mau5ville: Level 3

Through his three-part *mau5ville* series, deadmau5 has shined a light on out-of-the-box tracks and remixes. Each bundle takes a few focus tracks, typically his own productions, and invites emerging DJ/producers to deconstruct and rebuild them. *Level 3* feels particularly adventurous. The dubstep cut “Are You Not Afraid,” featuring British rapper Shotty Horroh, is refashioned into a trippy mid-tempo groove by J. Worra and a whirring warehouse edit from C.O.Z. And “Hurricane,” a tearful, melodic piano ballad that is itself a gutsy left turn, gets two starkly different treatments: minimal techno from Mark Mackenzie and warm-and-fuzzy house from OFFAIAH. They’re bookended by two deadmau5 originals and two new mau5trap singles, including the mesmerizing club cut “Quests with Time Limits” by No Mana—a must-listen. That the label is home to such disparate sounds and artists is a reflection of deadmau5’s own creative vision: It’s not about fitting in, but standing out.