TORONTO - They say you should never meet your heroes, so fans of Canadian DJ and music producer Deadmau5 might want to consider the risks before looking him up online.
It hasn't been too hard for admirers of the Grammy-nominated and Juno-winning Deadmau5, real name Joel Zimmerman, to track him down in the online game Minecraft, which has four million registered users.
In the game, players use blocks to build anything they want in the digital world and can interact with one another around their creations. For example, Zimmerman has erected an enormous digital statue of his alter ego, a giant cartoon mouse head that he wears while performing live.
Zimmerman, a confessed Minecraft fanatic, even hosts his own server for the game so fans can log on and play with him. He says he does it purely for fun, and while being the most-famous player on Minecraft might be a good promotional tool for his music, he doesn't consider his play work-related.
"Seriously, it's just a genuine thing I actually enjoy doing. I didn't invest in the company, I bought 'em some shirts and send them some Deadmau5 merch but that's as far as it goes," says Zimmerman, a Niagara Falls, Ont., native.
"I don't know, it's just addicting as hell, I like sandbox-type games where you kinda got a community thing and it's a good way to engage my fans.
"Bring 'em all into one place and then burn them with lava."
Zimmerman has made a sport of inviting his fans to Minecraft under the pretence of attending an online gig. He tells them he's going to take an in-game picture of them for his website -- and then engulfs them in flames, killing them.
But fans don't seem to take it personally and have gleefully posted YouTube videos showing how they were burned alive by Deadmau5.
Zimmerman is nominated in the best dance recording category at this year's Junos for the song "Sofi Needs a Ladder." He's won the award three years in a row for the songs "For Lack Of A Better Name," "Move For Me" and "All U Ever Want."
