“We Are Mates”: mau5trap’s Storied Collection, Now Open for Submissions, Is the Human Ear in a Machine-Listening World

Before streaming platforms dug their algorithmic claws into the part of our brains that dictates our music taste, discovery used to be human. For Gen Z, the word “burn” is typically used before the word “out,” but back then it was used for the act of printing your favorite tracks on CDs and naming them in Sharpie. There was no gift more personal, and mau5trap remembers.

That instinct is embedded in We Are Friends, the long-running compilation series from deadmau5’s record label. Since its inception in 2012, each release has behaved like a dusty mixtape passed between friends long after the rest of the industry outsourced that job to an algorithm.

Each WAF volume functions as a curated time capsule of mau5trap’s influence, capturing the precise moment an unknown artist catches lightning in a bottle. The collections provide a fascinating blueprint of how dancefloors shift over time, no matter how unrecognizable, offering loyal listeners a front-row seat to the genesis of generational talent.

The results speak for themselves. REZZ showed up on Volume 4, back when “brain-melting” was still a compliment reserved for horror movies. Volume 7 introduced the late visionary i_o before earlier editions surfaced undeniable virtuosos like ATTLAS in Volume 3, BlackGummy in Volume 4 and No Mana in Volume 5. The sixth volume spotlighted Rinzen, who is now having his lap around the sun after releasing an official remix of deadmau5’s ‘Not Exactly’ and garnering support from electronic music legends like Tiësto, Armin van Buuren and Above & Beyond.

The covers of the first 12 ‘We Are Friends’ compilations from deadmau5’s label, mau5trap.Credit: Images courtesy of mau5trap

What makes WAF feel so out of step with 2026, in the best way, is its refusal to get swallowed up by the recommendation engines that have insidiously become standard practice in electronic music. While there’s no denying the utility of algorithmic data for the sake of staying competitive, it’s only one brushstroke in a much larger mosaic for mau5trap.

“At mau5trap, music is taste, instinct, timing, culture and soul,” says Jimi Frew, who operates in a dual role providing A&R and creative strategy. “WAF has always been about that kind of listening. We ask, ‘Does this track something unique, and does it belong in the mau5trap catalog?’”

The imprint is keeping that spirit alive with an open call for Volume 13. True to form for its unabashed founder deadmau5, the pitch to artists is refreshingly direct and devoid of cringey corporate platitudes, acknowledging upfront that record labels have earned a reputation for demo submissions vanishing into silence.

“mau5trap is a small, passionate team,” reads the Volume 13 demo submission page. “we’re human. and we take this seriously. we receive a huge number of submissions, and we listen to every single one. that takes time, care, and real effort, so we approach it with respect. with that in mind: please only submit music you’re truly proud of. no works-in-progress. no half-finished ideas. just your BEST & FINAL version… ready for release.”

The label is eagerly waiting to discover the next members of its horde. For everyone else, it remains the perfect excuse to revisit the archives and remember exactly why we became friends in the first place.