deadmau5
while(1<2)

while(1<2) is the first album by Canadian producer Joel Zimmerman, known as deadmau5.

Yes, the first, not the seventh. This double album, released in 2014, is indeed the first (and to date only) work by the Mouse to have a well-defined identity, noticeable in all the tracks.

At a superficial analysis of the work, a similar comment applied to a collection of 25 tracks that span various subgenres of danceable (and non-danceable) house seems downright absurd. The strength of while(1<2), particularly evident in disc 1, is the overall cohesion: the tracks are quite different from each other, but they share the same melancholic and dreamy mood. There are also lighter and more danceable moments, like the opener "Avaritia". However, these represent only a small part of the album. This becomes clear from the subsequent "Coelacanth I", a brief interlude of only synthesizers in which deadmau5 demonstrates not only his ability to write simple and captivating melodies but also the courage to explore paths different from those his fanbase might desire. The entire album is - at closer inspection - a collection of tracks that disregard commercial success and aim at the personal satisfaction of their composer. The influences of Nine Inch Nails are clearly evident in pieces like "Rlyehs Lament", which boasts a relaxed and relaxing atmosphere. The two remixes on the album, "Ice Age" and "Survivalism" (perhaps the two least successful songs of the batch), can also be seen as a sort of tribute to Trent Reznor.

Never before has deadmau5 aimed to create atmospheric pieces, using every instrument at his disposal to achieve this goal: from the ASMR samples in the haunting "Terrors in My Head" to the meticulously arranged strings (notable are those in "Coelacanth II"). Another element that makes this album profoundly different from his previous works is the use of "unusual" instruments for EDM or progressive house music, genres that suit the artist well but not this particular album, except for a couple of moments (among which "Mercedes" stands out, placed halfway through the second album, after a series of calmer tracks): in this regard, the acoustic guitars in "Silent Picture" and "Monday" and the sharp electric guitar in the ambient context of "Somewhere Up Here", a revisitation of a previous collaboration with Colleen D’Agostino titled "Drop The Poptart" deserve mention. However, the protagonist instrument of the entire album is the piano, present in almost half of the tracks. Excluding the mediocre and boring "Invidia", which did not appear better on the EP "7", this instrument manages to enhance Joel Zimmerman's melodic intuitions to the fullest and guide noteworthy compositions: this is the case with "Gula", which opens melancholic, is soon interrupted by a powerful bass and a liberating beat, only to lead us back to the same synthesizer progression that constituted the build-up of "Avaritia". The piano melodies in "Terrors in My Head", "Coelacanth II" and "Ira" are also simple yet wonderful.

There is only one piece that appears distinctly out of context, the closing "Seeya", another collaboration with the aforementioned Colleen D’Agostino, a nonetheless original piece for deadmau5, led by an excellent bassline.

Few empty rounds, a solid album despite its length. Highly recommended even to those who are not fans of electronic music.