“We all wear masks,” Claptone reportedly told DJ Mag. (Medieval doctors believed the sickness spread through “bad air,” and so stuffed the long beaks with dried flowers, herbs and spices.) Claptone’s take is also a bit of a tongue-in-cheek statement on modern society. His shiny bird beak is modeled after the so-called Black Death “beak masks” worn by physicians during the Plague of 1656. We know the man behind the mask is German, but that’s about all the information we have on the man inside. Claptone casts a spell with his melodic moods and glistening, gold beak, and it’s not unusual for Claptone fans to wear their own gold masks to his concerts. The irony of using a mask to remain anonymous is that the mask goes on to become instantly recognizable. “The ethos of the brand is creating something that doesn’t symbolize one person as an icon, but a movement of people.” (Which doesn’t make a lot of sense for continuity, though it doesn’t seems to bother his fans.) So, why the anonymity? Marshmello manager Moe Shalizi says it’s all about a universal message of acceptance. “It doesn’t matter who’s under this helmet,” he told Billboard in 2018. The genre-crossing producer is never seen without his helmet, and he doesn’t talk - unless he’s on stage, and then he’s on the mic quite frequently. This smiley take on the puffy confection is perpetually spotted on the head of ravers at festivals worldwide and has become a popular Halloween costume for kids in grades K-5. The latest DJ in a helmet to become an absolute global sensation, Marshmello uses his mask to remain completely anonymous - though fans on the Internet are pretty sure they know who’s in there. deadmau5’s famous, blinking, glowing, headbangin’ helmet comes courtesy of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the same people who make The Muppets, Yoda and just about every awesome faux creature since the 1970s. In 2014, Disney tried suing deadmau5 for the look, saying it resembled Mickey Mouse, but the suit was settled out of court in 2015. It’s not about obscuring his identity - Zimmerman is quite openly himself - it’s just about doing something different. Some 20 years later, Zimmerman has become one of the most recognizable producers in the world, thanks in no small part to his glowing mau5 head. He did some work on industrial metal band Orgy’s website, and lead singer Jay Gordon told him if he ever seriously pursued his side-project as an electronic musician, he should wear a mouse helmet on stage. When Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers or other collaborators speak about working with Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo, they refer to the pair simply as “the robots.” It’s a form of self-protection, a way to separate their private selves from the public eye, while also building Daft Punk into one of most endearing alter-egos in modern music.īack when Joel Zimmerman was a freelance web designer, he used a mouse head for a logo. Throughout the years, these helmets have undergone minor design changes to match ever-evolving costumes unique to each musical era. More pragmatically, Daft Punk’s helmets were created by Tony Gardner, a special effects artist with Los Angeles-based studio Alterian, Inc.
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