You can always count on the mau5-masked crusader for insightful and honest commentary. In a candid interview with the editorial director of Billboard, Deadmau5 discusses the state of EDM, DJ Sneak, his mom, Forbes’ highest-paid DJs list, and more. When asked whether he feels protective of the genre he said,
“Scenes don’t evolve. There is no electronic music scene that has just kind of done this and done all that. Otherwise…DJ Sneak would be doing really cool shit right now. [He] came in today, 2o years laters, and says, ‘Yo. Fuck all this shit. This isn’t real house music.’ Yes, we know it was a 909 and a this and an old sample, great. That was a scene and that had a scene but you can’t drag that on and superimpose that onto what’s been moved and changed. What do you go down to a fucking river and beat your clothes on a rock and you’re gonna hate on me because I use a washing machine. Scenes aren’t too important to me.”
Deadmau5 reminds us in this interview that while he may sometimes make inflammatory statements, he usually has a point.
“I have some thoughts on that.” – Deadmau5
Click past the break for part two of the interview.
Forbes is the latest major publication to weigh in on the house music phenomenon, and according to them, it is “here to stay and profitable.” They discuss the evolution of the genre from 1980s Chicago clubs to the mainstream crossover, which they accredit to a previous affinity for “hip-hop music with loud bass” — and call house music a “natural progression.” They astutely point out that “technology has had a profound impact” on EDM, including the advent of cheaper production software and social media. Forbes has even compiled its own list of “the world’s greatest DJs,” but they have wisely decided not to dish out formal rankings. It’s an interesting mix of talent new and old, including Tiesto at number four and Fatboy Slim — seriously — at nine. (If you’re looking for an EDM ranking list, we’ve got you covered, obviously.)
The rest of the article is full of generalized statements without much substance, but the fact that a magazine like Forbes is finally weighing in on the crazy is a major sign of the times. It joins the ranks of the New York Times, Rolling Stone, and even the Huffington Post that have all written stories about the meteoric rise of this new industry in the past few years. Of course, we’re thrilled that mainstream media is finally appreciating what we’ve been raving about for years, but we’re also here to reassure you that Dancing Astronaut isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
