Grammy Award-winning DJ/Producer Zedd Teams Up With Intel For an Immersive AI Experience at Complex LA

On Thursday, Complex LA transformed into an electrifying epicenter of tech and music as Intel Core Ultra and multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning artist, DJ and producer Zedd teamed up to unveil a groundbreaking collaboration. The exclusive VIP event – attended by label executives, influencers and Zedd’s closest friends – doubled as the album release party of TELOS, the producer’s highly-anticipated first studio album in nine years, which is now available to stream. But this wasn’t just an album party, it was a celebration of the future of music-related experiences, where artificial intelligence can complement human artistic expression. This fusion of music and technology showcased the power of AI to create a unique visual experience, using laptops powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, resulting in an immersive and unforgettable collaboration.

Zedd has captivated audiences worldwide with his infectious beats and innovative sound. His new album, TELOS, marks a significant milestone in his career, exploring new sonic territories and pushing the boundaries of the genre he helped shape. By partnering with Intel, Zedd is aiming to revolutionize the music listening experience, inviting fans into his creative world.

The Intel x Zedd event offered guests a unique opportunity to delve into the world of TELOS. Attendees were immersed in a visually stunning and multi-sensory experience, featuring interactive moments with Intel Core Ultra powered laptops, a striking video content moment with Director Cole Walliser and cutting-edge technology demonstrations including a direct-to-garment opportunity, where guests were able to take their “Lucky”-inspired stained glass art portrait and have it printed directly onto a tote bag as a memorable keepsake.

However, beyond the groundbreaking and innovative technology, the event boasted a vibrant atmosphere filled with energy and excitement. Guests enjoyed food and refreshments, mingled with fellow music enthusiasts and danced to the pulsating beats of Zedd's music. The event also showcased limited edition merchandise inspired by TELOS, which is available to shop at Complex LA this weekend, while supplies last.

With two singles previously released from the new album – “Out of Time” featuring Bea Miller and “Lucky” featuring Remi Wolf – TELOS showcases a more authentic side of the multi-platinum hitmaker and is meant to be a “profound listening experience” from start to finish.

At the event, Complex caught up with Zedd for an exclusive discussion about the inspiration and sound behind his third studio album, how AI is influencing the future of the music industry and how it feels to finally get to show his fans, and the world, what he’s been working on. However, what we were surprised to learn most is how deeply personal TELOS is to him.

How would you describe the sound of TELOS?

I would describe TELOS as a mostly electronic album with heavy influence from real instruments and an orchestra, tying everything together, allowing me to explore different genres without it feeling disconnected.

I do think that this album is a lot more cinematic and theatrical than the music I've done before, and creating a full length album is the canvas that I needed to be able to pull this off. Having made singles for the last eight or so years, it just doesn't allow me to get as deep into that theatrical world as I can with a full length album.

TELOS marks your first studio album in nine years. What made you decide to return with such a groundbreaking project?

I didn’t really make the conscious decision that I'm gonna sit down and make an album. It was more so that it just felt right, and I always let my inspiration and inner voice guide me, whether it's what genre I embark on, which artists I work with, or what project I do or don't do, and it just felt right to try this exercise of making a full length record. Again, it takes a lot out of you when you put yourself into this world of an album, and you really do it consciously, and think about it deeply. I think I finally felt the inspiration, and it finally felt like my first album again, and that's what you need to feel to really make an amazing album.

What was the inspiration?

Well, the inspiration just comes from within. I felt enough of a drive to sit down and really think about a big picture project. And before, I just felt enough inspiration to make a single or two, but I didn't feel that burn to tell a long story. After nine years, it felt like the right time and I'm incredibly lucky to have unbelievably patient fans, who have given me the time that I needed to feel this inspiration again. I think coming out of the pandemic, I felt like a new person and that's when I really dove deep into making this record a reality.

What are your hopes for the future of AI in music creation?

My hopes are pretty much the same as they have been forever, which is that AI will help me and other creators to achieve their goals easier and quicker and more creatively. I think a lot of the time I will have an idea, but the path that it would take me to get there makes me not even try, because things are just too complex or too complicated. What AI enables you to do as a creative is to actually give it a try, and you have a helping hand whenever you need it. You can focus less on the sort of tasks you don't really want to have to do and you can focus fully on being the creative that you really love being. I think of AI as a helping hand and your confidant more so than something that takes your heart away. I think your DNA will always be there. You still make the choices, but you don't have to waste time getting to the goal.

Do you see AI as a tool for collaboration or potential replacement for traditional methods?

To me, AI is there to help me do what I do best and it enables me to focus on the things that I actually want to focus on, and offload certain tasks that I don't think I ever really wanted to have to do anyway. So I never think of AI as a replacement, more so as an addition. In a perfect world, enabling you to do things that you couldn't have achieved without it. Maybe giving you the courage to explore certain things that just seemed too crazy to even attempt alone.

This pop-up experience offers fans a unique interactive experience. How does it feel to see tonight’s guests engage with TELOS in such a direct way?

It is unbelievable because we’ve been working on this world of TELOS for so long. So to us, it feels like our baby that nobody's ever seen. To walk around and actually see real life versions of it, and people engaging with it, is so fulfilling. It feels so surreal because the journey has been so long, and now we're sharing it with everybody and everybody gets to be a part of TELOS. It's a really fulfilling and beautiful feeling.

You actually just walked through the front and the entire pop-up experience. What was going on in your mind when you saw it for the first time right now?

Well, my first thought was: I didn't realize how many people were gonna be here! It's so awesome when you sort of craft a visual DNA and it suddenly spreads beyond the album into society and culture. You see these stained glass windows and you see people engaging with the art. It really makes you feel like music can travel beyond just the audio and, really, into society.

With all the visuals in this pop-up, would you say that this is what it looked like in your head while you were making the album?

Oh, absolutely. We’ve spent the last nine or so months creating the visuals for each of the songs. We worked with an artist named Roseanna Lane, who has been, essentially, fulfilling my dreams, my visual dreams, and making them a reality. Seeing them come to life like this is really amazing, because I've only been seeing them on my computer screen. To walk by what we've been sort of baking for so long feels so awesome.

What do you hope listeners will experience when they listen to TELOS, or what message do you hope to convey with this album?

My biggest hope and dream is that people will try listening to the album front to back, without skipping and without shuffling. I've created this album the way albums used to be created, back in the day, where you kind of had to listen front to back, and there was a story that was told and a cohesion in the music. It's not really like a playlist album, where you kind of pick and choose your songs.

The takeaway I want people to have from this is, like, to me, listening to this album is the equivalent of you reading a book about my life. The artists I've worked with were amongst artists that I've covered when I started making music. I reworked a classical piece that was the first classical song I've ever played in my life. I worked with my dream collaborators who have inspired me to be who I am today. So when you listen to the album, you kind of listen to my entire life all the way from the very first piece I ever learned to play to the very newest artist who I became obsessed with in recent years.

The songs are connected and they tell a story. Certain songs foreshadow others. It is a significantly better experience to listen to front and back. And I think we live in a time of playlists, and oftentimes playlists will do better than an album, because an album is sort of a collection of way too many songs that are thrown together. This album is so carefully crafted and curated, where there is no filler, there's no unnecessary music. I didn't add songs just to please algorithms. I think when you do listen, you realize how each song transforms into the next and sometimes you don't even know that the song has changed. It’s a full theatrical experience. That’s my biggest dream – is that people will experience albums the way I experienced them when I was young, and those albums were the ones that inspired me to create TELOS.

Are there Easter eggs?

Oh, yeah. This album has the most little details and Easter eggs. Artists wanted to be a part of TELOS beyond the song they’re featured on. Like Matthew Bellamy from Muse has played guitar on multiple songs. And when you really carefully listen, you will see other artists, here and there, appear throughout the album.

It felt like I created a band and a family that is more than just a feature on a song. I really feel like I have my family with this album, and I’m really, really proud of it. I've never been so proud of any project I've ever worked on, and I feel way more deeply connected to everybody I've gotten to work with than ever before.

Since you said TELOS tells the story of your life, which track is the most meaningful?

Personally, to me, “Out of Time” is the song that I feel, probably, the deepest. I started writing “Out of Time” in 2015 and it had this theatrical feel to it. It felt like my “Bohemian Rhapsody,” for lack of better examples. It's the song that gave me the freedom to make tempo changes, and to explore different variations of this motif I wrote. It encompasses everything that I’ve loved about music, from complete chord freedom to working with one of my favorite singers I’ve ever gotten to work with, Bea Miller, to really feeling like I can express myself without being afraid of what people would think of me. This was sort of a breakthrough for the entire album and sort of the guiding light of: whatever I feel like creatively is the right decision as a musician and is the one they’re gonna follow.

I can’t resist asking: Which song was the hardest for you to record?

I think “Out of Time” was the biggest challenge of all. It took so long because it's been living in my universe since 2015 and I didn't know how to finish it. It took on so many lives. I've made it into an intro, but never made the actual song. And when TELOS became more and more of a vocal-heavy album, “Out of Time” was instrumental and I was like, I'm gonna need to figure out a way to get the human touch in the song. I've had so many sessions working on the song and it wasn't until I worked with Bea Miller that all the puzzle pieces sort of aligned, and I realized I now finally know how to wrap this one up and how to make it the song that I've kind of been hearing in my head all along.

As we look forward…

Intel's collaboration with Zedd represents a significant step forward in the integration of technology and music. By harnessing the power of AI and Intel Core Ultra processors, artists can now push creative boundaries and deliver groundbreaking work. This partnership demonstrates Intel's commitment to supporting innovation and empowering creators to shape the future of entertainment.

While the VIP event has concluded, the celebration of TELOS continues. The Zedd TELOS Exclusive Merch Pop-Up, in collaboration with Intel Core Ultra, will be open to the public this Friday through Sunday at Complex LA (433 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles) from 12-6pm, offering fans a chance to explore the world of the album and witness the magic of AI-powered technology firsthand.

Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the future of music.