All hail Deadmau5!

Recently I did a posting about the groovy news that tech-trance electro megastar Joel Thomas Zimmerman (AKA: Deadmua5) will be gracing South African with his unique brand of pounding sultry tunes mixed with a visual performance like none other.

Perhaps the most iconic and central themes to Deadmau5’s stage persona is his giant mouse head, which he wears during his performances.
These crazy mouse heads captivate his crowds and in many way served as a vehicle to his fame…much like Daft Punk uses robot head masks to express their own inner personas.

I’m sure you are thinking that there are plenty of musicians and DJ’s that use masks, what makes Deadmau5 so special!
Well for starters I like that Deadmau5 constantly keeps changing his masks. Many ‘masked musicians’ will keep the same mask for a lengthy period of time, but Deadmau5 keep reinventing and keeping his fans, and designers for that matter, on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the next creation.

Deadmau5 owns his mousy persona…simply, he ‘works’ his like few others are able!

His masks are also very well made.
It’s not like Deadmau5 makes his super-cool mask designs at home with cardboard and sticky-tape. He gets professionals to create the perfect mask, but only after careful design consideration and insight from his fans and designers all over the world.
Check out this link for an awesome photo-set of how a Deadmau5 mask is made.

I love the fact that he gets his fans and designers involved when he is creating a new mask. The act of crowdsourcing definitely works in this artists favour.
Check out his most recent competition where he asked for designers to create his new mask…I love the winner…CHEESE HEAD, so clever!

The only drawback to wearing such a mask is the problem of heat. Back in 2010 Deadmau5 collapsed on stage from exhaustion and vomiting….no doubt a huge swelteringly hot mask is not going to help your plight, especially when you consider the crazy schedule of a DJ of his calibre. I suppose this is a fate/consequence that he is now shackled to. This is his persona and I think it will become difficult for him to shake it at this point!

The Deadmau5 masks are simply awesome.
I can’t wait to see which mask he wears when he destroys the Cape Town crowd next month with his audio-mastery. I’m freaking dying of anticipation!