While(1<2) is the seventh studio album by deadmau5. It was released digitally on 17 June 2014 by mau5trap, Virgin EMI and Astralwerks, followed by a physical CD release on 24 June 2014. The album includes the singles "Avaritia", "Seeya", "Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer", and "Phantoms Can't Hang". Expanding on the experimental direction explored in his previous studio album, > album title goes here <, this album delves into an even broader spectrum of styles and production techniques.
Background[]
Tracks that would later appear on While(1<2) were being uploaded to Zimmerman's SoundCloud account as early as 14 March 2011, beginning with the demo of "Bleed." In 2012, Zimmerman would post a demo of "Rylehs Lament", as well as his remixes of Nine Inch Nails and How to Destroy Angels. Newer tracks, created during the summer of 2013, were also uploaded throughout that year.
On 12 November 2013, Zimmerman began gradually privatizing all of the tracks on his SoundCloud account, with the exception of seven piano compositions that would comprise the 7 EP. On 12 December 2013, Zimmerman officially launched live.deadmau5.com, making tracks from the 7 EP available for download on the platform starting from 18 December 2013. Most of the tracks were later reworked into songs for While(1<2).
On 8 January 2014, Zimmerman announced via Twitter that his seventh studio album had been completed. In the tweet, he revealed that it would be a double album, featuring a continuous mix for each disc, and that the album would contain 25 individual tracks.[1] In a subsequent tweet on 29 April 2014, he described the project as his first album structured as a cohesive body of work, rather than a simple compilation.[2] In an interview with TIME, Zimmerman commented on the album’s melancholic tone, stating that it was entirely unintentional and that he remained emotionally detached from the final product, describing it as experimentation for its own sake.[3]
On 10 May 2014, the album, now titled While(1<2), was officially unveiled through his subscription service. Zimmerman also announced a digital release date of 17 June 2014, followed by a physical release on 24 June 2014. Four singles promoting the album were released weekly between 20 May and 10 June 2014.
Tracklist[]
Disc 1 (Unmixed)[]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Avaritia" | 6:42 |
| 2. | "Coelacanth I" | 2:46 |
| 3. | How to Destroy Angels - "Ice Age" (deadmau5 Remix) | 6:51 |
| 4. | "My Pet Coelacanth" | 8:15 |
| 5. | "Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer" | 9:36 |
| 6. | "Terrors in My Head" | 8:37 |
| 7. | "Creep" | 5:37 |
| 8. | "Somewhere Up Here" | 5:10 |
| 9. | "Phantoms Can't Hang" | 9:15 |
| 10. | "Gula" | 6:56 |
| Total length: | 1:09:46 | |
Disc 2 (Unmixed)[]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Acedia" | 6:25 |
| 2. | "Invidia" | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Errors in My Bread" | 5:17 |
| 4. | Nine Inch Nails - "Survivalism" (deadmau5 Remix) | 3:37 |
| 5. | "Silent Picture" | 3:38 |
| 6. | "Rlyehs Lament" | 4:48 |
| 7. | "Superbia" | 2:14 |
| 8. | "Mercedes" | 9:38 |
| 9. | "Bleed" | 4:00 |
| 10. | "Ira" | 2:38 |
| 11. | "Monday" | 3:45 |
| 12. | "A Moment to Myself" | 3:28 |
| 13. | "Pets" | 7:31 |
| 14. | "Coelacanth II" | 2:36 |
| 15. | "Seeya" (feat. Colleen D'Agostino) | 6:40 |
| Total length: | 1:09:31 | |
Digital bonus tracks (Mixed)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "while(1<2) [Part 1]" | 1:07:12 |
| 2. | "while(1<2) [Part 2]" | 1:03:41 |
| Total length: | 2:10:53 | |
Disc 2 Best Buy bonus track
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Petting Zoo" | 7:31 |
| Total length: | 7:31 | |
Sample Credits[]
- Terrors in My Head
- Samples the ASMR video "Wake Up Alarm Tone. :)" by GentleWhispering. (2013)
- Monday
- Samples the drums from "Alles Vorbei" by Manfred Krug. (1976)
- Samples the strings from "I Close My Eyes" by the Jones Girls. (1980)
Trivia[]
- In programming, while (1<2) is a command used to repeat a certain phrase infinitely.
- For example, while (1<2){ cout << "Deadmau5"; } will repeat the word Deadmau5.
References[]
- ↑ "in other news... i finished my album today.", Twitter, Jan 8, 2014.
- ↑ "its just that its the first album ive ever done that i would even call an album.", Twitter, Apr 29, 2014.
- ↑ "deadmau5 Sounds Off on DJs, Antagonizing Everyone and His Label: Q&A", TIME, Jul 25, 2014.
Gallery[]
| Deadmau5 Albums | ||
|---|---|---|
| Studio Albums | Get Scraped • Vexillology • Random Album Title • For Lack of a Better Name • 4x4=12 • > Album Title Goes Here < • While (1<2) • W:/2016ALBUM/ | |
| Compilation Albums | Deadmau5 Circa 1998-2002 • A Little Oblique • Project 56 • It Sounds Like • For Lack Of A Better Album Title • 5 Years of Mau5 • Stuff I Used To Do | |
| Mix Albums | At Play • At Play Vol. 2 • Tech-Trance-Electro Madness • At Play Vol. 3 • At Play Vol. 4 • At Play in the USA, Vol. 1 • At Play Vol. 5 | |
| Remix Albums | The Remixes • The Remixes Deluxe • The Re-Edits • 5 Years of Mau5 • Strobe (Remixes) | |
| Live Albums | Live @ Earl's Court • Meowingtons Hax 2k11 Toronto | |
| Other | Meowingtons Hax Tour Trax | |