Back in 2008, deadmau5 released the legendary EDM track “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff,” and a year later, he added vocals from Pendulum’s Rob Swire. In the 14 years since its release, only two producers had been selected to provide an official remix — NERO remixed it in 2009 for the single package and Chuckie remixed it in 2014 for the 5 years of mau5 compilation.
Now in 2023, we can add another famed producer to this elite club, because LA-based multi-genre producer Jauz was selected to remix this classic single. The “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff (Jauz remix)” dropped a few weeks back on November 3 and coincided with his performance at Red Rocks in support of the annual “Day of the deadmau5” shows.
Curious to learn more about the evolution of this latest remix, Moon Lvnding caught up with Jauz to pick his brain about the remix, the two shows at Red Rocks, and learn more about his Wise vs. Wicked run of concerts.
Sam Wolloch: Thanks for speaking with us. Let’s jump right into the track “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff.” Billboard shared that it was based on a sample from Frederic Chopin’s Piano Sonata, Op. 35, No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, and the vocals were from a 1957 sci-fi movie. Did you know about that lore before you made the remix? Did this information influence any of your creative decision-making?
Jauz: I had zero clue about any of that stuff haha! Doesn’t surprise me at all though. I just knew I was remixing what is arguably one of the most classic dance records of all time, and I better not screw it up.
SW: So we’ve got to know… How did that conversation with deadmau5 go down about remixing this track? Did you talk to him about it or did he ask you? And what came first, the invite to play in support at Red Rocks, or to remix this classic track?
Jauz: This is actually a really funny story, and I kind of have to throw Joel [deadmau5] under the bus a bit here, but only because there’s a happy ending! So sorry in advance bud!
When the Mau5trap team reached out to us to remix the track, and then I finally sent in the version that got approved, I was pretty convinced that Joel still had never heard it. I actually had a running bet with my managers on whether or not he had heard it.
Lo and behold, I get to Red Rocks for Night 1, and Joel comes into my green room to talk about how he’s going to pop out as the “Ghost” at the end of my set to premiere the remix live. Before I even had the chance to ask him, he said, “Yeah, I haven’t really heard the remix yet. Just the snippets we’ve cut for social content.” And it kind of became a running joke throughout the weekend.
Fast forward to the end of Joel’s set on Night 2, and when he came off stage I said, “Hey man, I’m sure it wasn’t your idea to have me support these shows but I really appreciate you having me and letting me remix the record.” To which he said, “Not my idea?! Who the FUCK do you think runs my record label?!”
I responded with, “says the same dude who had never heard the fucking remix until yesterday!!” He came back with, “Well yeah, I trusted that whatever you would make would end up great.” I was completely caught off guard. It was without a doubt the nicest thing Joel has ever said to me, and I probably won’t forget that exchange for a while. He’s probably not going to be thrilled that I wrote about all of this and got all emotional about it, but whatever. This is my interview, not his! 🙂
SW: Wow, what a compliment! Thanks for sharing such a heartfelt and humorous anecdote. Tell us more about those two shows at Red Rocks. What was it like playing in support of a legend like deadmau5 at such a historic venue? How does your preparation differ when you are playing in direct support rather than playing as the headliner?
Jauz: I’ve done quite a few direct support slots at Red Rocks over the years, but normally on very bass-heavy lineups, which has kind of been my “sweet spot” for a while. It was a really fun and different experience getting to do my “Wise” set, which is all techy, melodic house music, especially for a crowd like Joel’s that I’ve never played in front of before. I felt like I could kind of play more experimental music instead of leaning on “crowd pleasers,” although I definitely played some of those as well. All in all, it was a ton of fun.
SW: What was the crowd reaction like when you played out the “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff” remix at Red Rocks? Did you work with deadmau5’s team to create unique visuals/production for the track?
Jauz: I actually didn’t know until the day of the show that I was going to be the one to play the remix at the end of my set. The kind of “unspoken rule” of DJing is that you NEVER play the next artist’s song, even if it is your remix of their song. So I just assumed that maybe I’d pop out during Joel’s set, wave my hands a bit, and that would be that. But to have him come out in the Ghost outfit and have the little back-and-forth we did was really fun. And to top it off he didn’t call me DJ Steve which is a huge win in my book!
SW: That’s pretty cool he let you close with it and came out as the “Ghost.” Tell us more about playing your Wise set rather than your Wicked set.
Jauz: It wasn’t necessarily my choice, but more what I was booked for. That said, I think it made a ton more sense than playing a ton of super heavy bangers right before a deadmau5 set. Even as a direct support act, I think your job is still to support the headliner, get the crowd ready for them, and not drain all of their energy before [the headliner] comes on. If they had booked me to do one of each I would have done it gladly, but I think if they had given me the choice, I would have said that two Wise sets made the most sense anyway. It’s Joel’s show, after all, not mine.
SW: Of course, this totally makes sense. The techy house stuff from Wise is a nice complement to deadmau5’s extensive library. Let’s shift our focus back to your Wise vs. Wicked Tour. What is it like playing two different shows in one weekend? What are some of the challenges you face when preparing for different sets and locations for each show?
Jauz: To me it’s ideal, honestly. Only have to fly to one city, get to give fans the FULL experience I’ve always wanted to, etc. The Wise shows are pretty straightforward to plan — mostly because I don’t really plan them at all. That’s the awesome thing to me about playing full house sets, is it really allows me to DJ and do things on the fly that aren’t nearly as simple when I’m trying to play five different genres and all these specific songs of mine in one set.
The Wicked shows have proved to be a bit more challenging than I anticipated — mostly because I have a hard time deciding what quantifies as Wicked or not. Should I play records with pretty vocals? Should I not play any of my bass house songs, even if they’re really dark and aggressive? I think I kind of have found the sweet spot now, and also allowed myself a little more flexibility on those sets. Either way, it’s been such a fun experience and hopefully is just the beginning of something much larger.
SW: Two Jauz shows in one weekend sounds like a great time. Personally, as a Brooklyn local, I’m curious if you have any updates on rescheduling those shows from October when you were sick. Hopefully, we will still have a chance to catch you on your Wise vs. Wicked tour!
Jauz: Absolutely we’re coming back to NYC. We’re currently in talks for the 2nd round of Wise vs Wicked, and the #1 priority is getting back to SF and NYC. New York is always one of my favorite shows of the year every time I’m there, and I can’t tell you how gut-wrenching it was to not make it to one of my favorite venues on the planet.
SW: Is there anything else you want to tease for your fans before we get out of here? New Year’s Eve plans or another release on the horizon? What about some news from your Bite This label?
Jauz: I’ll actually be back in NYC for New Years at Marquee, which is so exciting, but we also are looking into coming back for Wise vs Wicked early in the new year as well. Lots more exciting shows to come soon, and Bite This is going to have a BIG 2024, without revealing too much 🙂
SW: Thanks for the scoop. We will definitely have an eye out for Bite This in the new year! Thanks again for taking the time to speak with us, and hopefully Joel doesn’t get too chaffed about your story from Red Rocks.
For those out in Los Angeles, Jauz will be wrapping up his 2023 Wise vs. Wicked shows with a Wicked show at Exchange LA this Friday, November 17, and tickets are still available. To keep up with everything else Jauz has going on, use the handy social links below!
