While(1 Is Less Than 2)
Deadmau5's experimental double album with a perpetually true title.
While(1<2), written in all lowercase and pronounced "while one is less than two," is Deadmau5's seventh studio album. Released on June 17, 2014, through Mau5trap, Virgin EMI, and Astralwerks, it was his only album with the latter label. The record shifts away from his usual heavy bass and upbeat sound toward a more experimental, downtempo, and ambient style. Critics praised this experimental turn, though some saw it as a weakness. It reached number 9 on the Billboard 200, his second top-ten album.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Deadmau5
- Released
- June 17, 2014
- Recorded
- 2006–2014
- Genre
- Progressive house
- electro house
- ambient
- downtempo
- experimental
- Length
- 130:53 (mixed); 139:17 (unmixed)
- Label
- Mau5trap
- Astralwerks
- Virgin EMI
- Producer
- Joel Zimmerman
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
Disc 1
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avaritia | 6:42 | |
| 2 | Coelacanth I | 2:46 | |
| 3 | Ice Age (deadmau5 Remix) (by How to Destroy Angels) | Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Mariqueen Reznor | 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 | 69:46 | ||
Disc 2
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acedia | 6:25 | |
| 2 | Invidia | 3:16 | |
| 3 | Errors in My Bread | 5:17 | |
| 4 | Survivalism (deadmau5 Remix) (by Nine Inch Nails) | Reznor, Ross | 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 (featuring Colleen D'Agostino) | Colleen D'Agostino, Joel Zimmerman | 6:40 |
| Total length | 69:31 | ||
Track listing from the source article.
Background
Deadmau5 announced on Twitter on January 7, 2014 that his seventh album was completed, describing it as a double album with a continuous mix per disc and 25 tracks excluding the mixes. The album was officially unveiled on May 10, 2014 through his subscription service, with a digital release date of June 17, 2014 and a physical release on June 24. The title, a piece of code that always evaluates to true, signifies that Deadmau5 happens infinitely while 1 is less than 2.
Singles
The album's first single, "Avaritia," went on sale May 20, 2014. A week later, "Seeya," featuring vocalist Colleen D'Agostino of The Material, hit iTunes. On June 2, 2014, "Infra Turbo Pigcart Racer" debuted on Mau5trap's SoundCloud, with downloads available the next day. The final single, "Phantoms Can't Hang," also premiered on SoundCloud a day before its June 10, 2014 release on iTunes and Beatport.
Critical reception
While(1<2) received generally favorable reviews, holding a score of 66 on Metacritic. Billboard gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it sprawling, ambitious and mostly well-executed, and noting it may confuse his electro house fan base but marks his most mature and forward-thinking release. AllMusic awarded 3.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as a very good, restrained, and inspired effort recommended for EDM astronauts and Ghost in the Shell cast members. Rolling Stone was more critical, giving 2 out of 5 stars and stating Deadmau5 had become the world's most unnecessary Nine Inch Nails tribute act. Slant Magazine also awarded 2 stars, commenting that the album clears the low bar set by his contemporaries.
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