Do you ever analyze video game soundtracks? I've been asking TH-camrs for years to analyze "Zombies ate my Neighbors ". No one transposed that Score yet. (Only a couple songs)
According deadmau5, he almost didn't release Strobe because he wasn't happy with it. His advice: release your tracks because your audience might like them even if you don't.
Perhaps because it was so unlike anything else. It's hard to know when something is good if you don't have anything to compare it to. This was the final track on the first Deadmau5 album I bought. It's still the most haunting track on the album (ironic when two other track titles include "ghosts").
I've never had many other friends who were into EDM. This was one of my introductory tracks to the genre when I was younger, and it meant a lot to me during those days. I'm glad to find it means so much to other people as well.
When I was in high school, one of my best friends loved electronic music and we used to drive around during the summer in his old convertible Saab and he'd put on deadmau5. I hated it at first, but now I'm commenting on a deadmau5 production video 16 years later so you can probably guess the trajectory of my music taste.
Strobe is a freaking masterpiece. It was way ahead of its time when released. The fact that there’s a video around why, just proves my exact thoughts on it being a masterpiece in the EDM world.
Deadmau5 is a genius level producer, guy’s so good and has so much knowledge about everything, his livestreams are so entertaining and educational as well.
Not really. He is a super intelligent guy with musical talent, but 0,0 music theory background or no playing capabilities. He just shoves notes up and down until he likes it. Don't get me wrong - the results are sometimes stunning, but for different things. I took his masterclass some time ago for these different things.
I don't think he's a genius, I think he's just someone who's wasting 20 years of his life thinking he can make music. Realistically he's just regurgitating or taking credit from other people. He himself even admits. He doesn't even know what he's doing. He does not really have a lot of musical talent. And a majority of his music is only famous because of the hype that was based off of his collaborations. Especially kaskade when he did 2009's." I remember "Joel Zimmerman took the credit for KasKades work even though KasKade himself was the one who made the song. Yeah, you can say strobe is halfway decent, but when you listen to a majority of his music there's just not a whole lot of excitement there. It takes too long to build up, it's just the same drum pattern for the next 14 measures before every once in a while. Occasionally a small melody that repeats itself. Maybe four four time four or five times the entire track and that's it.. That's like that with most of his music. Even today. He's got all this sound equipment but doesn't know how to use it, he will literally spend the majority of his time high or drunk, trying figure out what to make. He's by far a musical genius compared to Martin Garrix, Calvin Harris, or even Zed.
I saw Deadmau5 live in Detroit shortly after 4x4=12 came out. The feeling that washed over the crowd when he came back out for the second half of the show and started playing Strobe was one of the most magical feelings I've ever experienced. One of the few EDM songs capable of producing tears imo.
Maybe give a listen to Helix by Flume, its buildup always gives me goosbumps. And the song itself is even a whole buildup for the album. Also give a shot to Tiny Cities and its anti-buildup for one of the most devastating drops ever created. Don't skip ahead, play and let it grow. Also, use headphones or don't at all :)
To me this song represents a full life lived. From the calm birth and formative building, to the ramp up to adulthood, and then into the prime packed with intense action with highs and lows occurring constantly and in conjunction with each other, to eventually calm back down where you reflect, and digest, and then fade to a comforting close. It's for this reason I seriously want this song played at my funeral and for everyone to take the opportunity throughout this song to reflect on their own life lived.
I rediscovered this song recently after not listening to it for years and I fell in love with it again immediately. The song starts of as a quiet contemplation, with a certain sense of longing and regret, but by the end it's an expression of energetic determination.
This song will never get old.. it is so sad that deadmau5 doesn’t make this classic style of music😢 if you watch his livestreams now it just doesn’t seem he doesn’t love it anymore.. and shows in his recent music 🥺🥺
I've met him in Seattle couple times. A lot of the people in the scene pretty much agree he's a self absorbed, pompous d-bag. doesnt mean you cant enjoy his music though :)
There are only 5-6 songs ever that have completely put me in a haze of pure euphoria and tears of disbelief.. and Strobe when I heard it in 2009 did that to me like I’d never felt before. And it might be the most euphoric I’ve ever ever felt from a song.
Good quesetion. Strawberry Fields - The Beatles Eyez On Fire - Blue Foundation (Zeds Dead Remix) The Pot - TOOL (First exposure to TOOL) Breathe - Pink Floyd Hypnotize - System of a Down The End - The Doors Cloudlight - Eskmo Dayvan Cowboy - Boards of Canada Only ones i can think that really caused full body chills and felt like my life was never the same after listening. I don't like Cloudlight much anymore, but the rest still hold up for sure. @@ThisisFred-dt4mq
I feel compelled to comment on this video which is so very rare for me. This is a fantastic breakdown of Strobe. You capture everything that blows be away by Joel’s tracks and that’s the detail to laying texture which often goes unnoticed by the masses. Like then couple of notes that now we know Strobe so nostalgically we hear the couple of notes from the coming melody just catches us every time. The ramp in tempo always gets me, Strobe is just a masterpiece, Deadmau5 is just GOAT.
strobe has always been one of my favorite songs by deadmau5, if not of all time; but this video really makes me realize why I love it so much. such a beautiful arrangement
I’m not a musician but this song was no 1 on year end Spotify for 3 out of the last five years so I had to watch this. Your excitement about it is a beautiful thing. This one track single-handedly changed my personal playlists from alternative and rock to various sub-genres of EDM. I’m so glad this showed up on a Discover Weekly 5 years ago It still gives me goosebumps every single time. It’s a tonic. I’m so sorry Joel wasn’t happy with it, if that’s true; I’ve wondered if when you’re finished how it must feel knowing you’re sending a masterpiece out into the world.
This song is not only genius.... it's perfect and it's beautiful. And you're brave and very talented to reproduce that and even with proper sounds, right bass, right rhythm, amazing piano and professional synth. Thanks man for being the one that makes such a serious tribute, so professional and so touchy. 🙏 This one for me is one of his most beautiful creations, with the veldt. Cheers
This, mister, is one of the best deconstructs I've seen and heard...and each time, the chills, the goosebumps, it takes me back to hearing this live, the closing track of his set...I thank you good sir, for now I can tackle this on piano!
Thank you for doing this song Alex, you're one of my favorite production channels. I like how the "off kilter" quarter notes in the dance section really do make the section work, with the tension their imperfection adds
I think this is his "magnum opus" for arranging the whole song. But other more simple songs like Faxing Berlin have great arrangements that are far more simple
That melody nearly brought me to tears. Always have loved this song but damn it’s so much better after seeing it broken down like this! Absolutely haunting!!!
Deadmau5 will always be one of the GOAT. He changed electronic music forever. Arguably the Jeff Mills of the 2008-2009 era. Seen him many times, and he never disappoints.
Ah, Deadmau5 , the maestro of musical mischief! While the rest of us mere mortals fumble with keyboards and stumble through melodies, he's out there doodling musical masterpieces like a virtuoso with a crayon. It's like he's playing a game of 'Connect the Dots,' but the dots are musical notes, and the outcome is sheer genius. Note to self: next time I'm stuck on a melody, skip the keyboard, grab a sketchpad. Deadmau5, the true Picasso of EDM! Keep 'em coming Joel Love, Bending Grid
This is one of my favorite tracks ever. THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE THEY USED TO. every song sounds the same now. "melodic techno" is full of the same 10 second pauses, and bleeps and bloops. EDM of techno
Man, thanks for reminding me how much I love Strobe. I used to play in a rock band and couldn't get the appeal of electronic music but when I slowly started trying my hand at producing my own tracks for fun, it's like a whole new world opened up to me. And I fell in love with this stuff. And I wanna emphasize on something you touched on in this video. The melody doesn't have to change too much. But you can change the context around it. You can quite literally transform a melody from sad to happy or to anything in between, just with what you do around it. We can play around with complex progressive melodies but you can also create something magical with a repeating melody.
from the moment i heard this song i was entranced, i unfortunately dont listen to it as much as i used to but its crazy to think about how much such a simple composition of synths has effected my life and how i experience music in relation to time and space. if i had to pick a song as a soundtrack to my life it would be Strobe. its musical genius at its most fundamental level
I remember hearing strobe live for the first time all the way back in 2011 when Joel came around with his first cube tour. Genuinely one of the greatest things I’ve ever been a part of.
Alex, I've been a musician my entire life and I've longing for a page like this. Typically, I'll start to break down songs to my friends and they tell me I'm basically speaking Chinese. It's heaven to come to a place where music is understood on almost a molecular level.
Hearing it live the first time you see him in person is like a religious experience after listening to it on your devices for 10 years. Cube v3 blew my mind.
@@sonodima I just saw him at the Hollywood bowl a couple weeks ago. If you ever get the chance, please go and see him. As cringey as it sounds, it really is life changing. The visuals are unmatched.
This song is so unique. Sometimes I use it to hype myself up and be productive, sometimes I listen to it when I'm melancholic or sad. It takes me back to my high school days, when I was depressed and would skip class because I had a panic attack, and walked home for an hour instead of waiting for the bus. Man, this song is special. It really moves me. Anyone else feels similar?
Hey friend, it’s crazy how we are so similar in story. I’m 96’ too (I see from your username) This music and this track helped me during my darkest moments of life. I remember listening to it alone, in my room, and I felt like a journey was calling me. I’m living it up now thank God.
As someone who tried and failed at making hip hop beats, electronic music (dubstep, edm, house, etc.) is literally MILES above in terms of difficulty. Sound selection is more important in hip hop in my opinion. But the technical mastery that is required to make any type of electronic music is INSANE.
One of my favorites! Made the mistake of listening to it during a marathon and my pace went from 10 min/mi to 8 min/mi, caught it after the song was over and had to slow down!
As a diehard EDM fan and someone used to spend a lot of time producing(but never really mastering it I just seeing some of my ancient videos), I have always maintained that strobe is single-handedly the most beautiful and well organized form of EDM I have heard since discovering the genre in 99. Joel Zimmerman I have speculated is a modern day Mozart. He has all the elements of genius: depressed, angry, zero patience and an absolute perfectionist in mastering. He doesn't settle for typical four bar cord structures and curses anyone who does. The way he creates music so nonchalantly is something I have yet to see in other artists. I've listened to tens of thousands of songs over the years and have a giant collection, much of which can't be found on any streaming platform today. Dabbling in my own attempts, working at one EDM club and owning another, I still say strobe is the best it's ever gotten and I don't know if it's possible for it to be beaten. EDM was never meant to make anyone cry. ❤
So well said. As an older millennial who grew up with EDM, and consider myself an EDM connoisseur, I still think this is the best produced song to ever hit the genre.
Such an Absolute classic, nostalgic melody. Gives you goosebumps every time! Love this series Alex, thank you for recreating these wonderful songs and teaching us the narrative behind these masterpieces.
Gänsehaut, cool. Am intriguing thing about German is it's literal nature. In English we call it the Ivory Coast but in German it's die elfenbeinküste...
I knew it was going to be strobe before I even clicked the video. Absolutely hands down one of my favorite EDMs if not my favorite, I still love kicking it on in the evening while relaxing or during a car ride. Fell in love with it when I was a teenager and the love hasn't gone anywhere!
I love how at parts you're just in awe of the composition - and rightfully so. This song is really a whole story and it stands out even after many years.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who gets so insanely stoked about an incredible song like this that I can’t contain my emotions. This song is sooo insanely beautiful, there’s no other word for it for me. It’s perfect.
Alex, I'm someone who's never really paid attention to EDM 'til recently, so your videos are an introduction to a whole new world of music, as well as being tutorials and explanations. Cheers!
No EDM? Try these bangers, I put them in the same realm of feel that Strobe has 16 Bit Lolitas - Chant A Tune (Jeremy Olander Remix) Infected Mushroom - Elation Station Estiva - Sound Goes Down Eric Prydz - Opus Tipper - Ambergris, Sayonara, Dreamsters, The Re-Up (not EDM but....) If you want a shortcut to some heavily emotional tracks
when i hear this song. I think of all the good memories I made living in North Dakota working at coca cola and all the great relationships i made with my co-workers. Along with all the good times when it was just my brother and I living together in an apartment playing xbox, minecraft, going on trips, and just being bros. When I listen to this song, It reminds me of when I first discovered deadmau5, I remember when he inspired me recreating alot of his songs in an IOS app called Nanostudio, and getting me into electronic music, and discovering other great artists. I’ll never forget those times till the day I pass.. This all sounds dumb, but it will probably remain as being the best era of my life. Thanks deadmau5. This will forever be my favorite song by you.
Strobe was such a massive part of my childhood. So many tears wept to this one. It makes me not exactly happy or sad, but I just would feel. I'd recognize the beauty of life and the tragedy of loss. Thank you for this video.
Great video. I'd go even further and say this track is one of the greatest pieces of music ever made. I can't even count how many times I've listen to this track. It's just in a class of it's own.
Can't understand how a song can be this good. I've a got a decent set of music knowledge thru the years, but this? Crazy good. The man hit a proper homerun with this one.
Before clicking on the thumbnail I somehow knew that you were gonna talk about strobe, I just have no words to express how good this breakdown is. You made me think of the song as an even bigger inspiration for producing music, thank you man.
Played this song for a friend and when the second beat kicks in they said "oh its happy now" i thought it was funny so always remember that. I personaly love the intro sequence.
Fun fact, since you say “I’ve never heard that sound in my life.” What you are listening to is called parallel 5ths and Octaves. In this instance it’s putting what guitarists call “power chords” over a bassline that follows the root. There is a slight difference in that the 5th is a 12th, but it’s the same note so it still classed as a parallel 5th. Parallel fifths and octaves are the signature sound of metal/punk/rock/a large portion of traditional European folk music. When classical composers wanted to write a section of music that sounded like folk music they would use parallel octaves and fifths following a simple chord progression, exactly the way that modern rock bands do. The composer Joseph Haydn wrote a whole String Quartet (No. 2 in D minor) using the technique and it is really very good.
I really like the swing that the mismatched notes added to the song at 6:08. Didn't find it disturbing at all, it started giving it a bit more bounce leading up to the higher tempo
I remember when that song came out it absolutely dominated my friend group's car music. The first time i heard it, i had chills running up and down my spine.
Class vid as always (watched the previous upload 😅)! Really owe a lot to your content for my progression this past year in music Alex 🙌 Look forward to hopefully joining the course in the coming months 🐐
Love this. I was explaining to someone the other day that strobe is the closest thing I know of to an auditory drug. You just ride the roller coaster of emotion and when that beat drops you are unstoppable. Really incredible.
Alex, you are incredible at teaching. I actually think you are one of the best teachers there is on this planet (no bs). So i have been producing for fun for 4 years, then i watched 2 of your videos. one on melodies and one on chords, and you elevated my producing skills an infinite amount. It's not even comparable to what i made before. I just have so much gratitude for you that i really needed to express. Keep up the utterly fantastic work you are doing for us small time producers that just want to make something nice sounding. Edit: Don't let my kind words get to your head you mafakka 😂, but they are true
This piece of music always makes me feel happy and drive faster and faster on the autobahn. The dramaturgy of this song is beyond awesome. No artist in the modern age, at least not that I know of, has written such a good piece.. maybe some of the great movie composers yeah but in electronic music Joel is an absolute genius and worlds beyond anyone else. The piece is 10 minutes long almost like a 3 piece classical composition piece.
As awesome as this song is, the Trance music scene had been giving us stuff like this since the late 90s. As top tier as Deadmau5 is, I do feel he’s sometimes given a bit too much credit. Unpopular opinion I know, but it is what it is.
What song/artist should I break down next?
Do you ever analyze video game soundtracks? I've been asking TH-camrs for years to analyze "Zombies ate my Neighbors ".
No one transposed that Score yet.
(Only a couple songs)
David Bowie's The Labrynth Soundtrack is also good and so hard to find.
Marshmello❤
Marsmello
Pryda - Vega / Pryda - Melo
According deadmau5, he almost didn't release Strobe because he wasn't happy with it. His advice: release your tracks because your audience might like them even if you don't.
To him it was just a throwaway track the label wanted a b side to the record and he said well u can have this i guess
That's wild. Strobe is one of my all time favorite electronic songs.
That's wild, yet true!
Are you serious?? This is like one of the greatest melodies of all time! How could Joel leave this on the chopping room floor??
Perhaps because it was so unlike anything else. It's hard to know when something is good if you don't have anything to compare it to.
This was the final track on the first Deadmau5 album I bought. It's still the most haunting track on the album (ironic when two other track titles include "ghosts").
Strobe is the Stairway to Heaven for EDM
real
Wow you nailed it.
Progressive EDM
@@Slugg0n yeah I mean we used to call deadmau5's shit progressive house back in the day
unfortunately nowadays progressive house means fuck all
Great analogy!
I think he finds it haunting 🤔
😂❤
😂
Wee bit haunting 😂
Dude must be so proud he learned about the other meaning of haunting so he had to use it hauntingly inflationary.
must be daunting to find something so haunting
This track is one of the reasons why I fell in love with electronic music
I'm sure Joel would be very pleased to hear that
Skrillex + Zedd broke me down to fall in love electronic, Deadmau5 + Wolfgang Gartner hardened that for forever
I've never had many other friends who were into EDM. This was one of my introductory tracks to the genre when I was younger, and it meant a lot to me during those days. I'm glad to find it means so much to other people as well.
When I was in high school, one of my best friends loved electronic music and we used to drive around during the summer in his old convertible Saab and he'd put on deadmau5. I hated it at first, but now I'm commenting on a deadmau5 production video 16 years later so you can probably guess the trajectory of my music taste.
Same ❤️💯
Strobe, Polaris etc is where deadmau5 basically plays on our emotions. The relaxing feeling of nostalgia is hard to quantify or describe.
Polaris reminded me of strobe so much. I remember having to watch the Japan set to listen to it before it released
Words cannot express how much I love Polaris, its such a beautiful track and its reminiscence of Strobe is incredible.
It is! Polaris is totally different but somehow evokes similar feelings. I'd love to hear more of this kind of tracks from deadmau5@@dioxide39
love the polaris shout out. one of my fave tracks of him, severely underrated track
I’m glad you’ve said this cause haunting isn’t what I’d call it either
Strobe is a freaking masterpiece. It was way ahead of its time when released. The fact that there’s a video around why, just proves my exact thoughts on it being a masterpiece in the EDM world.
Aphex Twin has been doing stuff like this for 30+ years.
@@travz21Deadmau5 is mainstream/pop EDM. Aphex Twin is underground/niche EDM.
@@RareFXChrisC How is that relevant to anything? Deadmau5 simply wasn't ahead of his time.
Deadmau5 is a genius level producer, guy’s so good and has so much knowledge about everything, his livestreams are so entertaining and educational as well.
Not really. He is a super intelligent guy with musical talent, but 0,0 music theory background or no playing capabilities. He just shoves notes up and down until he likes it. Don't get me wrong - the results are sometimes stunning, but for different things. I took his masterclass some time ago for these different things.
@@r0ck53n like the guys music but i really dont like his attitude
Why ppl are so fragile these days..
I don't think he's a genius, I think he's just someone who's wasting 20 years of his life thinking he can make music. Realistically he's just regurgitating or taking credit from other people.
He himself even admits. He doesn't even know what he's doing. He does not really have a lot of musical talent. And a majority of his music is only famous because of the hype that was based off of his collaborations.
Especially kaskade when he did 2009's." I remember "Joel Zimmerman took the credit for KasKades work even though KasKade himself was the one who made the song.
Yeah, you can say strobe is halfway decent, but when you listen to a majority of his music there's just not a whole lot of excitement there. It takes too long to build up, it's just the same drum pattern for the next 14 measures before every once in a while. Occasionally a small melody that repeats itself. Maybe four four time four or five times the entire track and that's it..
That's like that with most of his music. Even today. He's got all this sound equipment but doesn't know how to use it, he will literally spend the majority of his time high or drunk, trying figure out what to make. He's by far a musical genius compared to Martin Garrix, Calvin Harris, or even Zed.
Where do you catch him streaming at twitch? Is his username his stage name?
I saw Deadmau5 live in Detroit shortly after 4x4=12 came out. The feeling that washed over the crowd when he came back out for the second half of the show and started playing Strobe was one of the most magical feelings I've ever experienced. One of the few EDM songs capable of producing tears imo.
I might have been at this show with you about ten years ago ?
Was this at the filmore?
i was there
That's friggin awesome...
Was there
Love the way bro kept going "isn't that nostalgic!?" You can tell he really loves music. Subbed.
This isn’t nostalgic in the slightest, however Boards of Canada are the absolute kings of nostalgia
@@Kung_Fu_Jesus it is 👍
@@jfreitag88 decent dance music had died by 2010, it just got recycled around and around again and hasn’t stopped being recycled
I found it haunting
@@megaweezerfan Isn't it haunting?!!
very haunting
an afrojack breakdown would be pretty nostalgic 🤔🤔
To this day no one has better buildups than deadmau5. Aural Psynapse is another banger example.
I LOVE Aural Psynapse!!! I'm going to go listen to it now lol
Eric Prydz
@@Annie-ph8vq Beat me to it.
Maybe give a listen to Helix by Flume, its buildup always gives me goosbumps. And the song itself is even a whole buildup for the album.
Also give a shot to Tiny Cities and its anti-buildup for one of the most devastating drops ever created. Don't skip ahead, play and let it grow.
Also, use headphones or don't at all :)
I love all the suggestions I find in these videos❤🎉
To me this song represents a full life lived. From the calm birth and formative building, to the ramp up to adulthood, and then into the prime packed with intense action with highs and lows occurring constantly and in conjunction with each other, to eventually calm back down where you reflect, and digest, and then fade to a comforting close. It's for this reason I seriously want this song played at my funeral and for everyone to take the opportunity throughout this song to reflect on their own life lived.
Your breakdown of Strobe gets me just as excited as listening the original song again! Well done! Thank you
I rediscovered this song recently after not listening to it for years and I fell in love with it again immediately. The song starts of as a quiet contemplation, with a certain sense of longing and regret, but by the end it's an expression of energetic determination.
This is easily the best description of it I have ever heard
Yes
This song will never get old.. it is so sad that deadmau5 doesn’t make this classic style of music😢 if you watch his livestreams now it just doesn’t seem he doesn’t love it anymore.. and shows in his recent music 🥺🥺
Look for his unreleased song, Quetzalcoatl. Similar feelings.
Quezacotl just got released alongside a few others in a new EP just a couple days ago. Very VERY classic sounding tunes I’m sure you’ll love!
Re_jaded just dropped recently and It sounds like this
Deadmau5 is incredible man. Honestly what a genius, this song is timeless. Its infinite
I've met him in Seattle couple times. A lot of the people in the scene pretty much agree he's a self absorbed, pompous d-bag. doesnt mean you cant enjoy his music though :)
Haah I love how stoked you are about this tune! Definitely an all-time classic
There are only 5-6 songs ever that have completely put me in a haze of pure euphoria and tears of disbelief.. and Strobe when I heard it in 2009 did that to me like I’d never felt before. And it might be the most euphoric I’ve ever ever felt from a song.
Same I was just going through journeys in my head listening to this
What are the other songs?
Good quesetion.
Strawberry Fields - The Beatles
Eyez On Fire - Blue Foundation (Zeds Dead Remix)
The Pot - TOOL (First exposure to TOOL)
Breathe - Pink Floyd
Hypnotize - System of a Down
The End - The Doors
Cloudlight - Eskmo
Dayvan Cowboy - Boards of Canada
Only ones i can think that really caused full body chills and felt like my life was never the same after listening. I don't like Cloudlight much anymore, but the rest still hold up for sure.
@@ThisisFred-dt4mq
What about yourself?@@ThisisFred-dt4mq
What are your handful of songs that really fit your soul to a perfect tee and felt like a spiritual orgasm? @@realestedm1636
can we all agree the melody at 6:05 is so damn nostalgic, i love deadmau5
I hear Porter Robinson's Language there lol
I feel compelled to comment on this video which is so very rare for me. This is a fantastic breakdown of Strobe. You capture everything that blows be away by Joel’s tracks and that’s the detail to laying texture which often goes unnoticed by the masses. Like then couple of notes that now we know Strobe so nostalgically we hear the couple of notes from the coming melody just catches us every time. The ramp in tempo always gets me, Strobe is just a masterpiece, Deadmau5 is just GOAT.
strobe has always been one of my favorite songs by deadmau5, if not of all time; but this video really makes me realize why I love it so much. such a beautiful arrangement
I’m not a musician but this song was no 1 on year end Spotify for 3 out of the last five years so I had to watch this. Your excitement about it is a beautiful thing. This one track single-handedly changed my personal playlists from alternative and rock to various sub-genres of EDM. I’m so glad this showed up on a Discover Weekly 5 years ago It still gives me goosebumps every single time. It’s a tonic. I’m so sorry Joel wasn’t happy with it, if that’s true; I’ve wondered if when you’re finished how it must feel knowing you’re sending a masterpiece out into the world.
This song is not only genius.... it's perfect and it's beautiful. And you're brave and very talented to reproduce that and even with proper sounds, right bass, right rhythm, amazing piano and professional synth. Thanks man for being the one that makes such a serious tribute, so professional and so touchy. 🙏 This one for me is one of his most beautiful creations, with the veldt. Cheers
This, mister, is one of the best deconstructs I've seen and heard...and each time, the chills, the goosebumps, it takes me back to hearing this live, the closing track of his set...I thank you good sir, for now I can tackle this on piano!
isnt that haunting??
very haunting
im the globglogabgalab
Don’t you feel like you’re in a movie ?
Thank you for doing this song Alex, you're one of my favorite production channels. I like how the "off kilter" quarter notes in the dance section really do make the section work, with the tension their imperfection adds
I think this is his "magnum opus" for arranging the whole song. But other more simple songs like Faxing Berlin have great arrangements that are far more simple
That melody nearly brought me to tears. Always have loved this song but damn it’s so much better after seeing it broken down like this! Absolutely haunting!!!
Deadmau5 will always be one of the GOAT. He changed electronic music forever. Arguably the Jeff Mills of the 2008-2009 era. Seen him many times, and he never disappoints.
"The 2008-2009 Era" 😂
@@theftking
🤭🤭
The Era of June-July 2008. lol
Ah, Deadmau5 , the maestro of musical mischief! While the rest of us mere mortals fumble with keyboards and stumble through melodies, he's out there doodling musical masterpieces like a virtuoso with a crayon. It's like he's playing a game of 'Connect the Dots,' but the dots are musical notes, and the outcome is sheer genius. Note to self: next time I'm stuck on a melody, skip the keyboard, grab a sketchpad. Deadmau5, the true Picasso of EDM!
Keep 'em coming Joel
Love, Bending Grid
I cryed watching this video. This is how beautiful this song is and how perfectly it was written 😭
This is one of my favorite tracks ever. THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE THEY USED TO. every song sounds the same now. "melodic techno" is full of the same 10 second pauses, and bleeps and bloops. EDM of techno
This song makes my eyes roll back.
Man, thanks for reminding me how much I love Strobe. I used to play in a rock band and couldn't get the appeal of electronic music but when I slowly started trying my hand at producing my own tracks for fun, it's like a whole new world opened up to me. And I fell in love with this stuff.
And I wanna emphasize on something you touched on in this video. The melody doesn't have to change too much. But you can change the context around it. You can quite literally transform a melody from sad to happy or to anything in between, just with what you do around it. We can play around with complex progressive melodies but you can also create something magical with a repeating melody.
from the moment i heard this song i was entranced, i unfortunately dont listen to it as much as i used to but its crazy to think about how much such a simple composition of synths has effected my life and how i experience music in relation to time and space. if i had to pick a song as a soundtrack to my life it would be Strobe. its musical genius at its most fundamental level
Christ almighty are you for real
I really like your behavior asking whoever is watching the video how good the song is
this one and Creep, creep just give me the chills every time deadmau5 is genius, he deserves to be where he is at
I love this song and I love your excitement around hearing each element come into it
I remember hearing strobe live for the first time all the way back in 2011 when Joel came around with his first cube tour. Genuinely one of the greatest things I’ve ever been a part of.
Same. The cube tour was peak
Strobe is my favourite edm track of all time. It’s in my top 20 tracks of all time
My favorite EDM track of all time.
real
Alex, I've been a musician my entire life and I've longing for a page like this. Typically, I'll start to break down songs to my friends and they tell me I'm basically speaking Chinese. It's heaven to come to a place where music is understood on almost a molecular level.
Yes, that IS haunting
The layers, smooth as silk synths, tight bass notes, etc make Deadmau5 magical to listen to IMO.
I always felt emotional with this song... now I get why. He is a freaking genious.
Hearing it live the first time you see him in person is like a religious experience after listening to it on your devices for 10 years. Cube v3 blew my mind.
@@daftelf is he still doing live events?
@@sonodima I just saw him at the Hollywood bowl a couple weeks ago. If you ever get the chance, please go and see him. As cringey as it sounds, it really is life changing. The visuals are unmatched.
@@guera2003 That's amazing, thank you for sharing this! I'll certainly go see him if I get the chance to
One of many Deadmau5 songs that are just so damn good and beautiful.
What's the song called?
@@PM-wt3ye never gonna give you up
@@PM-wt3yeim the globglogabgalab
This song is so unique. Sometimes I use it to hype myself up and be productive, sometimes I listen to it when I'm melancholic or sad. It takes me back to my high school days, when I was depressed and would skip class because I had a panic attack, and walked home for an hour instead of waiting for the bus. Man, this song is special. It really moves me. Anyone else feels similar?
Hey friend, it’s crazy how we are so similar in story. I’m 96’ too (I see from your username) This music and this track helped me during my darkest moments of life. I remember listening to it alone, in my room, and I felt like a journey was calling me. I’m living it up now thank God.
Deadmau5 has produced some of the hardest and best electronic bass riffs ever. Dude is an electronic music genius.
I’m always impressed by deadmau5’s melodic developments. It’s one reason I’m a fan. His Cube v2 show was also super cool.
This must've been where Prydz's Opus had inspiration from. Another legendary track
As someone who tried and failed at making hip hop beats, electronic music (dubstep, edm, house, etc.) is literally MILES above in terms of difficulty. Sound selection is more important in hip hop in my opinion. But the technical mastery that is required to make any type of electronic music is INSANE.
One of my favorites! Made the mistake of listening to it during a marathon and my pace went from 10 min/mi to 8 min/mi, caught it after the song was over and had to slow down!
As a diehard EDM fan and someone used to spend a lot of time producing(but never really mastering it I just seeing some of my ancient videos), I have always maintained that strobe is single-handedly the most beautiful and well organized form of EDM I have heard since discovering the genre in 99. Joel Zimmerman I have speculated is a modern day Mozart. He has all the elements of genius: depressed, angry, zero patience and an absolute perfectionist in mastering. He doesn't settle for typical four bar cord structures and curses anyone who does. The way he creates music so nonchalantly is something I have yet to see in other artists. I've listened to tens of thousands of songs over the years and have a giant collection, much of which can't be found on any streaming platform today. Dabbling in my own attempts, working at one EDM club and owning another, I still say strobe is the best it's ever gotten and I don't know if it's possible for it to be beaten. EDM was never meant to make anyone cry. ❤
So well said. As an older millennial who grew up with EDM, and consider myself an EDM connoisseur, I still think this is the best produced song to ever hit the genre.
@ we both agree.
Great Video
This has to be one of the most beautiful pieces of electronic music of all time.
Such an Absolute classic, nostalgic melody. Gives you goosebumps every time! Love this series Alex, thank you for recreating these wonderful songs and teaching us the narrative behind these masterpieces.
A really great song. In German we say "Gänsehaut"... I get goose bumps when I hear it.
Thank you very much for the video.
Gänsehaut, cool. Am intriguing thing about German is it's literal nature. In English we call it the Ivory Coast but in German it's die elfenbeinküste...
That's Cthulhu in action, baby! He loves this plugin as much as i do.
I knew it was going to be strobe before I even clicked the video. Absolutely hands down one of my favorite EDMs if not my favorite, I still love kicking it on in the evening while relaxing or during a car ride. Fell in love with it when I was a teenager and the love hasn't gone anywhere!
Everytime I heard this masterpiece, makes me overwhelmed of emotion, and makes me cry. Good job Alex showing how Strobe was made ❤️
Dradmau5 is the GOAT as far as I’m concerned. I’ve experienced the best trips to his music.
Chutulu sleeps always get me in a strange way
I love how at parts you're just in awe of the composition - and rightfully so. This song is really a whole story and it stands out even after many years.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who gets so insanely stoked about an incredible song like this that I can’t contain my emotions. This song is sooo insanely beautiful, there’s no other word for it for me. It’s perfect.
Alex, I'm someone who's never really paid attention to EDM 'til recently, so your videos are an introduction to a whole new world of music, as well as being tutorials and explanations. Cheers!
That’s so cool hope you like it bro
No EDM? Try these bangers, I put them in the same realm of feel that Strobe has
16 Bit Lolitas - Chant A Tune (Jeremy Olander Remix)
Infected Mushroom - Elation Station
Estiva - Sound Goes Down
Eric Prydz - Opus
Tipper - Ambergris, Sayonara, Dreamsters, The Re-Up (not EDM but....)
If you want a shortcut to some heavily emotional tracks
when i hear this song. I think of all the good memories I made living in North Dakota working at coca cola and all the great relationships i made with my co-workers. Along with all the good times when it was just my brother and I living together in an apartment playing xbox, minecraft, going on trips, and just being bros.
When I listen to this song, It reminds me of when I first discovered deadmau5, I remember when he inspired me recreating alot of his songs in an IOS app called Nanostudio, and getting me into electronic music, and discovering other great artists. I’ll never forget those times till the day I pass..
This all sounds dumb, but it will probably remain as being the best era of my life. Thanks deadmau5. This will forever be my favorite song by you.
Haunting? Nah
It's hauntingly beautiful.
real
Strobe was such a massive part of my childhood. So many tears wept to this one. It makes me not exactly happy or sad, but I just would feel. I'd recognize the beauty of life and the tragedy of loss. Thank you for this video.
Great video. I'd go even further and say this track is one of the greatest pieces of music ever made. I can't even count how many times I've listen to this track. It's just in a class of it's own.
Can't understand how a song can be this good. I've a got a decent set of music knowledge thru the years, but this? Crazy good. The man hit a proper homerun with this one.
This is possibly my favorite song of all time
Mine too
I have to agree, this track is so beautiful. It gives me chills every time.
I appreciate this breakdown. I've always had a deep love for this song and to share that with all of you is incredible.
Love the breakdown and the pure love for the song! wish we had more such arrangements popularized.
I like the pace of the video. "*music plays 10 seconds*, isn't that ADJECTIVE?!" haha it's just fun to listen to.
As soon as I read the title I thought:
- " OH, PLEASE BE STROBE!" 🤞
Thank you for this man, you rule 🤘
I remember the first time i heard strobe, that song is ART. Masterpiece. I felt like crying all song, and in a good way. Love it.
Remember seeing him live when this popped, What a vibe, what a masterpiece, what an artist, I enjoy his Test Pilot alias today, high octane techno
Before clicking on the thumbnail I somehow knew that you were gonna talk about strobe, I just have no words to express how good this breakdown is. You made me think of the song as an even bigger inspiration for producing music, thank you man.
one of the best songs ever made
what's the name of the song?
@@KadinWhitney he said it in the beginning. “Strobe”
I fully believe that in a couple hundred years, deadmau5 will be viewed they way we view the likes of Mozart today
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
1:22 nah mate it's beautiful
Played this song for a friend and when the second beat kicks in they said "oh its happy now" i thought it was funny so always remember that. I personaly love the intro sequence.
I get goosebumps every time I hear this song. A true masterpiece 😊 Nice video 👍
Fun fact, since you say “I’ve never heard that sound in my life.”
What you are listening to is called parallel 5ths and Octaves. In this instance it’s putting what guitarists call “power chords” over a bassline that follows the root. There is a slight difference in that the 5th is a 12th, but it’s the same note so it still classed as a parallel 5th.
Parallel fifths and octaves are the signature sound of metal/punk/rock/a large portion of traditional European folk music. When classical composers wanted to write a section of music that sounded like folk music they would use parallel octaves and fifths following a simple chord progression, exactly the way that modern rock bands do. The composer Joseph Haydn wrote a whole String Quartet (No. 2 in D minor) using the technique and it is really very good.
Peoples minds blown by some 5ths 😂
I don’t know how anyone can listen to this without tearing up. This man is seriously a musical genius.
True, it sounds so melancholic, it really tugs at the ol' heart strings.
What do you mean? There's no song here, there's no lyrics/vocals. It's unfinished.
@@Ironically-Sarcastic LOL song is when vocals
Amazing breakdown, when I first heard Strobe, I felt the same way simply mind blowing.
One of the greatest songs of all time. Loved how you're just as passionate about all the little intricacies of the song as i am :)
I really like the swing that the mismatched notes added to the song at 6:08. Didn't find it disturbing at all, it started giving it a bit more bounce leading up to the higher tempo
This one never gets old. Masterpiece. If you can’t tell which year it comes from you are doing it right.
These are absolutely my favorite video types.
I remember when that song came out it absolutely dominated my friend group's car music. The first time i heard it, i had chills running up and down my spine.
Your passion for music is contagious, love this
Class vid as always (watched the previous upload 😅)! Really owe a lot to your content for my progression this past year in music Alex 🙌
Look forward to hopefully joining the course in the coming months 🐐
Deadmau5's songs makes me feel so melancholic, genius.
It’s a masterpiece because the song is absolutely beautiful while still relaying how utterly anxious he is. You can feel it, like he says.
Did you need the 40hz buzz through the whole video?
Love this. I was explaining to someone the other day that strobe is the closest thing I know of to an auditory drug. You just ride the roller coaster of emotion and when that beat drops you are unstoppable. Really incredible.
Alex, you are incredible at teaching. I actually think you are one of the best teachers there is on this planet (no bs). So i have been producing for fun for 4 years, then i watched 2 of your videos. one on melodies and one on chords, and you elevated my producing skills an infinite amount. It's not even comparable to what i made before. I just have so much gratitude for you that i really needed to express. Keep up the utterly fantastic work you are doing for us small time producers that just want to make something nice sounding.
Edit: Don't let my kind words get to your head you mafakka 😂, but they are true
This piece of music always makes me feel happy and drive faster and faster on the autobahn.
The dramaturgy of this song is beyond awesome.
No artist in the modern age, at least not that I know of, has written such a good piece.. maybe some of the great movie composers yeah but in electronic music Joel is an absolute genius and worlds beyond anyone else.
The piece is 10 minutes long almost like a 3 piece classical composition piece.
As awesome as this song is, the Trance music scene had been giving us stuff like this since the late 90s. As top tier as Deadmau5 is, I do feel he’s sometimes given a bit too much credit. Unpopular opinion I know, but it is what it is.
It's crazy reading all these people conflating personal connection to a track with it being 'genius' or whatever.
@@big-smoke-rc I know right! It’s almost worrying 😂
probably the best edm song ever existed