Having moved out of Toronto in late 2014, and into a $5 Million estate in Campbellville, Ontario. It’s about time Joel Zimmerman put out a collective piece of work from his new in-home studio. W:/2016ALBUM/ is the eighth album from Zimmerman, and surprisingly enough, he seems all but happy with its release.

Listeners however, feel as if they’ve got a rebirth of their favourite years of mau5. With a Prophet-10 synthesizer being the main voice of this album, listeners will note that Joel is throwing sounds back to the days of Faxing Berlin — where long time fans reside.

New listeners will be able to find favourites too. 2448 for example, is the new goal anthem for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Moreover, within the almost 80 minute album, there lie hidden gems that those with a musical ear will surely recognize. Cat Thruster is actually the same melody from 2448, but cut and chopped to a new beat per minute, this creates a new genre that Zimmerman is not normally releasing, however, it is still entertaining to interpret how the mau5’s brain works when presented with a different creative path. Snowcone‘s beat steers away from that of a typical dance music track, yet keeps listeners engaged with a track that is easy to get lost in, tuning out the outside world for 5 minutes.

On a personal note, I found the most touching songs to be 4ware, and Let Go. These tracks resonate deeply in me due to their melodic sounds, my whole body feels entranced by these songs when I hear them on a sound system. The vocal from Let Go puts me in a place where I was years ago, overcoming a great personal struggle. Its relaxing chords however, remind me how far I’ve come to overthrow obstacles that stand between me and my dreams.