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Deadmau5 Drops 'Quezacotl,' His First Solo Track In Two Years

The Canadian electronic music legend debuted the seven-minute opus during his ‘retro5pective: 25 years of deadmau5’ shows in New York and L.A. earlier this year, and has now released it in full as the lead single from his upcoming some ep, out July 19.

deadmau5 performing at the Hollywood Bowl April 27, 2024

deadmau5 performing at the Hollywood Bowl April 27, 2024

Leah Sems

Canadian dance-floor hitmaker deadmau5 has dropped his first solo track in two years.

The acclaimed producer has been busy celebrating his 25-year career of late, with sold-out retrospective shows in New York and L.A this spring. In June, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Week Hall of Fame, accompanied by a fireside chat with Billboard Canada's Richard Trapunski that saw him reflecting on his trajectory.


Now, he's looking ahead to the future, with the seven-minute opus "Quezacotl" coming as the lead single off a new EP. The mesmerizing track begins with bright, piercing synths that gather in intensity before cutting away to a sharp drop, making way for hypnotic pulsing bass and sharp kick drum that guide the song forward.

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deadmau5 debuted the track live at his retrospective shows and has been performing it at summer dates, prepping fans for the official release. He has a series of upcoming dates this month, taking him from Surrey, B.C., to India and Spain, leading up to the July 19 release of the three-track some ep, arriving on his label mau5trap.

In his conversation at Canadian Music Week, the musician described the relationship between his work in the studio and his live set, emphasizing a desire to create continuity between them. "What takes me all day in the studio for 15 minutes on stage, I want to make it cohesive enough for someone to make that connection and see what [I'm] trying to do," he explained.

"Quezacotl" is the first solo deadmau5 release since 2022's "XYZ," and emphasizes that even as the artist is reflecting on an already-prolific career, there's still plenty more in store.

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Dave Marsh on SiriusXM's Volume Channel at the SiriusXM Studio on April 27, 2018 in New York City.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Dave Marsh on SiriusXM's Volume Channel at the SiriusXM Studio on April 27, 2018 in New York City.

FYI

Obituaries: Bruce Springsteen Biographer Dave Marsh, China Crisis Bassist Gary Johnson & More

This week we also acknowledge the passing of noted Australian music journalist Glenn A. Baker, EMF keyboardist Derran "Derry" Brownson and Australian music and broadcasting industry pioneer Bill Armstrong.

Editor's Note: Head here for an obituary of Nashville and Heroes star Hayden Panettiere, who has died at 36.

Dave Marsh, an influential Grammy-winning American music critic, social activist, broadcaster and a biographer of Bruce Springsteen, died on Aug. 14, at age 76, after a long illness.

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