‘I’m not really inspired by EDM at all;’ Zedd wants to be known as a musician not an EDM DJZedd 2015

‘I’m not really inspired by EDM at all;’ Zedd wants to be known as a musician not an EDM DJ

Zedd recently sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss his new LP, True Colors, and his inspiration outside of the EDM world. While he may be lumped in with the vast pool of DJs, Anton Zaslavski would prefer to be considered a musician – an idea that came to fruition during the recording of his sophomore album. For Anton, True Colors, is his most ambitious work to date, built around the desire for each track to feel and sound different from the one before it. “I had a song that was very similar to one of the other songs on the album, so even though I loved the song — it probably would have been a single — I cut it out.”

He goes on to discuss the dichotomy between being a DJ and a musician and his desire to separate himself from the drivel associated with the acronym; “It’s important for me that my fans know I’m Zedd the musician, not Zedd the EDM DJ.” He goes so far as to hint at the possibility of an acoustic album just to prove his point; “If I decide to make an acoustic album next time, which is very well possible, that’s still me.”

As far as influences go Zedd finds little inspiring about the current state of EDM; “To be completely honest, I’m not very inspired by EDM at all.” Instead artists like The Beatles and Queen have had a huge influence on his music, as well as bands like Silverchair, Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age, Feeder and Justice. “I wanted to sound like Justice. I wanted to know how to do that.”

His relationship with Skrillex has also played a role in his artistic development. Back in 2011, during the Zedd complextro era, Skrillex singlehandedly broke and trained the fledgling producer/DJ. From playing his music out, to taking Anton on tour, to teaching a soft-spoken kid how to hype a crowd, Zedd acknowledges the affect that Skrillex had on his career. “It came to the point where we played a tour in Mexico. He had his new production, he had his new team, and I watched the show. And I know he’s doing it live, because I know him, but the production was so on point — it was unbelievable. It was the first time I realized you can be perfect live.”

Read the full interview on Rolling Stone

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