Zedd

Anton Zaslavski, born on September 2, 1989 in Saratov (then the USSR, now Russia) and better known by his stage name Zedd, is a German-Russian producer and DJ and a Grammy Award winner.

He comes from a family of musicians—his father is a guitarist and his mother a piano teacher—and began playing classical piano at the age of four. At twelve, he took up drums in a band with his brother, composing and producing many rock songs in the band’s studio.

In 2009, he taught himself electronic music production and quickly achieved notable success. Within a few months, he won the “Armand Van Helden / Strictly Rhythm” remix contest on Beatport, followed by a second win in the “Fatboy Slim / Skint Remix Contest”. These victories led to collaborations with artists such as Skrillex, Fatboy Slim, Armand Van Helden, Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and P. Diddy, as well as work with labels including mau5trap, Interscope, Atlantic, Strictly Rhythm and Skint Records.

His first track, “The Anthem”, entered the top 20 of the Beatport charts. His remix of Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites, released on mau5trap recordings, reached No. 4 on Beatport’s overall chart and No. 2 on the Electro House chart. On October 4, 2011, he released his single “Shave It” via Beatport on OWSLA, Skrillex’s new label.

While primarily an electro house producer, Zedd has broadened his style, incorporating influences from progressive house, dubstep, and classical music. His distinctive writing approach is highly detailed and carefully produced, both playful and notably catchy.

Among his best-known productions are Clarity (with Foxes), which reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on Hot Dance Club Songs, and Break Free, which placed No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. He won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Performance at the 56th ceremony for Clarity.