Back in the day, a Lemur was like four grand iPads were about 800 bucks”. But then when Apple came out with the iPad, it just absolutely destroyed that in terms of portability. They had some cool ideas with the widgets and the editor and all that stuff. “But the problem with that was the resolution and the tactile feedback – it was just a slow device. “There were a number of OSC products that came out, the first being the JazzMutant Lemur,” says Joel. “Because everybody’s trying to find their place in 2020.” So how does a new music app come to fruition in such tumultuous times, then? And why does Deadmau5 even need his own custom-built control system when there are so many comprehensive ones on the market? “I’m thinking of the position of the business before I’m like, ‘Me, me, me’,” he says. But Deadmau5 remains modest about the effect it’s had on him and acknowledges first that his team has been hit too.

Of course, his OSC-packed Cube shows have all been delayed thanks to COVID-19. All of this beats on as he puts out new material with Steve Duda as BSOD, and performs live sets as Testpilot. During the lockdown, he’s also released the track Pomegranate with Pharrell and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes. Armed with OSC/Pilot, his trademark ‘mau5head’ helmet and an impeccable light show, Zimmerman has performed live at drive-in concerts in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Though much of the music industry has come to a grinding halt due to the pandemic, Deadmau5 is still very much in demand.

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