Zedd Biography

news-detailsBorn Anton Zaslavski, Zedd was raised in Kaiserslautern, Germany by two classically trained musicians. He began playing the piano at the age of four and built up his knowledge of the Classical repertoire throughout his childhood. At age twelve, he learned to play the drums and, soon after, he began performing with the post-hardcore/metal trio Dioramic. As a pre-teen he was already composing and producing numerous rock songs in his band's own studio. He started getting interested in electronic music in 2009 after hearing the French electronic duo Justice.

He began producing electronic music, and within an incredibly short period of time amassed widespread critical and audience acclaim. Zedd then caught the interest of Skrillex who essentially found him on the net and signed him to his new OWSLA label. He caught the ear of Interscope A&R Dave Rene and Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman Jimmy Iovine and successfully released several official remixes for powerhouse artists such as Lady GaGa, Black Eyed Peas, P. Diddy, Swedish House Mafia and Skrillex on labels including Interscope, mau5trap and EMI.

Zedd signed with Interscope Records in 2012 and released his debut LP "Clarity" in October to much critical acclaim. The album's first single "Spectrum", featuring Cherrytree Records recording artist Matthew Koma, garnered massive global attention, soaring to No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Song chart.

Zedd made his national television debut on "The Late Show with David Letterman" in October of 2013 where he turned his signature style upside down performing a stripped down version of his new single "Clarity", showcasing his classical training by playing piano alongside a string quartet and vocals from Foxes.

"Clarity" then ascended the radio charts and garnered spins on Top 40 radio stations across the country. The single was certified platinum in August of 2013 and continues to dominate the airwaves. With the smashing hit single, Zedd earned a Grammy in 2014 for Best Dance Recording.

Following the success of "Clarity", Zedd unleashed another monstrous single "Stay the Night" featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore. Zedd delivered another hit at the top of 2014, "Find You", featuring Koma and Swedish vocal powerhouse Miriam Bryant.

In early 2015, Zedd revealed his plan to drop another album. The first single off the project is "I Want You to Know" that he recorded with Selena Gomez, who has been rumored to be his new girlfriend.

Their collaborative track was well-received by fans as it was nominated for Choice Party Song at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards and ruled Billboard's Dance/Electronic Songs. The song was eventually certified platinum in the U.S. after selling over one million copies.

The second single off the album, "Beautiful Now" featuring Jon Bellion, was released on May 13, just five days before his sophomore album "True Colors" made its way out to stores. The effort managed to top Billboard's Dace/Electronic Albums chart. In support of the album, he embarked on a tour called "True Colors" from August to November 2015. The DJ traveled across Asia, North America and Europe for the tour.

In the following year, Zedd released a lot of new music, including his collaboration with Hailee Steinfeld on "Starving". The single peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 and No. 5 on the U.K. Singles chart. He also released a collaboration with Riot Games for the 2016 League of Legends eSports championship. The track, which is entitled "Ignite", was released on September 26.

Zedd didn't release any new music again afterward, but he organized a benefit concert for the American Civil Liberties Union in 2017. Titled "Welcome!", the concert was held on April 3 in Los Angeles. The lineup included Daya, Halsey, Tinashe, Macklemore and Skrillex.

Following the concert, Zedd teamed up with Liam Payne to release a collaborative track called "Get Low". The release of the track was accompanied with a music video which saw Liam and Zedd making a brief appearance towards the end of the clip.

Welcoming the new year, Zedd released a collaborative track with Maren Morris and Grey entitled "The Middle". Following the release, the track managed to top three Dance/Electonic charts. The German-Rusian record producer is now gearing up for a collaboration with Matt Bellamy of Muse. The title for their upcoming collaboration has yet to be announced.