The Masked Men Of EDM
Maybe they aren’t comfortable with the spotlight. Or it could be they like adding an element of mystery. Maybe they do it for kicks. And, for the rest, they are better off with it on.
A select few of our favorite house music personalities and residents of your iTunes don’t show face. Literally. These people are the masked men of the electronic dance music community.
The ravers love it. The element of mystery is a great one and can make a live show that much more memorable. A good personality behind the decks, hyping you up, wearing something absurd, is always a plus. How can you beat Deadmau5′ scrawny arms fist pumping when he has that giant helmet on? It’s tough.
Here are a few of the masked men of EDM and some selected tracks. Some might be familiar; Others not so much.
Daft Punk
Of course, it wouldn’t be right to begin with anyone else. The duo who made it in-vogue to disguise your face have, almost, literally not been seen, themselves, in years. They pop up individually here and there (unmasked, no big deal) but, for the most part, remain mysterious fixtures far away from the current community. They are rumored to be working on a 2012 album, but who knows what these Frenchmen are really up to.
P.S. Who could ever forget this.
Daft Punk – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
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Daft Punk – Digital Love (Bart B More & Christian Luke Bootleg) (Short Edit)
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Click READ MORE for the other masked men!
Deadmau5
Deadmau5 seems like the logical follow up to Daft Punk. As he was influenced by the French pair and even uses the same DJ gear as them. Perhaps a more contemporary and polarizing figure to dawn a helmet. Everybody knows that mouse head. And, over the years, it’s been cleaned up quite a bit. His live performances are unforgettable. Not just because of his elaborate stage design, but for the bobbing that helmet does when Strobe is dropped.
Deadmau5 – Hi Friend
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Deadmau5 vs. Duran Duran – Ghosts on Film (10000 Spoons & Celebrity Murder Party Remix)
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The Bloody Beetroots
Sometimes a duo, sometimes just a singular. Whoever is representing The Bloody Beetroots will be wearing a Spiderman mask. You’ll see three themes with the masked men of EDM. Many Italians will cover their faces. Many people on the darker electro side will hide behind some sort of vail. And lastly, many will be mash up experts. The Bloody Beetroots slip into two of the three categories. The dark-sounds these Italians bring is in a category by itself.
The Bloody Beetroots – dimmakmmunication
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Martin Solveig – C’est la Vie (The Bloody Beetroots Remix)
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DJs From Mars
More Italians! These guys are some of the most underrated producers in the business. They have two knocks against them: They are most-known for remixing (albeit to perfection) top 40 songs and they rarely leave Europe. They are infamous for their box heads and do everything possible to hide their faces (and voices.) Also infamous are their live shows. Some of the wildest on earth.
Eiffel 65 – Move Your Body (DJs From Mars Club Mix)
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Adele vs. Robin S – Show Me In The Deep (DJs From Mars Classic Club Bootleg)
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Mike Candys
Though he walks around helmet-less, Mike Candys is known for hhis lack-of-neck and yellow smiley face-head. A student of old school electro, he was apart of the golden-era of the genre in 2008. Lately, he has adapted to today’s electro-sound. His passport doesn’t get stamped around these parts, but many golden-age electro enthusiasts would do terrible things to hear these songs live.
Mike Candys – Laminate My Heart
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Remady feat. Craig David – Do It On My Own (Mike Candys Remix)
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Myndset
California’s own indie remixer had been rumored to be ‘Daft Punk’s third member.’ That is clearly untrue. Though, he pays homage to them by wearing a punk-style mask, he has a style far and away different from the French enigmas. Myndset is one of the figure heads attached to the rising house-scene of the west coast.
Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks (Myndset Remix)
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Talking Heads – This Must Be The Place (Myndset Dub Mix)
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The White Panda
Also hailing from California, The White Panda gained popularity in 2011 with popular mash ups like ‘Till The Bromance Ends.’ They’ve been de-panda’d, unfortunately.
The White Panda – ‘Till The Bromance Ends (Brittany Spears vs Avicii)
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The White Panda – Testify It (Rage Against the Machine vs Kaskade & Skrillex)
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SBTRKT
EDM genre-bending SBTRKT, aka Aaron Jerome, made a huge splash on the EDM scene this past year with his debut self-titled album (which won DJ Magazine’s album of the year, #49 in the NME albums of 2011, and #42 on Pitchfork’s ‘Top 50 albums of 2011′). He music ranges across tons of genres including future garage, dubstep, house, two step, R&B, and soul. Jerome uses both his alias and his mask to promote the idea of music for music and not music for celebrity.
*Words by CDELPERCIO
SBTRKT – Wildfire
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SBTRKT – Hold On (Them Jeans Remix)
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dB Pure
Looking like they walked off the set of ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ this mysterious duo are quite off the beaten path. They’re supported by Italian countrymen DJs From Mars and made, perhaps, the best vocal edit of Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso’s ‘Calling’ you’ll ever hear.
Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso feat. The Ark – It Takes A Fool For This Calling (dB Pure Mash up)
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dB Pure – Me Ri Tu (DJ’s From Mars Club Remix)
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DJ Bl3nd
Ah! How scary! DJ Bl3nd is another west-coaster. He is infamous for his Chucky mask he wears while performing. He is also infamous for scaring the bejesus out of anyone who grew up scared of Chucky. His mixes are quite popular and ‘Low Battery’ is among the best electro productions of 2011.
DJ Bl3nd – Low Battery
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DJ Bl3nd – FKN INSANE
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So, what have we learned? Italians, mash ups and/or dark electro can, possible, equal masks, helmets or other facades. Anyone we missed? Leave them in the comments section. They were probably hiding.
Dj Bl3nd? One of the best electro productions…?
Unfathomable statement, eh? He may play toward the bro/noob crowd, but ‘Low Battery’ hits hard. No question.
Putting The White Panda as EDM artists? What a joke. Those two couldn’t produce a track if their lives depended on it.
Hey, eff it. They wear masks!
What about Funtcase?
Unfamiliar with he/she/them. Direct all your stones at my Twitter.
@JoeyJoeyJoeyy
Well, I haven’t heard that DJ Bl3nd mix, so I’ll check it out.
White Panda doesn’t even deserve a mention in an article including Daft Punk and Deadmau5.
this article went downhill QUICK
I do not like any of the artists in this blog. It was a great blog regardless of musical talent. quit snitchin!
Harsh criticism…nice article!
that was a great read, thanks!
How about Angerfist? #39 in DJ Mag’s top 100 this past year, check it out. Hardstyle, hard techno stuff. It’s a shame NY has no hardstyle scene, it’s definitely a party.
Ain’t no style like hardstyle!