Deadmau5 has at all times walked a high-quality line between sonic precision and private chaos and in accordance with a brand new Billboard interview, his cats play an enormous half in each.
Joel Zimmerman, recognized worldwide for his genre-bending productions and iconic mau5head, opened up in a latest function about how his feline companions have impacted his life, his workflow, and even his artwork assortment. The Billboard piece, paired with a full photograph gallery of his cats (sure, it’s lovable), offers a uncommon glimpse into the softer, fur-covered facet of the EDM titan.
Cats as Co-Producers?
For somebody so obsessive about management — from his modular rigs to the deadmau5 dice — you’d count on Joel to lose it over random interruptions. However in terms of cats, he’s all in. Within the interview, he referred to as them emotional assist animals and “background constants” within the studio.
“They’ve been there by tour prep, by pandemic lockdowns, by author’s block,” he advised Billboard. “They’re simply at all times round — and that’s comforting.”
EDMTunes readers have seen this dynamic in action before. In 2023, we coated Joel adopting two new rescues, Dizzy and Dolly. He launched them on Instagram with the caption: “Was too quiet in right here recently… cue Dizzy and Dolly. Again to chaos.” They could not press keys, however they form the vibe — lounging on synths, wandering into streams, and customarily ruling the studio.
One Cat vs. Uncommon Artwork
After all, the cat life isn’t all heat fuzzies. Deadmau5 shared that certainly one of his cats managed to knock over a uncommon piece of holographic wall artwork — a novel collectible — and destroyed it utterly. His response? Deadpan as ever: “That’s the worth of a cat.” Simply one other second in a family the place cutting-edge audio tech and unpredictable claws share the identical area.
Pets and Perspective
Regardless of the occasional injury, it’s clear these animals imply quite a bit to Zimmerman. The Billboard photograph gallery captures uncooked, unpolished moments of him together with his cats — the sort of home photographs that strip away the lasers and LED panels and present the human behind the masks.
Earlier than Dizzy and Dolly, there was Meowingtons, arguably EDM’s most well-known feline. He wasn’t only a pet — he was a part of the model. He graced album artwork, toured the world in merch type, and even grew to become the topic of a authorized trademark battle. We at EDMTunes adopted each twist — together with the time Meowingtons launched an OnlyFans (sure, that occurred).
When Meowingtons handed away in 2023, deadmau5 posted a heartfelt tribute calling him “peace and quiet from the start.” We coated the loss on Worldwide Cat Day, of all days. Discuss full circle.
Legacy of the Mau5cats
From iconic album mascots to studio sidekicks, cats have at all times performed a job in deadmau5’s inventive world. They trigger chaos, they convey consolation, and generally they wreck uncommon artwork — however they’re a part of the journey.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about persona — and the purring, twitchy-eared creatures that quietly assist form the sound.
