"The Veldt" is a single by deadmau5 featured on his sixth studio album, > album title goes here <. It was released on 8 May 2012 under mau5trap, Ultra Records, and EMI Records. Featuring the vocals of American singer Chris James, this song served second single from the album.
Background[]
The track was originally produced during a 22-hour livestream session in March 2012 and was uploaded to his Soundcloud page on 14 March 2012. Naming it "The Veldt", Zimmerman later shared that his inspiration was Ray Bradbury's short story, "The Veldt," explaining on Tumblr:[1]
I'm keen on short stories, since I lack the time to dip into a massive novel. And well, as some of you know, other people's art, poetry, writing or otherwise can very easily juxtapose to your own craft, inspiring you to create your own personal extension or compliment to the work hence the track itself. Anyway, after being inspired, I felt man, I'd really like to create a soundtrack to this...a somewhat melancholic yet uplifting audio image of kids bestowed with insane technology which enables them to conjure up any setting or any thing they desire which in this case, as children sometimes wish their parents were dead by an unfounded retaliation to being disciplined. What a great story, I figured.
On 20 March 2012, Zimmerman was made aware of a fanmade vocal version of "The Veldt" after fans flooded his social media with tweets. He was impressed by Chris James' adaptation of the lyrics from the original short story, saying James' verses perfectly complemented the story and mood, which is all he ever wanted from a song with lyrics. Zimmerman promptly decided to officially release the track as a collaboration with Chris James. This decision, along with further discussions with James and his manager, was documented live during a stream.[2]
On 6 May 2012, two edits of the song were released. A month later, on 22 June 2012,The Veldt EP was released, which included the original mix and remixes by other artists.
On 25 June 2012, the official music video was uploaded to the deadmau5 YouTube channel. Like the song, the video is inspired by Ray Bradbury's short story. Unfortunately, Ray Bradbury did not live to see the release of the music video, having died on 5 June 2012 after a long illness. As a result, the clip became a tribute to the memory of his work.
Lyrics[]
Scattered around the room
Look what they made, they made it for me
Happy technology
Outside, the lions run
Feeding on remains
We'll never leave, look at us now
So in love with the way we are
Here
The world that the children made
Here
The world that the children made
Here
The world that the children made
Every night, they rock us to sleep
Digital family
Is it real, or is it a dream?
Can you believe in machines?
Outside, the beating sun
Can you hear the screams?
We'll never leave, look at us now
So in love with the way we are
Here
The world that the children made
Here
The world that the children made
Here
The world that the children made
Happy life, with the machines
Scattered around the room
Look what they made, they made it for me
Happy technology
Outside, the lions run
Feeding on remains
We'll never leave, look at us now
So in love with the way we are
Here
The world that the children made
Here
The world that the children made
Here
The world that the children madeReleases[]
Download[]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Veldt" (Radio Edit) | 2:50 |
| 2. | "The Veldt" (8 Minute Edit) | 8:39 |
Digital EP[]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Veldt (Original Mix)" | 11:32 |
| 2. | "Failbait (Original Mix)" | 4:49 |
| 3. | "The Veldt (Freeform Five Remix)" | 3:11 |
| 4. | "The Veldt (Tommy Trash Remix)" | 6:52 |
Trivia[]
- Chris James' original version included an extra verse and vocal stuttering which were removed from the final cut.
- The song's title was the inspiration for the name of VELD, an annual musical festival in Toronto that debuted in 2012, just a few months after the song's release.
- The song ranked number 48 on Rolling Stone's list of the 50 best songs of 2012.
References[]
- ↑ "Collaborations, Songwritting and the like.", Tumblr (via Internet Archive), 25 Jul 2012.
- ↑ "Deadmau5 live streaming in his new studio working on a new track! (The Veldt) [Part 2 17 March 2012"], YouTube, 18 Mar 2012.