Celebrating five years of his own imprint, Mau5trap, the double-disc set
5 Years of Mau5 rounds up most of the previous hits from EDM producer Joel Zimmerman, aka
Deadmau5. Disc one features the straight-up versions, and with the focus on the label; off-Mau5trap numbers like "Move with Me" with
Kaskade are missing, but getting "Ghosts 'n' Stuff," "I Remember," and "The Veldt" in one go makes for a lot of prime, spacy, and melodic EDM. Disc two offers many of these same numbers but in remix form, with
Dillon Francis' take on "Some Chords" being the new, stark twerker to cherish, while the tried-and-true award ends in a tie with
Eric Prydz's work on "The Veldt" (heavenly, ever ascending future disco) and
Nero's remix of "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (perfectly paced and bottomless bass; it must be where the term "awesome drop" came from) sharing the prize. Laid end to end, these EDM favorites paint
Deadmau5 not as an innovator, but as a solid craftsman with a love of the bold (slamming basslines, speaker-ripping noises) and the beautiful (soaring, melodic vocals, and/or melodies). Those already familiar with the DJ will find
5 Years of Mau5 an easy pick-up or portable hits collection with only a few bits of new. ~ David Jeffries