Deadmau5 is unhappy.
At the very least, Canadian music producer Joel Zimmerman is extremely agitated.
Without his infamous mouse head to hide behind, his displeasure is obvious as he saunters into the green room at Canadian Music Week. Two things are on the agenda for the next hour 含羞草研究社� photos and an interview about his impressive career as a music creator.
Might he consider taking photos first?
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 give a s含羞草研究社攖,含羞草研究社� the Niagara Falls, Ont., native mumbles, digging into a bag of Doritos.
His publicist interjects.
含羞草研究社淟et含羞草研究社檚 give a minute,含羞草研究社� she says before turning to him. 含羞草研究社淵ou can have a snack. Whenever you含羞草研究社檙e ready.含羞草研究社�
What unfolds over the next 20 minutes is a mostly unprintable conversation layered with so much foul language it would probably make Quentin Tarantino blush.
Anyone who intently follows Zimmerman含羞草研究社檚 career likely knows the 43-year-old is allergic to interviews. He rarely does them. When he agrees, it often seems like he含羞草研究社檚 having a tooth pulled.
But on this day he含羞草研究社檚 got reason to celebrate: an induction into CMW含羞草研究社檚 Music Industry Hall of Fame, joining an acclaimed list of Canadians including Gordon Lightfoot, Rush and Alanis Morissette.
The honour marks his 25th anniversary in music, a milestone he says is pegged to 1999 when he first copyrighted a song under one of his previous aliases and nearly a decade before his single 含羞草研究社淕hosts 含羞草研究社榥含羞草研究社� Stuff含羞草研究社� became a worldwide dance hit.
To recognize the quarter-century mark, he含羞草研究社檚 traversing the globe with a tour dubbed Retro5pective: 25yrs of Deadmau5, performing shows as far away as India, one of his favourite places to eat.
He含羞草研究社檒l return to Canada for summer festivals in Holland Park, B.C., and Calgary, and eventually retreat to his mansion outside Toronto where he含羞草研究社檚 collected an array of rescued animals, including two horses, three goats and a fancy ball python.
The music industry machine would suggest it含羞草研究社檚 in Zimmerman含羞草研究社檚 best interest to make the rounds at this CMW induction and offer a few pleasantries. He含羞草研究社檚 agreed to at least make the rounds.
Earlier, he took part in a 45-minute fireside chat at a Toronto conference centre in front of a few hundred music industry players and fans.
Dressed in mismatched black and red hightops, tattered jeans and a T-shirt, Zimmerman walked onto the stage to a bombastic round of hype from the host.
With his language cleaned up, he talked about the value of musicians owning their master recordings, his decision to live in Canada despite his success, and pondered one day playing the newly minted Sphere in Las Vegas.
He recently toured the colossal $2.3-billion venue with its technology team and imagined how mind-blowing its wraparound screen and cutting-edge sound system would be for an electronic show. One of the hurdles, he said, is making his grand ideas profitable.
But the conversation went south in the final minutes as Zimmerman rose from the couch to fact-check his interviewer含羞草研究社檚 notes. When the 45-minute clock ran out, he proclaimed, 含羞草研究社淭ime含羞草研究社檚 up含羞草研究社� and bolted from the stage without a goodbye.
Now walking into the green room with a Tim Hortons cup in his grip, all those swears bottled up from the stage were about to spill out. He snatches his bag of chips off the table and slumps down in a chair. Once he含羞草研究社檚 finished his afternoon snack, he agrees to pose for pictures.
This, too, appears painful.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 not a f含羞草研究社攌ing Ken doll,含羞草研究社� he tells the photographer when asked to change his position slightly.
A minute or two tick by and Zimmerman becomes more irritated as the camera snaps.
含羞草研究社淎re you doing a whole coffee table book?含羞草研究社� he asks.
Walking back to his chair, the musician positions himself for an interview that quickly turns combative. He interrupts questions before they含羞草研究社檙e finished and challenges any word he considers vague.
It含羞草研究社檚 hard to believe he wants to be here. Does being inducted into the Hall of Fame even matter to him?
含羞草研究社淥f course it f含羞草研究社攌ing matters,含羞草研究社� he scoffs.
含羞草研究社淏ecause it含羞草研究社檚 just things I含羞草研究社檓 going to look back at and think, 含羞草研究社�(Wow), that含羞草研究社檚 amazing what I含羞草研究社檝e been able to achieve.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
He含羞草研究社檚 achieved a lot, for sure.
When his name first started circulating in the Toronto electronic music scene Zimmerman was an enigma 含羞草研究社� his colourful, illuminated mouse headpieces a unique and recognizable brand that both concealed his identity and provoked curiosity from clubgoers.
But Zimmerman含羞草研究社檚 compositions dispelled any suggestions it was mere gimmickry.
In the underground scene of the mid-aughts, his instrumentals 含羞草研究社淔axing Berlin含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淰anishing Point含羞草研究社� were recognized as unique and meditative creations that worked their magic best in the darkest hours of the afterparty.
Many of those early songs were drafted in his mom含羞草研究社檚 Niagara Falls basement before his career started picking up and he moved to a tiny apartment in Toronto. He remembers those city lodgings as practically unlivable, but an early sign of his independence and a chance to 含羞草研究社渉ave chicks over whenever I want.含羞草研究社�
Deadmau5 crept into the electronic mainstream around 2008 with 含羞草研究社淚 Remember,含羞草研究社� a slow-building piece centred around angelic female vocals. The song, co-created with frequent collaborator Kaskade, is now deemed a contemporary club classic.
含羞草研究社淕hosts 含羞草研究社榥含羞草研究社� Stuff含羞草研究社� followed soon after, and he built his self-created independent record label Mau5trap with his own tracks as he supported a deep roster of other young creators, including Rezz, Sydney Blu and Tinlicker.
At the peak of his popularity, Deadmau5 sold out Toronto含羞草研究社檚 Rogers Centre and remains the only Canadian act to do so.
Ten years ago, when a more spirited Zimmerman appeared at CMW to discuss his flourishing career, he revealed to host Jian Ghomeshi that his accountant said he already had enough money to retire from music.
He didn含羞草研究社檛 plan to, however, since there were many ideas he wanted to bring to fruition.
It would seem Zimmerman spends little time glancing back on those early highs.
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛,含羞草研究社� he confirms flatly.
Doesn含羞草研究社檛 marking a 25th-anniversary force him to reflect?
含羞草研究社淵eah, because you含羞草研究社檙e forcing me to,含羞草研究社� he chuckles, firing off an expletive under his breath.
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 sit at home, eat peanut butter and just reminisce while my cats are hanging out and I含羞草研究社檓 watching 含羞草研究社楽tar Trek.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
OK, so what含羞草研究社檚 important these days?
含羞草研究社淛ust health,含羞草研究社� he answers. 含羞草研究社淗ealth and happiness is starting to kick in as what含羞草研究社檚 really important.含羞草研究社�
Why would he choose those words?
含羞草研究社淲hy?含羞草研究社� he returns with another scoff. 含羞草研究社淵ou think I含羞草研究社檇 be 含羞草研究社� happy with stage-four cancer in a hospital bed?含羞草研究社�
Zimmerman concedes there含羞草研究社檚 some privilege in his response. After all, he notes while unloading another swear, it含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渆asy to say when you made a (boatload) of money.含羞草研究社�
His final rebuff comes after a question about his enjoyment of trolling fellow artists, usually on social media but occasionally during his shows.
Most recently, he captured attention for one of his burns aimed directly at fellow Canadian Grimes during his set at Electric Daisy Carnival in Vegas.
The Vancouver electro-pop artist had already been skewered online for fumbling through technical issues during her debut DJ set at another festival.
Zimmerman twisted that knife at his own show by running a mocking video of her bungle as he dropped a pounding club beat. Was he taking a shot at Grimes as one of the growing number of celebrities who, despite their inexperience, seem to think they含羞草研究社檙e DJs? Not really, he says.
If anything, Zimmerman seems annoyed at the snobbery of such a question and adopts a mocking prim accent.
含羞草研究社淚 take my partying very seriously when I go the electronic music show,含羞草研究社� he says, pounding the table.
含羞草研究社淭ell you what, interview me a year from now and ask me how much anyone gives a (heck) or even remembers that.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 just fun, OK?含羞草研究社� he adds. 含羞草研究社淎nd heaven forbid we have a little fun, some screaming and some laughs at a music festival. It含羞草研究社檇 be really weird if we didn含羞草研究社檛. It含羞草研究社檇 be very unmemorable if we were all very serious.含羞草研究社�
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