Zedd

Everything I Am

Words By Zach Collier

Photos By Nick Walker // Art By Roseanna Lane

“I think if people want to know what my life looks like musically, TELOS is the perfect way to learn about it all. From classical influences, to rock, jazz, electronic to pop – It's ALL there. The artists I've worked with are the ones that mean the most to me. If anything, TELOS explains everything I am as Zedd.”

Zedd’s music has reached far more corners of the world than I think anyone can truly comprehend. The acclaimed Russian-German electronic producer reached monstrous levels of success with his album Clarity in 2012. Zedd has gone on to win a Grammy, several Billboard music awards, multiple iHeartRadio Music Awards, and has had a consistent stream of hits that have topped charts all over the globe.

To be honest, it felt a little uncanny corresponding with Zedd. His music was formative in my own decision to pursue music production. My wife, a dancer, has choreographed and danced to dozens of his songs over the years. So to talk to someone who is such a legend in my mind was surreal.

The idea that his music has reached corners of the world that he can’t comprehend isn’t new to Zedd. He’s had so many incredible experiences that he can’t choose just one.

“It is really hard for me to single out specific experiences, given how many unbelievably special moments I've been lucky enough to enjoy throughout my career,” he says. “Moments like playing Red Rocks in Colorado for the first time was a particularly special moment for me because when I was a kid I had a DVD of Incubus playing live at this venue. I would watch it all the time and I set myself the dream to perform there one day. Just even getting to hear people sing my songs live is a feeling I'll just never take for granted.”

Telos Album Art

Zedd recently released TELOS, his first full-length record in 9 years. It took Zedd a while to find the proper source of inspiration to release a complete body of work. Instead of just releasing a playlist of disparate songs, he wanted the release to be meaningful and cohesive. But when you’re releasing at his level – and you’ve been doing it for as long as he has – it can be incredibly demanding. The creative process affects Zedd on a physical, mental, and emotional level.

“I think it took a very long time for me to be excited and inspired enough to make an album that I consider really special and meaningful because I needed to be in the right mindset,” Zedd says. “This included getting my physical and mental health in prime condition first. I've been on a strict workout regimen, sleep schedule and diet, all of which put me in the right place to let go and really be creative in the studio.”

“Creativity is not something one can plan. It comes to you when it wants. I wish it didn't take me nearly a decade to feel inspired enough to embark on the album creation journey, but I believe in quality over quantity and wasn't going to make an album unless I felt creatively inspired enough to make it the very best it can be in my eyes.”

As a record, I can say that TELOS works. As a longtime fan, I can say it was worth the wait. The lead single, "Out Of Time" is way different than anything I was expecting. It's super lush and organic, and borders on orchestral/neoclassical before the drop. It sounds phenomenal.

“Production wise, ‘Out of Time’ is all me,” Zedd says after I geek out. I ask him all about how he built it. Zedd wrote the track before any melodies or lyrics were formulated. Then, Bea Miller co-wrote and recorded the vocals with Zedd in his studio, and he added several unique elements to bring a fresh experience to his listeners.

“Bea Miller delivered a breathtaking performance. String-wise, the album is orchestrated by the incredible Jeremy Kittle. He is absolutely brilliant and incredible to work with. I was going for a more raw, organic sound on ‘Out of Time’ so I programmed a live bass instead of using a synth-sounding bass for the majority of the song, and I played in a real hi-hat to give the song just enough variation and rawness. I wanted the song to lean on a theatrical interpretation of electronic music. As for the vocals, Bea and I wrote and recorded together in my studio.”

There are some really cerebral harmonic turns going on in this track. I really appreciated the modal developments and borrowed chords, and I went nuts for the ritardando going into the down section before the last chorus. It felt incredible to hear everything slow down in a big way. Electronic music – whose usual utilitarian function is to provide steady rhythm for people to dance to – obviously doesn’t include many rubato sections. The Italian musical term rubato literally means “to rob or borrow time.” The inclusion of these elements makes the title especially fitting.

“I think it’s probably the most classical-leaning song I've ever written,” Zedd says. “In fact, I started writing it in 2015 and it just felt a bit too theatrical at the time given the music I had just released, so I just kept it in my pool of song ideas to work on at another time. I definitely didn't plan for it to take nearly a decade, but sometimes you can't plan where your musical life will take you.”

Even though it took almost ten years to complete – or maybe because of this fact – “Out of Time” is one of Zedd’s all-time favorite compositions. “I think of it as my ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’” he says. “It's the song where I threw all the rules overboard and just went with my gut. The song is based on a motive that gets alternated in three different variations. The structure is quite different from a traditional dance record from its introduction, into sounding slightly uncomfortable, then the final relief. It's almost hard to say what the chorus, pre-chorus, verse or bridge in the song is. It has chords that, to me, feel as Zedd as it gets while containing influences from my life: classical music, theatrical rock, electronic music, and pop.”

"Lucky" – the second single – is a really cool follow-up and feels more pop-oriented. It features incredibly well-isolated hits during the chorus. The main difference between “Lucky” and “Out of Time” is that the vocals existed before Zedd produced it.

“Remi wrote ‘Lucky’ a few years back and I produced the song with my good friend and incredibly talented producer, Ellis,” Zedd says. “My main goal in the production of ‘Lucky’ was for the drop to feel almost uncomfortably dry. In general I don't like this to be ‘too wet,’ and I very rarely use delays on vocals.”

“I will only use delay-throws when and where I want, but I don't like to muddy up my mix if it's not needed. There are many moments of pure silence, with no reverb trails anywhere. I think pauses are the strongest tool we have in music and I love to lean on them heavily.”

As an engineer, I loved getting a glimpse into Zedd’s mind as a creator. Everyone has their tricks and preferences, including Zedd. For instance, instead of using regular side-chaining, Zedd likes to bounce audio and fade his side-chains instead of using a regular side-chain or something like an LFO-Tool. “It gives you much greater control on each individual note and how long or short your side-chain wants to be,” he says. “Furthermore, you can cut out reverb very easily and precisely this way, and I find myself getting more creative when I bounce MIDI into audio and commit certain tracks along the way. It forces me to move on.”

I wish I could talk about every song on the record. Each track deserves its due. In addition to featuring some of his most daring productions, Zedd has said that TELOS is the most personal record he’s ever released.

“I think if people want to know what my life looks like musically, TELOS is the perfect way to learn about it all. From classical influences, to rock, jazz, electronic to pop – It's ALL there. The artists I've worked with are the ones that mean the most to me. If anything, TELOS explains everything I am as Zedd.”

In addition to this landmark album, Zedd has been headlining venues across Las Vegas throughout 2024. Zedd fans who visited the city earlier this year experienced his work in a variety of environments, from Omnia at Caesar’s Palace, to TAO Beach Dayclub’s tropical oasis at The Venetian.

“I believe my first small residency started in 2012 at Marquee. At that time, I was only given a few shows a year, but I remember being surprised that a club believed in me enough to book me for that many shows in a row,” he recalls. “It definitely boosted my confidence and since then Vegas has become a very big part of my life and career. It's different from any other Zedd show and one I take great pride in being one of the best in the city. My team and I put a lot of work into making it an experience that will pull people from all over the world in.”

Now, Zedd is in the middle of his TELOS US Tour, with special guests Mesto, Eleganto, and ellis. Spanning 16 dates, Zedd will conclude the tour by once again playing Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

He’s in a really good place in his career right now. Zedd is playing to thousands and thousands of people a year all over the world; collaborating with the musicians that mean the most to him; and making daring, inspired music that he’s passionate about. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a casual listener, be sure to stream TELOS. You won’t be disappointed.Tickets for the TELOS US Tour are on sale now.

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