Deadmau5 Brings Dance Music To The 'Masses,' Wolfgang Gartner Says

'He has a major role in the younger generation to this music,' producer/DJ tells MTV News of his collaborator.
By Adam Stewart


deadmau5
Photo: Charley Gallay/ Getty Images

It's no secret that 2010 was a pivotal year for electronic dance music here in the States. With deadmau5 and Swedish House Mafia becoming household names, the genre's momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Using a conduit of collaboration, artists such as deadmau5 (a.k.a. Joel Zimmerman) have paired up with various underground acts to further the rapid expansion of the genre.

Perhaps one of the most notable movers and shakers of the year is now-Grammy-Award-nominated producer and DJ Wolfgang Gartner, who recently sat down to chat with MTV News about deadmau5 and dance music's rise to the top.

"He has a major role in the younger generation to this music," Gartner says, "but there have been certain artists that have been instrumental in helping it cross over and reach the mainstream — which I think is a good thing. I think rap artists using dance beats is a great thing. I think it just brings more people towards this music that we all love."

Thanks to several key moments, such as deadmau5 taking the helm as house DJ (well, technically "House Artist") for the 2010 VMAs, dance music has been thrown into the forefront of America's youth, a key demographic for any genre.

"Everybody knows who he is now and he's kind of exposing the masses to dance music. These little five-, six- and seven-year-old kids latch on to this 'mau5head' logo — they get into the music and he's bringing this tiny young generation into this music that probably wouldn't be exposed to it."

Gartner certainly doesn't mind the exposure either. Unless you were living under a rock for the past six months, you probably heard one of this past summer's hottest anthems, "Animal Rights," a collaborative effort brought forth by deadmau5 and Gartner.

"It was interesting because I kind of had a preconceived notion about how he would be to work [with]," said Gartner. "I think our sounds are really similar, so I figured he would work in a similar way to me, but the way that he writes music is actually completely different to me. But he achieves kind of the same sound through a completely different process."

Recorded in deadmau5's favorite Los Angeles studio — that would be rocker Tommy Lee's House — "Animal Rights" is a thumping progressive house anthem that melds Wolfgang's unmistakable harmonics and funk riffs with the driving bass line and wobbly synths that make deadmau5 one of the unique forces in the dance music world.

"[Deadmau5] writes these rich complex chord progressions and he does it by drawing these little bars on a grid, which is just amazing that you can do that and get that result," Gartner goes on to say. "It just proves you don't have to be able to play keyboards to write amazing music."

The two sound pioneers never cease to stop pushing the limits on what they are able to produce. Using drastically difference production approaches, deadmau5 and Gartner had the ability to play off each other's strengths while recording the track.

"I'd say the biggest thing is that I play everything in on a keyboard, like even my drums," says Gartner. "I play everything in live and he draws it in with notes on a mouse, which blew me away because his music is very musical."

What do you think 2011 will hold for deadmau5 and Gartner? Let us know in the comments below!

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1654857/deadmau5-brings-dance-music-masses-wolfgang-gartner.jhtml

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Justin Bieber's Big New Year's Plans: 'Hanging Out'

After a whirlwind year, the 16-year-old plans to chill with his family on Friday night.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Mawuse Ziegbe


Justin Bieber
Photo: Chris McKay/ Getty Images

Unlike the multitude of stars descending upon Las Vegas, Miami and New York City on Friday to celebrate New Year's Eve, there are a few who will be keeping a much lower profile as they ring in 2011. Like 2010 superstar Justin Bieber, for example, who said recently that his big plans consist of him getting some much-needed rest and spending time with his family.

"For New Year's, I'm just hanging out," Bieber told MTV News last week. "I'm just going to be with my family. Just being with them and relaxing, because I've been go, go, go for the past three years."

Judging from his recent tweets, the 16-year-old phenom is making good on his plans so far.

"Another solid day hanging with the family and friends. love the #holidays," he wrote on Monday. "New years is coming....what is gonna be your new years resolution?" Then yesterday, he tweeted a message focused on R&R: "Need the rest. #grateful."

The soon-to-be big-screen star (his film debut, "Never Say Never," opens in February) later commented that he's grateful for everything, from his success to all the rumors about his love life.

"Chillin and happy. It's been a fun year with a lot of blessings," Bieber wrote on Twitter. "Some crazy rumors but so much love and memories. We r just gettin started!! So enjoy the holidays. Get crazy and have some laughs. Life is too short. At least that is what they tell me. #newyearsIsComin"

What are your plans for New Year's Eve? Big blowout or low-key evening in? Tell us in the comments!

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655089/justin-biebers-big-new-years-plans-hanging-out.jhtml

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2011 Palm Springs Awards Gala: A Complete Look

Making for another star-studded evening on the west coast, the finest in the world of cinema were out for the 22nd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala in Palm Springs, California on Saturday (January 8).

With the festivities taking place at the Palm Springs Convention Center, the show was emceed for the eighth year by Entertainment Tonight's Mary Hart.

As for the honorees, big names including Natalie Portman, the stars of "The Social Network" Carey Mulligan and Ben Affleck all were brought on stage to receive their trophies while Jake Gyllenhaal, James Franco, Helen Mirren and Rashida Jones also turned up for the event.

The complete list of Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala winners were:

CAREY MULLIGAN - Breakthrough Performance Award

JAVIER BARDEM - International Star Award

DIANE WARREN - Frederick Loewe Music Award

DAVID O. RUSSELL - Director of the Year Award

COLIN FIRTH - Desert Palm Achievment Actor Award

DANNY BOYLE - Sonny Bono Visionary Award

NATALIE PORTMAN - Desert Palm Achievment Actress Award

ROBERT DUVALL - Career Achievement Award

THE SOCIAL NETWORK - Ensemble Performance Award

BEN AFFLECK - Chairman's Award

JENNIFER LAWRENCE - Rising Star Award

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/palm-springs-international-film-festival-2011/2011-palm-springs-awards-gala-complete-look-454931

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CANDIDS: Mariah Exposes Her Baby Bump Rihanna Gets Gun Happy While Shopping

Mariah's showing off sheer baby belly.  She was spotted leaving a doctor's visit in L.A. yesterday and heading to her brand new $400,000 Rolls Royce Phantom.  A Christmas present from her hubby Nick Cannon.  I'm sure the baby(ies) will love rolling around in that.

 

More pics of a preggers MiMi and Rihanna shopping it up when you read on...

Ouch.  The belly's starting to look a bit painful.  But Mariah looks happier than ever these days.

 

Elsewhere in L.A., Rihanna was spotted shopping at Fred Segal with her bestie Melissa:

Are those leather "pants" over some shorts/jeans, or is it all one contraption?  Interesting.

The redhead rocked one of her fave symbols--a gold plated gun--around her neck.

Looks like she's happy to be back stateside home and chillin'.

The Randomness:

1.  Tiger Woods has severed ties with Golf Digest. Story

2.  Ryan Leslie has his laptop returned, but he has yet to pay the $1 mill reward he promised.  Story

Source: http://theybf.com/2011/01/07/candids-mariah-exposes-her-baby-bumprihanna-gets-gun-happy-while-shopping

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Katy Perry Guest Stars on How I Met Your Mother

Katy Perry Guest Stars on How I Met Your Mother

Guest-starring on CBS's How I Met Your Mother (Mondays, 8 p.m. ET) is practically a pop star rite of passage these days. So it's not too surprising to hear that Katy Perry is the next one scheduled to play a potential love interest for Ted (Josh Radnor) later this season. Like Britney Spears, Mandy Moore and Carrie Underwood before her, she could potentially be "The Mother" that the title refers to. Potentially, but far from likely.

Perry hasn't done much acting, but boy, did she (and her breasts) garner attention last fall on Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live. Click here and here if your memory needs refreshing. (Or if you'd just like a good laugh.)

How will Perry fare at scripted TV? If she's anything like her musically inclined predecessors, she'll do just fine. Spears was funny as a ditzy, clingy secretary who mooned over Ted (and later Barney). The squeaky clean Moore ably pulled off her role as a trashy temptress. And Underwood was totally believable as every guy's dream girl. (Okay, this couldn't have been much of a stretch for her. But the point stands.)

Perry's playing Zooey's (Jennifer Morrison) attractive but naïve cousin. Given her track record for skimpy outfits on TV, she'll have Ted wrapped around her…uh, finger, in no time.

How do you think Perry will do in her first foray into scripted TV? Chime in below!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/katy-perry-guest-stars-how-i-met-your-mother/1-a-311918

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