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Toronto-based electronic music duo Zeds Dead is one of the most successful EDM acts to originate from Canada, with an extensive worldwide touring schedule as well as several Billboard-charting releases and Juno nominations to their name. Initially known for producing dubstep and electro-house, their sound has expanded to incorporate drum'n'bass, trap, electro-pop, and other styles. In addition to releases on labels like Mad Decent, Dim Mak, and RAM Records, they run bass music imprint Deadbeats, through which they released their 2016 full-length debut, Northern Lights. Actively releasing singles and remixes into the 2020s, the pair also issued the 2021 mixtape Catching Z's and the 2025 album Return to the Spectrum of Galactic Happiness, previewed with the euphoric "Heartbeat."

DC (Dylan Mamid) and Hooks (Zachary Rapp-Rovan) first formed the hip-hop-oriented Mass Productions in 2004 and released an independent album, Fresh Beetz, three years later. They switched to Zeds Dead -- named after a line from Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction -- in 2009, embracing house and the direct, physical side of dubstep. Their debut song, the All Seeing I-sampling "Journey of a Lifetime," arrived in 2009. It would be the first of many downloadable releases made available for free. The track was quickly followed by more free downloads, as well as a remix of Barletta's "Panther."

Throughout 2010 and 2011, they were increasingly active. The duo released material on a number of labels, including Kissy Sell Out's San City High, Steve Aoki's Dim Mak, and Diplo's Mad Decent; remixed tracks by Blue Foundation and the Electric; and they also toured extensively throughout the U.S. Their first release of 2012 was Adrenaline, an EP issued on Inspected that balanced blitzing dubstep tracks with lower-key breakbeat workouts. The Living Dead (Ultra) arrived months later, before a trio of Mad Decent EPs followed each subsequent year: Victor (2012), Hot Sauce (2013), and Somewhere Else (2014). The latter featured appearances by Twin Shadow and Perry Farrell and entered the Billboard 200.

The pair's debut LP arrived in late 2016. Released on their own Deadbeats label, Northern Lights included collaborations with Diplo, Pusha T, Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, Jadakiss, Styles P, and more. The following year saw Zeds Dead issue the Frontlines remix EP and a collection of Northern Lights remixes. They also won a Canadian Independent Music Award for Electronic/Dance Artist of the Year. The duo closed 2017 with a Jauz collaboration, "Lights Go Down."

In 2018, Zeds Dead collaborated with 1000Volts (rapper Redman and producer Jayceeoh) on the single "Kill Em," and additionally released tracks with Ganja White Night, Snails, and DNMO. 2019's "Lift You Up," with Delta Heavy, appeared on longstanding drum'n'bass label RAM Records. Several additional singles led up to the release of 2020's label showcase We Are Deadbeats, Vol. 4, which included additional collaborations with Droeloe, Slushii, Omar LinX, and more. The album's deluxe edition included remixes as well as further collaborations with artists like Rezz and Yultron. The following year, they issued the mixtape Catching Z's, which featured notable singles such as "Lost Birds" with Elliot Moss, "I Think You're Cool" with Jenna Pemkowski, and "Late Night Drive." The non-album single "Alive" featuring MKLA yielded a slew of remixes that landed on a pair of EPs. 2022 was occupied by a half-dozen collaborations and singles, including "Gassed Up" with Subtronics and Flowdan. Additional singles over the course of 2023 and 2024 led to the 2025 release of Return to the Spectrum of Galactic Happiness, an album promoted with extensive touring including Deadrocks XI, the 11th edition of their own music festival. ~ Andy Kellman & Neil Z. Yeung

Sometimes plaintive and spare and sometimes incorporating more complex hip-hop beats and guest rappers, Los Angeles musician Romy Flores creates a nightmarish vision of electronic pop with DeathbyRomy. After debuting the project in the mid-2010s, she released her first album, Monsters, in 2018 and further explored her blend of tormented styles on 2021's Songs for My Funeral.

Born and raised in L.A., Flores adopted the stage alias DeathbyRomy at the age of 15. Struggling with depression and instances of bullying, she soon dropped out of high school to pursue a career in music. Her first album was inspired by her experiences over the next couple years as she found ways to overcome negativity. Early songs including "Blood" and "Wonder Boy" (featuring Violet Kennedy) appeared online in 2016. Collaborations with Los Angeles hip-hop artists Glitter Princess and LePlay were among the dozen or so additional tracks she shared before issuing her debut album, Monsters, in September of 2018. It included appearances by Yung Bans, Lil B, and Cuban Doll. In 2019 she released several new songs, including the blackbear-featuring "Dangerous," as well as EP Love U - to Death, which included the standout and often-streamed track "Problems." "Problems" received the remix treatment from pop-friendly rapper 24kGoldn the next year, and DeathbyRomy steadily issued new songs throughout the year including "Beautiful Mayhem" and "Fiending for a Lover," and her sinister take on the Weather Girls' "It's Raining Men" was included on the Promising Young Woman soundtrack. In 2021, several previously released tracks were included alongside new material on the seven-song release Songs for My Funeral. ~ Marcy Donelson