Electronic music used to be a bunch of nerds/geeks/outliers, and I have a lot invested in trying to keep it that way
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 29, 2015
DJs complaining about EDM's stupidity is nothing new (here's a list of ten respected DJs doing exactly that). However, Zo goes one step further, calling out specific artists who happen to be some of the biggest artists in the world.The cool people came with their money and ghost producers and us nerds had to start competing with then
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 29, 2015
Zo starts with the human V-neck t-shirt himself, Tiësto:I had great electronica role models growing up, cus they were in the spotlight. The spotlight is now on a bunch of fakes
— . (@Mat_Zo) June 2, 2015
.@tiesto once said to me "those trance guys are a bunch of old losers" maybe cus they stuck with their passion and didn't go chasing pussy
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 29, 2015
More people should know what these frauds are really thinking
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 29, 2015
For too long these guys have pretended make their own music succeeded and leave us actual producers to struggle
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 29, 2015
Next, he moves on to another EDM bigwig and (erstwhile) trance DJ, Markus Schulz:Funny how when I joke about producing for @krewella blogs go crazy but when I call out @tiesto they go silent. Interesting
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 29, 2015
In my time dealing with @MarkusSchulz he tried to trap me in a contract with armada, call me a rookie, give me terrible advice
— . (@Mat_Zo) June 1, 2015
Everyone else I know thats worked with him thinks he's a dick
— . (@Mat_Zo) June 1, 2015
According to Zo, the good guys are few and far between:I'm just getting him back for those years of my life wasted @MarkusSchulz
— . (@Mat_Zo) June 1, 2015
Oh, and Diplo is a not-so-good-but-still-good guy:Guys like @skrillex @aboveandbeyond @ericprydz @deadmau5 are some of the only real people who headline festivals
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 29, 2015
Not all DJs with ghost producers are frauds btw, @diplo is a good example. He built his career on being different and playing what he wants
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 29, 2015
When Diplo subtweeted Zo, he quickly fired back:You think @diplo is all butthurt cus I said he has ghost producers? Nah, this is shit hes said in interviews, he knows where his skills lie
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 30, 2015
Of course, Deadmau5 had to chime in.. @diplo great music takes time, and what looks like complaining is actually someone just standing up to you for the first time in years
— . (@Mat_Zo) June 3, 2015
Soon, they were engaged in a full-fledged twit-war.I complained about shit before it was cool. lols were had, but then i got to work making the changes i complained about. there you go Zo.
— deadmau5 (@deadmau5) June 3, 2015
.@Mat_Zo here's a thought… start your own label and put your own shit out. At the stage you're at in the game, shouldn't be that difficult.
— deadmau5 (@deadmau5) June 3, 2015
@Mat_Zo the world I'm in is the one i made. start centering your view on yours. 1 less megalomaniac i have to fuckin deal with.
— deadmau5 (@deadmau5) June 3, 2015
Zo wants to be clear that he isn't talking shit.. @deadmau5 besides yourself?
— . (@Mat_Zo) June 3, 2015
People think they have no power to change things because the fanbase is uneducated. Well, whos gonna educate them, promoters?
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 30, 2015
Because people need to know what kind of fuckwittery is happening behind-the-scenes:Most promoters got into dance music for the same reasons I did, and they feel powerless too. They know people need educating
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 30, 2015
For now, it looks like Zo has put a cap on this round of tweets. This isn't the first time that he's spoken out against the widespread use of ghost producers and mixers in electronic music; in 2014, he admitted to using ghost mixers for his radio show, saying the practice made him feel disconnected and lost. The real question is: will Zo's attempt at whistle-blowing actually make a difference, or will the dance music industry shrug its shoulders and return to business as usual?Mat Zo on Twitter_Michelle Lhooq is THUMP's Features Editor. You can follow her and her verbal dentistry on Twitter._Btw, you know you can pay to headline a festival. Many big names do it to secure the best slots, its about $100,000
— . (@Mat_Zo) May 29, 2015