrillex Pandora radio station (God, that was so long ago) and this was the song that played. I was quickly hooked on how different and fleshed out this song’s sound was compared to what I was listening to at the time. To this day, it’s still a pretty great song and it’s probably Wolfgang Gartner’s best work as well. This’ll always hold a special place in my heart for sure. |
| 52 | | Deadmau5
Get Scraped
Satisfaction – 7/10: Although it’s obviously a take on Benny Benassi’s popular song of the same title, I’d argue that this is light years of a better rendition. Not only does it have great pacing, but it borrows from a ton of unexpected genres like Latin jazz, cool jazz, downtempo, and electro house. It’s a genuinely great package of all of that, and I’d highly recommend it if you dig any of it in an electronica setting. |
| 51 | | Deadmau5
Stuff I Used To Do
50 Something Cats - 7/10: Joel and his cats, man. He just can’t seem to have enough of them in his songs. This is a trippy and somewhat hilarious banger with samples of literal cat noises. Need I say more? |
| 50 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Rlyehs Lament – 7/10: A delightful little ambient techno piece that brings some glitch elements back from the Get Scraped days. The progression on this song is quite good as it’s pretty unpredictable what’ll come after each passage. It fits While very snuggly as well. |
| 49 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Pomegranate - 7/10: There’s no way I should like this as much as I do, added by the first verse’s relative mediocrity and some corny bars (“Melting like M&M’s”? Seriously?). Once you get past those points, this becomes a ridiculously good Summer jam. The unorthodox synth choices and how they interact with the bass licks throughout the tracks make for such a cool listen. The vocalist not only does a decent job technically, but he brings such a fitting performance to the instrumental at hand. I was really glad to hear this single work out far better than I anticipated. |
| 48 | | Deadmau5
Random Album Title
Alone With You – 7/10: As I referenced with “Brazil (2nd Edit)”, the growing pains on this track were about as long-winded. “Alone With You” was once an easily skippable track for me, but I now understand why many fans of the RAT days get as attached to this song as they do. The melodic synth layering throughout is very serene in its own right, which impressively keeps those qualities as the layering intensifies in the second half of the track. It might be a little long for its concept, but it’s definitely one of those deadmau5 house goodies worth checking out. |
| 47 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Silent Picture – 7/10: “Silent Picture” is one of the better acoustic pieces on While with its excellent production and wonderful mix of ambient electronic and guitar strums. There’s not much more to say about it than that, but it’s a very nice highlight of the calmer stuff on While. |
| 46 |  | Deadmau5
At Play 3
Templar – 7/10: A highly underrated At Play exclusive that throws together a surprising amount of exciting elements. We’ve got tribal percussion, subtle woodwind usage, and a jiving electronic beat to keep the house junkies satisfied. It may sound like a giant mess on paper, but it all comes together unbelievably fluently. If you haven’t heard any of the At Play stuff past the first volume, definitely check this out as its a total banger. |
| 45 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Caliox A – 7/10: Drummer’s bias is coming through a little bit, but this was probably my favorite track on A Little Oblique. The mixing on said drums, especially the toms, has such a satisfying “boom” to it. It almost sounds like a live performance with the added bonus of an electronic passage and some distorted guitar pedal effects. Not many people remember or know about this cut, but it’s one of my favorites from the pre-RAT days. |
| 44 | | Deadmau5
For Lack of a Better Name
Bot – 7/10: Yet another song that’s grown on me over time. This is one of those odd cases where the nature of the song title would make you think, “Ugh, this’ll sound robotic, won’t it? How boring is that?”. However, industrial electronic qualities and quirkiness make this song a bit of a standout on FLoaBN. The percussion and beat bring some great grooves, the pacing is carefully planned out, and the drops bring quality intensity without going over the top. This is an LP deep cut that doesn’t get as much appreciation from fans as I think it should. |
| 43 | | Deadmau5
Get Scraped
Intelstat – 7/10: It might feel never-ending, but some of that is “Intelstat”’s pure hypnotics at work. This Get Scraped cut has honestly aged much better than many of its peers and has stamped an identity in deadmau5’s catalogue as one of his only true trance numbers. It helps that the synth lead is hype, sounding like something you’d play during a high-speed boss battle or a speedrun. This always was and still is a Get Scraped highlight. |
| 42 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Are You Not Afraid (feat. Shotty Horroh) - 7/10: Going past Shotty’s verse, this production by deadmau5 can be described by his other collaboration with Shotty, “Legendary”. That mix of brostep, trip hop, and boom bap is so, so satisfying. Shotty’s performance, while not perfect, is pretty great and he delivers plenty of hilarious bars that definitely feel more intentional than the other single the collaboration did together. For sure a solid surprise from the boys. |
| 41 | | Deadmau5
At Play
Vanishing Point – 7/10: Sometimes your best ideas are your first ones, and that’s pretty much the case with “Vanishing Point”, a pretty great house tune. It’s got a pumping beat, wonderful bass synth work, and punchy production. I also appreciate the excellently constructed contrast between the melodic keyboards and organs versus the griminess of the bass synths. Although Joel didn’t use this large of a bass presence very often, this still sounds like a quintessential track from him, especially for fans going past his most popular stuff. |
| 40 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Ice Age (Feat. How to Destroy Angels) – 7/10: HtDA delivered one of the best vocal performances deadmau5 has ever worked with on “Ice Age”. While the instrumental has a sensory overload of NIN worship, Joel blends in that industrial style with his electro house approach quite nicely. He still keeps a lot of NIN’s rock-centered sound with the pair of acoustic and electric guitars in addition to his own glitchy drum work and extra synth effects. The intriguing part is that this is all part of what is essentially a ballad. Such a refreshing return to form on this sound after the disaster that was the “Survivalism” remix. |
| 39 | | Deadmau5
mau5ville: Level 3
Glivch - 7/10: The title’s pretty self-explanatory on this one. It’s a bit of an unusual song structure for Joel as it’s a continuous, soundtrack-y electronic adventure, but the textures on this are so captivating and rich. The song’s five minutes will be gone in no time with the trance it puts you in. Also, those subtle little hi-hats? Very, very good stuff. |
| 38 | | Deadmau5
Random Album Title
I Remember – 7/10: A song so iconic that it even beat out “Strobe” in song ranking at RYM. Although I wouldn’t agree with that assessment, it’s an undeniably great and even classic modern house banger. The production on this is nothing short of fantastic, especially for its time. The synths have just the right amount of fuzz to them and the vocal layering is absolutely on the money. The only real issue I’ve had with this song in all of my years with it is that it’s a little too redundant for its 10 minute runtime. Despite that, I would at least say that this is a worthy candidate for Joel’s most beloved song. |
| 37 | | Deadmau5
Get Scraped
Unspecial Effects – 7/10: Yes, deadmau5’s “Linkin Park” instrumental is actually quite great and is especially a standout among its glitchy friends on Get Scraped. That harpsichord intro will get constantly stuck in your head if you let it and those choppy little nu-metal guitar effects add so much personality. It’s short and sweet length also allows for nice and simple pacing. Definitely check this out if you’re a fan of older Linkin Park or nu-metal/electronic crossovers in general. |
| 36 | | Deadmau5
Polar (Music From the Netflix Film)
Midas Heel - 7/10: “Drama Free”’s instrumental if it underwent salvation, rose from the depths of Hell, and came back as the Messiah. I never realized how funky “panting” sound effects can make a song until I heard this, but here we are. The awesome production value here gracefully lets you forget everything that went wrong about Lights’s feature on the edited version. |
| 35 | | Deadmau5
Stuff I Used To Do
Obsidian - 7/10: A hypnotic trance cut from the Stuff I Used To Do collaboration. Perhaps the woodwind feature and constantly looping synth lead make the song a little too oddball for a proper club banger, but that’s kinda what I enjoy so much about it. It’s like an even more distinct and out-there “Intelstat”. Very cool of Joel to resurface this for the compilation. |
| 34 | | Deadmau5
For Lack of a Better Name
FML – 7/10: It’s about time we get to the actual “space laser drop” opener rather than all of its mediocre copycats. You know you’re in for a bit of a ride when an electro house album starts out with a live-setting snare pattern. A personal highlight is the second “verse” where the high-pitched synth lead takes over and dominates the show. The sci-fi vibes in this made younger me think that the title stood for “Fast Motion Lasers” when it absolutely does not. Still one of Joel’s better album openers out there. |
| 33 | | Deadmau5
For Lack of a Better Name
Ghosts n’ Stuff (Original Mix) – 7/10: And it finally arrived: “Ghosts N’ Stuff”. Joel’s most popular “casual” track would more or less be a major catapult for his rise to international stardom, and it’s definitely a good cut to choose for such an occasion. The production was top-notch at the time and, while the drum production specifically feels a little stale today, the organs, bass synths, and string sections sounds so rich and full of life here. I also have to designate the original mix for this position as the Rob Swire edit, while decent enough, doesn’t capture the same “haunted house” magic as the original. |
| 32 | | Deadmau5
4x4=12
Raise Your Weapon – 7/10: Between “I Remember”, “Ghosts N’ Stuff”, and now this, it seems that I’m just lining up all of Joel’s most iconic material at a time, but that’s kinda where we are on the list at this point. However, “Raise Your Weapon” is probably the biggest conundrum of a song on the entire list for me to describe. Is it kinda tacky? Yeah. Is it corny? Yep. Is it dated? A little, yeah. Despite all of those things, it still sounds like a near-perfect product of its time. With the infamous brostep transition, the amateurish yet passionate vocals, and the powerful catchiness of its lyrics, I still can’t help but massively enjoy this song for what it is. Maybe it didn’t technically withstand the test of time, but the aesthetics unique to its time heavily boosted its jamming ability even today. |
| 31 | | Deadmau5
mau5ville: Level 1
Nyquist - 7/10: Now you might be wondering, ‘How could a song simply based off a piano melody used in a couple of the While songs make it this high? That doesn’t sound very original.” Perhaps that’s the case, but the way Joel plays around this melody in such a short time is magnificent. The production’s completely spot-on here, and the background synths in the second half provide a surprising sense of uneasiness to match the melancholy of the piano melody. Beautiful song. |
| 30 | | Deadmau5
W:/2016ALBUM/
Snowcone – 7/10: The acclaimed hit single is my favorite track on W:/2016ALBUM/. A boring choice, I know, but when was the last time deadmau5 fans had a song so majorly agreed on as the best on its respective album? Anyways, this thing is a front-to-back bop with chilly synth patterns, old-school percussion style, and enough electronic finesse to make it deadmau5’s own. If there were any deadmau5 song I’d use as a hip-hop sample, this would have to be it, right? I’d think so. |
| 29 | | Deadmau5
Stuff I Used To Do
Messages from Nowhere - 7/10: Big, fat beat and a half. Definitely the best of its kind that deadmau5 has put his name to as the funkiness in this is just unreal. It’s obviously got quite a few influences worn on its sleeve, but Joel’s own twist on the sound makes it so refreshing to listen to. Wonderful stuff. |
| 28 | | Deadmau5
4x4=12
Cthulhu Sleeps – 7/10: A through and through house banger. This “monster”, while somewhat predictable, is insanely infectious with its bass synth power and sheer scale. I love the attention to detail at certain points in the second half where the bass synth sounds like it’s tired so the “wubbing” cracks for a few seconds to let it catch its breath. Of course, the siren breaks are awesome, too. One of Joel’s best “going hard” tracks, for sure. |
| 27 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Aural Psynapse – 7/10: So “Aural Synapse” used to be my favorite deadmau5 song for quite a long time. Obviously that’s no longer the case, but it’s still a wonderful house number that deserves all of the vast attention it got as a stand-alone single. This doesn’t go in any new directions in terms of production or overall sound, but it’s one of the finest examples of deadmau5’s staple electro house sound. Sky-high synth leads with masterful production and a driving main beat keep the fresh quality going. I don’t even think I understand how heavy the emotional throwback in this track is for me lol. |
| 26 | | Deadmau5
>album title goes here
The Veldt ft. Chris James (Original Mix) – 7/10: This still stands today as one of the great examples of deadmau5’s poppier side that came out in his more recent releases. The crazy thing is that nothing on “The Veldt” truly separates itself from anything else in terms of quality. It all flows together so well and sets up an atmosphere perfectly fitting for its fantastical yet bleak lyrical concept. Also impressive is the ability to keep the strange lyrical concept somewhat grounded and strayed away from unnecessary cheesiness. This was just another one of those uber-popular hits that deserved all the love it got. |
| 25 | | Deadmau5
It Sounds Like
Clockwork – 7/10: A behemoth of an older cut that’s all about atmosphere and setting. It’s like the instrumental to “I Remember” with an even more wondrous feel to the synth production. This makes me feel like I’m in the back of a clockmaker’s store, analyzing the woodwork finishes and designs as the synths build and build to epic proportions. Just like “I Remember”, perhaps it’s length comes with a slight detriment, but not enough to keep this out of my head after all of these years. |
| 24 | | Deadmau5
Get Scraped
Waking Up from the American Dream – 7/10: Oddly enough, both this and “Clockwork” made the top ten in a “Best deadmau5 Songs” list I did back in 2014. Even stranger is that I hardly see a difference in the quality of either song now; the only real difference is that I’ve grown to love better songs in areas I once didn’t notice them for. As for this track, it’s deservedly considered to be one of Joel’s best Get Scraped songs with its enthralling urban atmosphere and amazing synth work. Although I find its production a little hokey nowadays, I still won’t forget the piano entrance kicking off the second half. |
| 23 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Seeya (ft. Colleen D’ Agostino) – 8/10: Now we’re getting into some excellent material, starting out with a track that brings the funk. A solid performance from everyone here to make a radio-friendly track with plenty of layers to dissect. The lyrics are actually quite great, too, as they remind me of something out of a journal from a homebody in their young 20’s. It’s especially fitting to the song’s tone: dorky with a sufficient touch of bounce. |
| 22 | | Deadmau5
Vexillology
Orca – 8/10: At Play Vol. 2 had some real stinkers in its tracklisting; there’s no denying that. However, it also contains two songs that I’d say are up there with Joel’s best material. “Orca” is a strange, yet amazing house banger with a synth lead that just builds and builds. Not to mention the sweet production on those turntables later in the song. A must-listen for those that dig deadmau5’s progressive house sound. |
| 21 | | Deadmau5
While(1
A Moment to Myself – 8/10: One of deadmau5’s best mellow cuts that I’ve loved since before its official release on While. The glitch elements come together spectacularly in this song and the production is nothing short of fantastic, bringing along a bit of an emotional edge on the track. Not much more needs to be said about this piece. |
| 20 | | Deadmau5
For Lack of a Better Name
Soma – 8/10: “Bot”’s a great song, don’t get me wrong, but imagine if it had strong emotional payoffs. Obviously that’s not an exact description of “Soma”, but I see “Soma” as a melancholic and “sentient” version of “Bot”. Aside from the obvious piano breaks, that part in the second verse where the xylophone-sounding instrument climbs up and down its pitch is such an awesome individual moment, even on the whole of FLoaBN. A deep cut highlight on that album, for sure. |
| 19 | | Deadmau5
At Play 2
This Noise – 8/10: This definitely deserved to be on a full-length LP of some sort, because this is a top-notch house banger. I admittedly didn’t pay much attention to it when I was younger, but listening to this more and more recently made me love the hell out of it. The synth lead is colorful, it’s got magnificent progression and the break is indescribably good. Again, it’s a tragedy this was never on an LP or was never more well-known, but it totally deserved it. |
| 18 | | Deadmau5
Get Scraped
Careless (Original Mix) – 8/10: Yeah, the lyrics are all “woe is me” and needlessly cynical and whatever, but they’re such a perfect fit for a song like this with the reflective piano lead and broken, glitchy electronics. I’m still kinda shocked that this is the only song where Joel himself has lended a vocal performance (with autotune, granted). I can see why it became a favorite for those who preferred his ballads because the composition captured the self-depreciation and cynicism of the lyrics splendidly. |
| 17 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Errors in My Bread – 8/10: Adding to a top 5 deadmau5 song title is a splendid piece of electronica with a whole lot of that NIN touch found all over While. The way those synths spread across the track’s more intense parts is unbelievably satisfying and the production, once again, knocks it out of the park. I’m also extremely impressed with the way the ending was put together. You’d think having the mellow piano and harsh synths combine would make a complete mess, but they complement each other in a way I didn’t expect at all. |
| 16 | | Deadmau5
Polar (Music From the Netflix Film)
Cabin - 8/10: One thing I was definitely not expecting before listening to the Polar soundtrack stuff was that its opener would become my second favorite downtempo piece that Joel ever created. It’s one of the only songs on the soundtrack where I can’t really tell where it’s borrowing from, but even if I could, it still wouldn’t sound very much like anything Joel’s done. The best way to describe it is that it sounds like the theme to the most beautiful indie game you’ll ever play. If you couldn’t tell, I was pretty amazed by this one. |
| 15 | | Deadmau5
>album title goes here
Telemiscommunications (ft. Imogen Heap) – 8/10: The biggest turnaround of opinion in my time listening to deadmau5’s music was with “Telemiscommunications”. Like many old-school deadmau5 fans, I disliked this quite a lot for its janky flow and bizarre lyrics. I left it by the wayside for years, but coming back to this proved that a mistake. Maybe it’s because I finally grasp the song’s sentiment as an adult in daily work/home life rather than a teenager solely imagining such a life. Maybe it’s because I finally see how beautifully the offbeat production and vocal performance mix. Either way, it’s an amazing track that even indie pop fans will get a huge kick out of. |
| 14 | | Deadmau5
Stuff I Used To Do
HaxPigMeow - 8/10: I’m so glad this got an official release. It’s like all of the highlights of deadmau5’s high-energy, latest-career-stage moments all in one song. You could say that all this is is a 10 minute house banger and nothing more, and you’d be right. However, the attention to detail paid toward all the different synths and how they blended is astounding. I’d go as far as to say this is probably Joel’s best released song since the While days. Fantastical and awesome; what else is there to say? |
| 13 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Mercedes – 8/10: deadmau5 is often able to find a good sense of progression in his work. Sometimes that progression helps the track greatly. Exceptionally rare is it out of this world. That’s pretty much where “Mercedes” falls in terms of progression and overall pacing. This track is such a smooth banger that the 9 and a half minutes it takes to finish is never felt. The song isn’t without its easter eggs in the machine/engine samples to capture that type of “nighttime driving in an expensive car” mood. |
| 12 | | Deadmau5
Random Album Title
Sometimes, Things Get Whatever – 8/10: Where it all kicked off, and it got off to a helluva good start. This thing’s got a haunting atmosphere that’ll sneak up on you and grab your attention when you’re least expecting it. The robotic vocal samples are quite hypnotic and trancelike, yet again encouraging listener engagement. As well as the song’s made on a technical level, I’m still amazed at how easily this song can draw you in without ever feeling like it’s forcing such a reaction. |
| 11 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Saved - 8/10: “Saved” came at such an unexpected time (around the release of W:/2016ALBUM/), but it ended up being one of my favorite isolated singles from him.. Although its not the most complex or technically layered synth lead in his discography, it might be one of Joel’s best produced and built around. The song’s underlying effects and production elements are not only able to support its synth lead, but they also help it soar across the song with flying colors. That’s not to mention the song’s flexibility as an imaginative cosmic journey or a simple club banger. Truly the best of both worlds. |
| 10 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
Catbread - 8/10: We’re kicking off the top ten with a rather unusual inclusion. I call this “The Doorstopper Song” as it literally features a doorstopper spring sample as the bass synth. How Joel managed to write an entire song around that, I have no idea, but what’s even more puzzling is that it slaps this hard. That little keyboard/guitar riff loop works impeccably well with the doorstopper sample...somehow. It’s fairly simple in terms of structure: three verses and two breaks, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that it was one of the most replayable pieces deadmau5 has ever put his name to. |
| 9 | | Deadmau5
>album title goes here
There might be coffee – 8/10: This is considered a deep cut highlight amongst fans, and not only is it easy to see why that is, but I’d also wholeheartedly agree with them. That opening synth lead will always be an iconic progressive house moment along with those gorgeous reverbed synths on the verses. Young me listening to this looking out over an entire downtown city was certainly a special moment of music-inclined bliss. Far and away deadmau5’s best traditional house track on ATGH. |
| 8 | | Deadmau5
Random Album Title
Some Kind of Blue – 8/10: This is deadmau5’s most underrated song in his entire catalogue. The grimy darkness of “Some Kind of Blue” is still unmatched in Joel’s discography. So many of the track’s elements help elevate that status whether it be the offbeat percussion, the eerie bass synths, or the bellowed echoing during the breaks. What pushed it over the top for me was those damn insect sound effects on the last verse of the track. It reminded me of the Deepnest enemies in Hollow Knight where there’s hardly any visibility and you’re surrounded by malicious bugs in a cave. Good vibes. |
| 7 | | Deadmau5
It Sounds Like
Jaded – 8/10: That’s right, a song with a 30-second kick drum intro is an A-tier deadmau5 song. Just listen to the production, the textures, the progression…he kinda mastered it all here. And that ending is just beautiful. While it undeniably serves best as a beachy club house banger, it’s one of the best of its kind. It may borrow the groove from “Arguru” in more ways than one, but I’d rather see it as a diurnal contrast to “Arguru”’s nocturnal presence. Speaking of Arguru... |
| 6 | | Deadmau5
Random Album Title
Arguru (Original Mix) – 8/10: … It’s right here! If you couldn’t tell already by what I’ve said about “Jaded”, I seriously dig the interplay between the two songs. Whereas “Jaded” sits me on the shore of the most beautiful beach imaginable, “Arguru” is like travelling through a dimension of outer space that exists thousands of years in the future. Nothing much really needs to be said about the song itself; pretty much everything about it is excellent. I just wish Joel put the original version on RAT rather than the neutered string section version he put on the album. “Faxing Berlin” syndrome at it again. |
| 5 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Creep (Original Mix) – 8/10: I believe deadmau5 once said in an interview that Creep was his own favorite song, but I’m unsure of which version he referred to. Although the version is decent, it doesn’t capture the same rawness or steady focus on the main piano lick. This track is just gorgeous; just imagine a more expanded and emotionally visceral “A Moment to Myself”. Beautiful, beautiful, and beautiful, nothing more really needs to be said. Keep in mind that the “Original Mix” label is added because the album version is substantially different in production and song structure. Believe it or not, this is one of three songs in the top five that phenomenon occurs to. |
| 4 | | Deadmau5
Random Album Title
Faxing Berlin (Original Mix) – 9/10: As much as Joel can say he dislikes this song and its cowbell, I still consider this a career benchmark especially for the RAT days. Once you’re getting into this echelon of deadmau5 songs, you kinda know all the technicalities are gonna be great to outstanding, and that’s no exception here. The building suspense this thing provides is nearly unparalleled with anything deadmau5 has made. The track slowly and carefully builds to its break adding the “sonar siren” effect and rise in the distant synths at just the right times. Not to mention, yet again, it's hypnotic as ever. However, there’s just one track that out-trances it... |
| 3 | | Deadmau5
At Play in the USA Vol. 1
HR 8938 Cephei – 9/10: Best single-only release, best song title, most hypnotic song, and probably more fake awards I could shower this with. “HR 8938 Cephei” is an 11-minute odyssey with some of the smoothest electronic passages you’ll ever hear. It pretty much sounds like you’re travelling to the referenced star on an isolated spaceship. The textures on this particularly have always blown me out of the water. Much like “Saved”, its versatility in practical use and settings is kinda off-the-charts for an artist that mainly resides in the EDM scene. This is an unbelievably great track and I’m glad for the mounds of love it got by fans over the years. |
| 2 | | Deadmau5
For Lack of a Better Name
Strobe – 9/10: Here it is. We finally made it to “Strobe”. Some have said that this is the “Mona Lisa” of electronic dance music. I’m sure the statement could be disagreeable with more research into other cutting-edge acts or into pieces that are somehow more daring in presentation. However, as of now and of the past 8 years I’ve experienced deadmau5’s music, I can’t come up with a sensible rhetoric against that claim. What can I really say about “Strobe” that hasn’t already been said? This track’s near-isolated ability to stamp deadmau5 as a modern great in electronic music can already represent its quality. This is one of those pieces that creates a long-lasting relevance, even a wave of inspiration for other artists. It’s still incredible now. |
| 1 | | Deadmau5
While(1
Bleed (Original Mix) – 10/10: Perhaps it’s a little unfortunate that my favorite deadmau5 song of all time doesn’t even feel like it’s in his familiar lane of electronic music. “Strobe” is reserved for that title, but perhaps that song’s as good as he was ever going to achieve with that style. Then there’s the original mix of “Bleed”: an abrasive yet heartwrenching tribute to a fan that had died on their way to one of deadmau5’s shows. This more ambient, “unpolished” approach to electronic music was not a styling I believed deadmau5 had much output in, but what he created here was nothing short of an untouched masterpiece. I’ve returned to this song so many times recently, thinking I could get closer and closer to describing what aspects actually make this song the crowning jewel that it is, but I still struggle to. The only advice I have left is for you to listen to it and decide for yourself. |
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