4×4=12
Studio album by
Deadmau5
ReleasedDecember 6, 2010
Recorded2007–2010
Genre
Length76:01 (unmixed version)
69:54 (mixed version)
Label
ProducerJoel Zimmerman
Deadmau5 chronology
At Play Vol. 2
(2009)		 4×4=12
(2010)		 Album Title Goes Here
(2012)
Singles from 4×4=12
  1. "Some Chords"
    Released: May 3, 2010
  2. "Animal Rights"
    Released: September 6, 2010
  3. "Sofi Needs a Ladder"
    Released: November 1, 2010
  4. "Right This Second"
    Released: November 14, 2010
  5. "Bad Selection"
    Released: November 21, 2010
  6. "Raise Your Weapon"
    Released: May 23, 2011

4×4=12 (pronounced "four times four equals twelve") is the fifth studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5, released on December 6, 2010, by Virgin Records, Ultra Records and Mau5trap. The album's title refers to a miscalculation made by Deadmau5 on his Ustream channel, where he mistakenly said that his live setup of four banks of four "equals 12" instead of 16.[1] The album received a nomination at the 54th Grammy Awards for Best Dance/Electronica Album.

Promotion

Deadmau5 was the house DJ at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards show hosted by Chelsea Handler in Los Angeles, California on September 12. He opened the event with "Some Chords", then as the night progressed, he played "Sofi Needs a Ladder", "Cthulhu Sleeps", and "Animal Rights".[2] Deadmau5 also performed at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012. First, he performed with Foo Fighters "Rope" (Deadmau5 Remix), and then played "Raise Your Weapon". During the performance, Zimmerman wore a second more advanced and safer (but still heavy) variation of his iconic LED mau5head.

Release

4×4=12 was released internationally on December 6, 2010 by Virgin Records, and released in the United States through Ultra Records and Deadmau5's record label Mau5trap; on December 7, 2010. On 23 February 2011, Ultra Records released the Japanese version of the album, which was renamed simply to Deadmau5. The self-titled release was bundled with his earlier singles "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" and "I Remember".

On iTunes, the international mixed CD version of the album has the track names "A City In Florida" as "City In Florida", "Cthulhu Sleeps" as "Cthulhu Steps" and "Raise Your Weapon" as "Raise Your Weapons". This has not been confirmed as intentional or unintentional.

Singles

"Some Chords" was released as the first official single from the album on May 3, 2010 exclusively on Beatport, later released on iTunes, on November 7, 2010. "Animal Rights", a collaboration with American DJ Wolfgang Gartner, was the second single from the album, released exclusively on Beatport on September 6, 2010 and followed by release on other digital download stores on September 17, 2010. The third single was "Sofi Needs a Ladder", released on October 31, 2010. It features vocals from Sofi and is the highest-charting single in the UK, reaching number 68. On November 14, the fourth single "Right This Second" was released peaking at number 79 on US charts and 100 on UK charts. Later the same month, the fifth single "Bad Selection" was released charting at 137 on the UK charts. The sixth and final single was "Raise Your Weapon", a song featuring vocals from Greta Svabo Bech and was co-produced by Cydney Sheffield & Skrillex, released on May 23, 2011, became a hit on the charts, It became his first song to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 as well as reaching 117 on the UK charts.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic66/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
AltSounds7.9/10[5]
The Guardian[6]
Rolling Stone[7]
Slant Magazine[8]
Spin[9]

The album was generally well received among music critics. Metacritic assigned it an average score of 66 out of 100, based on 13 reviews.[3] Will Hermes of Rolling Stone touted the album writing, "4×4=12 is audacious, mixing generic house grooves with electric fare."[10] Many reviewers praised the album for its universal appeal to a diverse audience. Annie Zaleski of Alternative Press wrote, "The collection is mostly instrumental tracks, ranging in style from insistent progressive house to watery techno...Without vocals to provide structure, 4×4=12's variety stems from Deadmau5's sense of dynamics and pacing, as well as his diverse sonic influences".[11] However, some critics were less enthusiastic. Allison Stewart of The Washington Post stated, "4×4 is a breakthrough album that doesn't feel like a breakthrough album. Not accessible or crowd-pleasing enough to court non-electronic music fans, not adventurous enough to satisfy die-hards, it pleases, but it rarely dazzles."[12] Dave Simpson of The Guardian shared in Ms. Stewart's sentiments by noting, "Undoubtedly, the Deadmau5 appeal hinges on the astonishing live show in which Zimmerman performs in a giant, illuminated mouse's head, but it wouldn't work without his tracks. His third production compilation again shows that he is a master at doing simple electro house music very well: humongous beats and basslines blend with straightforward chord progressions and, when interest may start to lag, sonic diversions."[6]

Commercial performance

4×4=12 proved to become a breakthrough commercial success for Deadmau5 when it became his first studio album to chart on the Billboard Top 200. It eventually peaked within the top fifty of the Billboard Top 200 and has spent over 100 weeks on the chart. It also narrowly missed the top spot of the Billboard Electronic albums, reaching number two. Internationally, the album was received warmly as well. It managed to chart within the top forty of various European nations, replicating and in many cases eclipsing the chart success of his previous efforts. In the United Kingdom, however, the album achieved a lower peak compared to his previous albums which all entered the top twenty, missing the top forty altogether.

Track listing

Unmixed version (US version)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Some Chords"Joel Zimmerman7:24
2."Sofi Needs a Ladder" (featuring SOFI)
6:43
3."A City in Florida"Zimmerman5:40
4."Bad Selection"
  • Zimmerman
  • Chester "DJ Aero" Deitz
5:32
5."Animal Rights" (with Wolfgang Gartner)Zimmerman; Joey Youngman6:15
6."I Said" (Michael Woods Remix) (with Chris Lake)
  • Zimmerman
  • Christopher Lake
7:06
7."Cthulhu Sleeps"Zimmerman10:34
8."Right This Second"Zimmerman7:50
9."Raise Your Weapon" (featuring Greta Svabo Bech)
8:22
10."One Trick Pony" (featuring SOFI)
  • Zimmerman
  • Toufa
3:59
11."Everything Before"Zimmerman6:36
Continuous mix version (International version)
No.TitleLength
1."Some Chords"8:04
2."Sofi Needs a Ladder" (featuring SOFI)5:34
3."A City in Florida"5:02
4."Bad Selection"5:01
5."Animal Rights" (with Wolfgang Gartner)5:00
6."I Said" (Michael Woods Remix) (with Chris Lake)5:52
7."Cthulhu Sleeps"9:59
8."Right This Second"7:24
9."Raise Your Weapon" (featuring Greta Svabo Bech)8:16
10."One Trick Pony" (featuring SOFI)3:36
11."Everything Before"6:06
International iTunes version
No.TitleLength
1."4×4=12 (Continuous Mix)"69:54
2."Some Chords"6:55
3."Sofi Needs a Ladder" (featuring SOFI)6:41
4."A City in Florida"5:40
5."Bad Selection"5:33
6."Animal Rights" (with Wolfgang Gartner)6:15
7."I Said" (Michael Woods Remix) (with Chris Lake)7:06
8."Cthulhu Sleeps"9:59
9."Right This Second"6:50
10."Raise Your Weapon (Edit)" (featuring Greta Svabo Bech)6:57
11."One Trick Pony" (featuring SOFI)3:59
12."Everything Before"6:36
US and Canada iTunes version
No.TitleLength
1."4×4=12 (Continuous Mix)"69:54
2."Some Chords"6:55
3."Sofi Needs a Ladder" (featuring SOFI)6:41
4."A City in Florida"5:40
5."Bad Selection"5:33
6."Animal Rights" (with Wolfgang Gartner)6:15
7."I Said" (Michael Woods Remix) (with Chris Lake)7:06
8."Cthulhu Sleeps"9:59
9."Right This Second"6:50
10."Raise Your Weapon" (Edit) (featuring Greta Svabo Bech)6:57
11."One Trick Pony" (featuring SOFI)3:59
12."Everything Before"6:36
Japanese version – Deadmau5
No.TitleLength
1."Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (featuring Rob Swire)3:38
2."Some Chords"7:49
3."Sofi Needs a Ladder" (featuring SOFI)5:34
4."A City in Florida"5:02
5."Bad Selection" (featuring DJ Aero)5:01
6."Animal Rights" (with Wolfgang Gartner)5:00
7."I Said" (Michael Woods Remix) (with Chris Lake)5:52
8."Cthulhu Sleeps"10:00
9."Right This Second"6:50
10."Raise Your Weapon" (featuring Greta Svabo Bech)8:16
11."One Trick Pony" (featuring SOFI)3:36
12."Everything Before"6:00
13."I Remember" (with Kaskade)4:35
iTunes music videos
No.TitleLength
1."Some Chords" (live from Brixton)3:27
2."Sofi Needs a Ladder" (live from Brixton)6:30
3."Cthulhu Sleeps" (live from Brixton)9:23
4."Bad Selection" (live from Brixton)4:39
5."Right This Second" (live from Brixton)3:45

Double LP version

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Sofi Needs a Ladder" (featuring SOFI)6:43
2."A City in Florida"5:40
3."Animal Rights" (with Wolfgang Gartner)6:15
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Cthulhu Sleeps"10:35
2."Some Chords"7:23
Side C
No.TitleLength
1."I Said" (Michael Woods Remix) (with Chris Lake)7:06
2."Bad Selection"5:33
3."Right This Second"7:48
Side D
No.TitleLength
1."Raise Your Weapon" (featuring Greta Svabo Bech)8:20
2."One Trick Pony" (featuring SOFI)3:59
3."Everything Before"6:36

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for 4×4=12
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[27] Platinum 80,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[28] Gold 100,000‡
United States (RIAA)[29] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for 4×4=12
Region Date Format Label
Various 6 December 2010
  • CD
  • LP
  • digital download
  • Virgin/EMI
  • Mau5trap
United States and Canada 7 December 2010 Ultra

References

  1. ↑ Amar Toor (November 23, 2010). "Deadmau5, '4x4=12' – 2010 New Album Preview". AOL Radio Blog. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Deadmau5 Named House Artist For 2010 MTV VMAs – Music, Celebrity, Artist News". mtv.com. MTV. August 16, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  3. 1 2 "4×4=12". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  4. ↑ Jeffries, David. "Deadmau5: 4x4=12 Review". AllMusic. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  5. ↑ Morrow, Daniel. "Deadmau6, '4x4=12' (Mau5trap/Virgin)". Archived from the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  6. 1 2 Dave Simpson (December 2, 2010). "Deadmau5: 4x4=12 – review | Music". The Guardian. London. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  7. ↑ Hermes, Will (December 7, 2010). "Deadmau6, '4x4=12'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  8. ↑ Kevin, Liedel. "Deadmau5: 4x4=12 – Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  9. ↑ Sherburne, Philip. "Deadmau5, '4x4=12' (Ultra)". Spin. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  10. ↑ Will Hermes (December 7, 2010). "4x4=12 by Deadmau5 | Rolling Stone Music | Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  11. ↑ Zaleski, Annie (December 7, 2010). "Alternative Press | Reviews | deadmau5 – 4x4=12". Altpress.com. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  12. ↑ Stewart, Allison (December 6, 2010). "Click Track – Album review: Deadmau5, "4x4=12"". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  13. ↑ ARIA Report Issue 1111. ARIA. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  14. ↑ ARIA Report Issue 1085. ARIA. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Deadmau5 – 4x4=12" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Deadmau5 Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Deadmau5 – 4x4=12" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 9 December 2010". GfK Chart-Track. Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Deadmau5 – 4x4=12". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Deadmau5 Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Deadmau5 Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Deadmau5 – 4x4=12". Music Canada. July 15, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  28. ↑ "British album certifications – Deadmau5 – 4x4=12". British Phonographic Industry. July 15, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  29. ↑ "American album certifications – Deadmau5 – 4x4=12". Recording Industry Association of America. July 15, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
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