It was late 2010 when deadmau5 dropped 4x4=12, and honestly, the electronic music world wasn't ready for the tonal whiplash of its final single. Raise Your Weapon isn't just a song; it's a structural middle finger to the idea that a producer has to stick to one lane. For over eight minutes, it lures you into a false sense of security with a delicate, haunting piano melody and the ethereal vocals of Greta Svabo Bech. Then, the floor drops out.
The transition into that gritty, industrial dubstep breakdown remains one of the most debated "drops" in EDM history. Some fans loved the variety. Others felt like they’d been slapped in the face with a bag of wrenches. But you can't deny the impact. It was the moment Joel Zimmerman (the man behind the mau5 head) proved he could play the mainstream game while still keeping his edge.
The Secret Ingredient: Who Actually Wrote Raise Your Weapon?
Most people see the name on the track and assume it’s a solo effort. Wrong. If you dig into the credits, you’ll find a very familiar name: Sonny Moore. Better known as Skrillex.
Yeah, the king of modern dubstep actually co-wrote the lyrics and melodies for Raise Your Weapon. It makes total sense when you hear that aggressive shift at the halfway mark. This wasn't just deadmau5 trying to hop on a trend; it was a collaboration between the guy who perfected progressive house and the guy who was about to blow up the entire American festival scene.
Credits that matter
- Joel Zimmerman: Production, arrangement, and the "mau5" magic.
- Greta Svabo Bech: The Faroese singer whose voice provides the emotional weight.
- Sonny Moore (Skrillex): Lyricist and co-writer.
- Cydney Sheffield: Songwriter.
There’s a bit of a weird myth that Skrillex produced the dubstep part while Joel did the house part. It’s a clean narrative, but it's not quite how it went down. Joel has been pretty vocal about his production process, often live-streaming his work on Twitch or Discord. He’s a gear nerd through and through. While Sonny’s influence is all over the songwriting, the actual sound design—those crunchy, "dentist-drill" synths—was Zimmerman putting his own spin on the UK-born genre.
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The Greta Svabo Bech and Lights Drama (2024-2025)
You might have seen some drama popping up on TikTok or Reddit recently about who's actually singing this track live. This got messy fast. Greta Svabo Bech, the original vocalist, recently spoke up after seeing videos of the Canadian singer Lights performing the song during deadmau5’s recent tours.
Greta’s beef wasn’t with Lights personally, but with the "erasure" of her identity. In some live sets, the production team apparently had the original vocal track playing so loud that it looked like Lights was lip-syncing Greta’s parts.
"It’s one thing not giving credit, but when someone else is actively taking credit for your voice, it’s like they’re taking a part of your body and saying it’s theirs," Bech said in a since-deleted post.
Lights, being the pro she is, cleared it up pretty quickly. She explained it was a technical error—she couldn't hear herself in the monitors and didn't realize the original stems were burying her live vocal. They’re "good" now, but it highlights a weird reality in EDM: vocalists often get the short end of the stick when a track becomes a "producer's" hit.
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That 2012 Grammy Performance
If you want to see a time capsule of 2012 pop culture, watch the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. Deadmau5 performed Raise Your Weapon in a bizarre, neon-soaked medley that included David Guetta, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, and the Foo Fighters.
It was peak "EDM is taking over the world."
Seeing Joel in a custom LED mau5head standing behind a bank of gear while Dave Grohl headbanged nearby was surreal. The song was nominated for Best Dance Recording that year, and even though it didn't win, the performance pushed the track to number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was his first song to ever crack the main chart. Pretty wild for an eight-minute track that’s half ambient house and half robot-screaming.
Why it’s more than just a "Breakup Song"
If you listen to the lyrics, it sounds like a classic relationship implosion. "Ripping my heart was so easy," "How does it feel now to watch it burn?" It’s bitter. It’s raw.
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But fans have long speculated it’s also a commentary on the music industry itself. "The pen with a bent wrist crooked kid king / Sign away our peace for your war." That sounds a lot more like a shot at record labels and predatory contracts than a bad date. Zimmerman has never been shy about his distaste for the corporate side of music. Whether intended or not, Raise Your Weapon feels like a battle cry for creative autonomy.
The Remixes That Changed Everything
You can't talk about this song without mentioning Madeon. Back in 2011, Hugo (Madeon) was a teenager who basically uploaded a remix that rivaled the original. His version stripped away the dubstep and turned it into a "complextro" masterpiece. It’s bright, funky, and arguably just as iconic as the album version.
Then you have the Noisia remix. If the original dubstep drop was a slap, Noisia’s version is a full-on freight train. They took the "darkness" of the lyrics and turned the production into something truly menacing. It remains a staple for bass DJs even in 2026.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Producers
If you’re a fan or a bedroom producer looking at this track today, there are a few things to take away:
- Don't Fear the Pivot: The genius of this track is the mid-song genre flip. If you're creating something, don't feel locked into a single BPM or style. Subverting expectations is how you make something "sticky."
- Credit Your Collaborators: The recent drama between Greta and the tour production is a reminder to always give credit where it’s due. If you're using a vocal, make sure that person's identity isn't lost in the brand.
- Dynamics Over Loudness: Part of why the drop in Raise Your Weapon works is the silence and softness that precedes it. You can't have "heavy" without "light."
- Check Out the Rarities: If you only know the radio edit, go back and listen to the full 8:22 album version. The buildup is essential to the payoff.
While deadmau5 continues to evolve with projects like Kx5 and his 2026 album teases, Raise Your Weapon stands as the definitive bridge between his underground roots and his global superstardom. It’s a reminder that even in the world of synthetic sounds, raw emotion and a little bit of structural chaos go a long way.
To really appreciate the technicality, try listening to the "Madeon Extended Remix" followed immediately by the "Noisia Remix." It shows just how versatile a single vocal hook can be when handled by different masters of the craft.