"Hit Save" wasn't a single, an album, or an anthem everyone knew by heart. Instead, it was a ghost, a rumor given form—an (Identification), a project file on Joel Zimmerman's computer that fans desperately hoped would one day be completed. For years, the track circulated only as a whispered legend or as the basis for fan remixes and reconstructions.
The track first surfaced around as a "work in progress" during Zimmerman's live production streams on platforms like Twitch. It quickly gained legendary status within "The Horde" (his fanbase) due to its length, complexity, and emotive progressive house style—characteristics often compared to his 2009 masterpiece, " Strobe ". Key Features of "Hit Save"
However, "Saved" should not be mistaken for "Hit Save." They were two parallel projects from a period where Zimmerman was simultaneously finalizing W:/2016ALBUM/ (later released as W:/2016ALBUM/ ) and contributing to the We Are Friends compilation series. While "Saved" provided a finished, polished product for fans to enjoy immediately, "Hit Save" remained locked away—a puzzle piece that would not find its place for several more years. deadmau5 hit save
The track found its natural home on the compilation, released on deadmau5's own label, mau5trap. With Zimmerman's own label curating the release, "XYZ" sat alongside tracks from artists like Kasablanca and Lamorn, bringing the legend into the official catalog.
Furthermore, clearance issues often plague unreleased music. If the vocals used in the livestreams were temporary placeholders or samples from un-cleared sessions, releasing the track commercially becomes a legal nightmare. For Joel, "Hit Save" may always remain an unfinished canvas—a brilliant sketch that served its purpose in his creative journey. The Legacy of a Mythic Track "Hit Save" wasn't a single, an album, or
Furthermore, elements of "Hit Save" have been cannibalized and repurposed into other tracks over the years. Portions of its arrangement, chord structures, and sound design codes can be heard echoing in tracks like "4ware" and his later collaboration with Kiesza, "Bridged By A Lightwave." For Zimmerman, "Hit Save" may simply have been a creative sandbox—a stepping stone to other completed projects rather than a final product meant for Spotify. The Fan Legacy: Keeping the Track Alive
The magic of the 16-minute version lies in witnessing the production process itself. Because it was pulled directly from a live stream, listeners can actually hear Zimmerman actively bringing distinct audio layers in and out of the project grid, giving it an organic, ever-shifting flow that was never completely locked down to a standard arrangement. The Allure of Unreleased Deadmau5 Music The track first surfaced around as a "work
Despite these releases satisfying the public hunger for new music, they did not replace the specific magic of the original "Hit Save" arrangement. The Perfectionism of Joel Zimmerman Fans often ask: Why not just upload it to Spotify?
This is the part of the story that rarely gets told. In the immediate aftermath of the "deadmau5 hit save" clip, most viewers assumed the track was gone forever. However, deadmau5 is not just a performer; he is a technical genius. After the crash, he rebooted his computer, opened his DAW, and attempted to recover the audio from his temporary cache files.