It’s been almost a decade since Anton Zaslavski, better known as the world-famous DJ Zedd and the mastermind behind chart-topping hits like ‘The Middle’ and ‘Stay’, dipped his toes into the musical realms of full-length albums. That was until the release of his new ground-breaking record ‘Telos’ earlier this year, which sees the Grammy-winning producer take his listeners on a deeply personal and artistic exploration of music that defies any expectations and opens up the borders as to what the genre of electronic music entails – a bold leap into the unknown.
Borrowed from ancient Greek philosophy, ‘Telos’ translates to “purpose”, “goal” or “fulfilment” and looking back on its creation, it could not be any truer to its name, as the 10-track strong masterpiece represents not just Zedd’s musical evolution but his search for meaning in a fast-paced industry. Known for his number-one hits and earworm-worthy bangers, the Russian-born artist decided to say goodbye to old patterns and depart from the commercial formula that once catapulted him to stardom. Instead, he turned inward, channelling his emotions, inspirations, and growth into a body of work that he describes as his most personal release yet. But with all grand projects like that, the beginning didn’t come easily. “It’s difficult to say exactly when I started the album,”, the DJ remembers, reflecting on the lengthy process of bringing ‘Telos’ to life, “The pandemic was the moment when I thought, well, this is the perfect opportunity to spend enough time to work on a project, and it is probably the time I will want to make an album. I was convinced that I would be ready by 2020. But the truth is, I felt very uninspired during the pandemic. And while the timeline was so perfect, the inspiration wasn’t there. I made a bunch of amazing songs that are now sitting on my hard drive and probably will become somebody else’s songs at some point down the line. I didn’t want to make an album just to make an album.”
The only option left was for him to go right back to the beginning and start from scratch, which ultimately set the tone for the entire record and meant the first of many challenges the 35-year-old producer had to face and withstand while forging his capabilities as an artist. From the endless amounts of hours he spent writing and producing, only one song made it into the pack before he turned to the next blank page. “You have to be in a very special state of mind to make such a record. I canned everything besides ‘Dream Brother’. That’s the only song that I thought fitted and had a soul that I wanted to continue,”, Zedd recalls, while adding how at some point, he recognised that nobody’s opinion mattered more than his own, “As I started over, I realised that I was going to make a record for myself. It wasn’t going to be for the streams. It most certainly was not going to be for the algorithms or for most of the people who have put me in the “Billion Streams Club”. It was going to be for people who love art, people who like sitting down and listening to music as a form of entertainment and not just having it play in the background while they do something else – the same way that I listened to albums when I grew up when I would sit down and actually listen to them. I understood that sometimes those things take time.”
The level of ambition and detail in ‘Telos’ pushed Zedd towards the many forms of collaboration – yet another standout layer of the cinematic record. Bringing together artists from all kinds of genres and backgrounds, the album slowly but surely became a tapestry of sounds that feel expansive yet cohesive, featuring some of the most eclectic and celebrated names in the industry: “It was a huge honour to get to work with all of these artists because a lot of the collaborators on this album are people who have inspired me to be who I am today as a musician.” Produced together with Ellis, Grey and Mesto, the long-player includes contributions from all corners of the music world – starting with the soul-stirring guitar work of John Mayer on ‘Automatic Yes’ to the alt-pop prowess of Bea Miller on ‘Out of Time’ and ‘Tangerine’ as well as indie darling Remi Wolf for ‘Lucky’ – as each track shines as a seamless blend of colours and styles. The Russian-German DJ even enlisted Muse for ‘1685’ and the Irish folk collective the olllam for ‘Sona’, continuously pushing the boundaries of what electronic music can be, while the late Jeff Buckley took the spotlight with ‘Dream Brother’ as the emotional centrepiece of the record.
“I realised that I was going to make a record for myself. It wasn’t going to be for the streams, the algorithms or formost of the people who have put me in the “Billion Streams Club”.”
Unlike his previous works, which leaned heavily on radio-friendly hooks and familiar EDM drops, ‘Telos’ showcases a more mature and introspective Zedd. This time around, he purposely took on an even larger role in the songwriting process, particularly when it came to the album’s vocals, as he states: “The record became the perfect playground for all of the artists to live and be themselves and not feel like they have to fit in one way or another. I was very particular about the vocals and way more involved, both lyrically and melodically, and throughout the whole concept of writing the vocals. I think my level of knowledge of producing music is much better than it used to be. Which also means that things take counterintuitively longer because I want them to be better, and I try out more. And if I zoom out far, I think my sound is a lot more mature and less kind of show-off-y. It’s all about knowing when less is more and knowing the right places to explore.”
The result of it all came in the form of an album that immaculately blends genres, defies traditional structures, and challenges listeners to engage deeply with the music. And while it already received critical acclaim and tremendous love from fans all around the globe, the highest of praises was given in November when ‘Telos’ received a nomination for a Grammy in the category of “Best Dance or Electronic Album”, further highlighting the meticulous work that went into to creation of it: “I think the level of quality of this record is something that I doubted myself for many years that I could accomplish. It feels like an album where things are truly connected and not just glued together, but musically linked and transposed from one key to another.”
However, that attention to detail didn’t just end with the completion of ‘Telos’, but was transferred directly to the production of the world tour Zedd is currently on. Famously, live shows are where DJs really can bring their full A-game, and with people naming Zedd’s concerts as some of the best they have ever experienced, the now LA-based artist had to beat no other than himself and his own standards: “I’m really proud of my show. It’s quite obviously the best show that I’ve ever put together,”, the producer exclaims, further explaining the process of putting it all together with his team to take it on the road, “We had literal maps figuring out how to connect one song to another while not forgetting that breaks are vital. This current tour is probably the most challenging in terms of the show, not just because there is a moment where I play the drums, which is something that I haven’t done in forever, but also because the more I learn about the aspect of making a good show, the higher my standards rise and the more perfect I want certain things to look. The general rule of thumb for me is if you can hear it, I want you to be able to see it.”
All of this begs the question, would he do it all over again? Probably not. “I think if I had to redo ‘Telos’, I never would. The whole process turned into this emotional outpouring and that can be quite stressful. During the period of finishing the album, I was overworking myself so much that I started losing so much weight, but not by choice. I couldn’t sleep at night because I was constantly thinking about the music I was making. As somebody who has really tried for the last couple of years to do everything that I could do to be healthy, I truly pushed myself to the limit or beyond in the final couple of months. I’m not proud of it, but I think there was just so much at stake, and I had put so much into making this happen that I just had to bite my way through it. That being said, if there isn’t a real reason to work yourself to this point, I would not recommend it.” This is something more and more artists have been seen to not just be confronted with, but also open up about in the public sphere. Because the music industry, for all its glitz and glamour, can be an unforgiving space. Behind the flashing lights and roaring crowds, the relentless pressure to create, perform, and stay relevant can quickly take a toll on creators in ways that fans rarely see. For Zedd, in the process of putting everything he had into the record, he learned just how close the line between brilliance and burnout can be and how important it is to look after yourself above all else. “I think there are a couple of lessons in my life that I have learned along the way that made me realise that burning yourself out isn’t worth it. And it’s a tricky balance because everybody has a different breaking point. And sometimes pushing yourself will get you to produce the best result. It’s a delicate balance and you really have to listen to your body. So, if we rewound the time by three years and I had my knowledge of the album and what it would take to get there, I probably would never do it again, which is why the definition of ‘Telos’ is “the end”. I sympathised with it because, at the end of it, I just poured everything I had into it. I have no idea if I have any energy left to make music after emptying myself out like that. But, would I change anything about ‘Telos’? Definitely not.”
“The world could use a lot of what the EDM Scene stands for. It feels like we’re always going through this together. That’s one of the most amazing parts about the community. That’s so unique in this industry.”
In an industry often marked by cutthroat competition and individualism, the hitmaker credits the EDM scene for its unique sense of community. For him, as well as for so many other producers as well as its fans, the genre isn’t simply about beats and drops to dance to – it’s about building something bigger, together. “The world could use a lot of what the EDM scene stands for,”, Zedd reflects. “When I think back to how I started out in this industry, it felt like everything was built around supporting each other. That’s so unique in this industry. I work a lot in pop and I feel like there is so much competition, spite and hate between artists. On the other hand, when I would make a remix, all my friends would play it, and we would remix each other and perform on stage with one another and support each other. It feels like we’re always going through this together. That’s one of the most amazing parts about the EDM community.”
This ethos of mutual support was also one of the cornerstones of ‘Telos’, helping him take creative risks and take a chance on crafting an album that defies convention. Something that will withstand the passage of time. “I wasn’t sure that I could really create something so cinematic and genre-blending. And if I could, I didn’t know if I ever had the time to do it because a career is like a flight. The take-off takes so much fuel, and once you’re up there, you have a little bit of flight time. But making an album like this takes more energy and flight time than you would want to spend when you’re up there. So strictly, commercially speaking, I didn’t know if I would be able to take as much time as I personally wanted to,”, the producer illuminates, coming back to this leap of faith that got him where he is now, “I decided this wasn’t going to be a commercial album for everybody, but a work of art that 20 years from now, all reviews will change their numbers because people will finally have spent the time it takes to truly dissect what’s in it. I decided to make that kind of album, I took the time. I stayed on the flight”
In the end, ‘Telos’ is more than just a record, but represents a pivotal moment in Zedd’s career. Born out of vulnerability, self-reflection, and the courage to reinvent what a DJ and producer can be, every single risk that he took – emotionally, physically, and creatively – is evident in every track, every note, and every collaboration that colours the album. Beyond the challenges and the sacrifices, it’s a work of art that stands as a momentous marker in Zedd’s career, but, above all, it’s an album that contests the traditions of electronic music, defying what listeners may expect and leaving a lasting impact that will continue to unfold with time. In an industry known for its fleeting trends and constant transformations, ‘Telos’ will undoubtedly be remembered as a defining triumph – a rare example of what happens when the power of creativity is fully embraced.
Written by Laura Weingrill // Photography by Nick Walker // Art by Roseanna Lane
GEM Magazine 