An anthemic party from start to finish that evolves and carries a well-defined mood. This is a perfect electronic album. The first edition of this album, released several days before a cover-redesign, contains an obvious allusion to the title’s “randomness”. Not quite random — more R-A-T. Deadmau5 is a rat.
It’s surprisingly self-loathing, deep and self-aware. That title puts an entirely new spin on the music itself. “Deadmouse — Rat”. In the most basic of respects, it’s calling out the truth — that he knows that a mouse is just a rodent is just a rat. Additionally, Deadmau5 would like to think of his music as complex and moving, but he’s very much aware of the criticism he receives, as evidenced by the R-A-T title, consciously or un. What isn’t embraced enough, however, is how Deadmau5 thrives on simplicity and is in a high-tier of Electronic music because of it.
Each layer of sound is meticulously programmed to sound like candy, and what ends up happening is an anticipation for very minimal trance — exactly what this album provides. In the wrong mindset, this is repetitive, computerized programming — it’s dead. In reality, it’s a dedication to the 4/4 beat. It’s a celebration begging to be experienced through dance. It’s a monster (‘RAT’) of an album, lasting a full CD’s length at 70 minutes, grabbing you as soon as the music fades in.
Listen: “Arguru”
