Deadmau5, original name Joel Thomas Zimmerman, (born January 5, 1981, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada), Canadian electronic dance music (EDM) producer and performer who was at the forefront of the revitalization of that genre in the 2000s. Zimmerman’s Deadmau5 stage persona was easily identifiable by the oversized “mau5head” mask that he wore while performing.