3LAU: Biography, Discography and More | EDM Encyclopedia

Introduction

Justin David Blau, performing under the stage name 3LAU, is an American DJ and electronic dance music producer. His professional career launched in 2011 with the release of EDM Mayhem, marking his entry into a competitive electronic music landscape. That debut established the foundation for a discography that would eventually span five full-length albums and two EPs across more than a decade of activity.

Blau’s approach to releasing EDM music distinguishes him from many contemporaries in the electronic space. While the industry has increasingly shifted toward single-track releases optimized for streaming algorithms, 3LAU has consistently assembled his productions into cohesive collections. This commitment to full-length projects has resulted in a catalog that rewards sequential listening, with each release presenting a curated sequence of tracks rather than isolated singles.

Active from 2011 to the present, 3LAU has maintained a production schedule that spans the full range of his career. His output includes a multi-volume series of mix albums alongside standalone artist projects and EP releases. The most recent confirmed release in his catalog arrived in 2022, representing over a decade of continuous musical output.

Operating primarily within the progressive house and broader electronic dance music spectrum, Blau has built a body of work suited for both personal listening and live DJ performance contexts. His releases have appeared across major streaming platforms, reaching audiences through digital distribution channels that have defined the modern electronic music era.

The longevity of 3LAU’s career places him among electronic producers who have sustained activity across multiple shifts in dance music trends. From the festival-oriented sounds that dominated the early 2010s through subsequent movements toward more diverse production styles, Blau has continued releasing music at regular intervals without extended gaps in his output.

Blau’s dual identity as both a producer and a DJ informs his approach to music creation. His releases reflect an understanding of how tracks function within extended sets, with attention to pacing, energy flow, and transitional moments that connect individual songs into unified listening experiences.

Genre and Style

3LAU’s production style centers on progressive house and electronic dance music, with tracks built around synthesizer-driven melodies and structured builds that culminate in drops designed for maximum impact in live settings. The progressive house influence manifests through extended harmonic developments where melodic elements evolve gradually rather than repeating in short loops.

The progressive house Sound

Blau integrates vocal components as focal points within his arrangements. Rather than treating vocals as supplementary textures, he positions them alongside instrumental passages as equal elements in the composition. This approach produces tracks that function effectively both as standalone listening experiences and as components within extended DJ sets.

The dance pop Floor Filth series highlights 3LAU’s method of combining original productions with recognizable material, assembled with smooth transitions that enable continuous playback. These releases operate simultaneously as standalone listening projects and functional tools for live performance, reflecting the dual nature of his work as both a producer and a DJ.

His 2018 album Ultraviolet represents a focused application of polished production techniques. The album emphasizes high-fidelity sound design and accessible arrangements that prioritize clarity over experimental abstraction. This places his work firmly within mainstream electronic contexts rather than underground or niche electronic movements.

The IRIDESCENT EP, released in 2022, demonstrates Blau’s continued engagement with melodic electronic production within a condensed format. Arriving four years after his previous album, the EP format allows for a concentrated presentation of his production approach without the expanded scope of a full-length release.

Across his catalog, 3LAU maintains tempos suited for dance floor environments while ensuring melodic content receives equal emphasis alongside percussive elements. His arrangements typically follow conventional electronic music structures: introductory passages that establish melodic themes, progressive builds that increase energy through added layers, and drops that deliver the rhythmic and textural payoff that characterizes progressive house productions.

Blau’s sound design choices favor polished, commercially viable production values. His tracks feature clean mix engineering, precisely placed elements within the stereo field, and mastering suited for both headphone listening and large-scale sound systems. This technical precision supports the accessibility of his music across different playback contexts.

Key Releases

Albums

• Albums
• EDM Mayhem
• Dance Floor Filth 2
• Dance Floor Filth 3
• Dance Floor Filth 4

Discography Highlights

EDM Mayhem (2011): 3LAU’s debut full-length release, establishing his entry into electronic music production and setting the template for his subsequent output of album-format projects.

dance floor Filth 2 (2012): The second installment in his mix series arrived one year after his debut, expanding on the format that would become a recurring element of his discography.

Dance Floor Filth 3 (2013): Continuing the series one year later, this third volume maintained the blend of original production and curated material that characterized the collection.

Dance Floor Filth 4 (2015): The fourth and final entry in the series arrived two years after its predecessor, concluding the collection that had run alongside his other projects throughout the early portion of his career.

Ultraviolet (2018): A standalone artist album released three years after his previous full-length project. This release exists outside the mix series format, presenting a self-contained collection of original productions that reflects his approach to progressive house composition.

EPs

Found house dj (2012): Released during the same period as his early album output, this EP provided a shorter-format complement to his full-length projects at a time when he was establishing his production identity.

IRIDESCENT (2022): His most recent confirmed release to date. This EP represents his latest production work within the condensed format, demonstrating continued engagement with melodic electronic music for djs.

3LAU’s confirmed discography encompasses eleven years of production activity. All listed releases fall under album or EP classifications, with no standalone singles included in the confirmed catalog. The five albums and two EPs span the full range of his active career from his first release through his latest.

Famous Tracks

Justin David Blau, known professionally as 3LAU, built his discography through a series of mashups and original productions that bridged pop accessibility with progressive house energy. His early work relied heavily on vocal-driven EDM, blending familiar Top 40 hooks with aggressive club production. This approach defined his initial rise in the early 2010s.

The EDM Mayhem album in 2011 and the Dance Floor Filth 2 album in 2012 captured 3LAU refining his signature blend: layered synths, building tempos, and recognizable vocal samples. That same year, the Found House EP demonstrated his ability to distill progressive house into tighter, more focused packages. By the time Dance Floor Filth 3 arrived in 2013, 3LAU had established a reliable output schedule while maintaining his specific sound.

The 2015 album Dance Floor Filth 4 continued this series, showing incremental production improvements. However, 3LAU’s first full-length studio album, Ultraviolet (2018), marked a shift. The project featured original vocal collaborations and moved away from relying solely on mashup elements. This release demonstrated 3LAU’s interest in standing on his own songwriting rather than repurposing existing hits.

After a period exploring blockchain and music tokenization, 3LAU returned with the IRIDESCENT EP in 2022. This project reflected a maturation of his sound, incorporating more nuanced textures while keeping the melodic sensibilities that defined his earlier work.

Live Performances

3LAU’s presence in the live electronic scene developed through consistent touring across North America. His DJ sets became known for high-energy transitions and incorporating recognizable vocal hooks, appealing to both casual listeners and dedicated festival attendees. This accessibility made him a regular presence on major festival lineups throughout the 2010s.

Notable Shows

3LAU performed at major electronic music festivals, including Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), Ultra Music Festival, and Summerfest. His sets typically balanced his original productions with remixes and mashups, maintaining crowd engagement through familiar elements. Unlike DJs who prioritize long, immersive technical mixes, 3LAU optimized for immediate impact: quick transitions, big drops, and singalong moments.

Beyond traditional festivals, 3LAU also capitalized on the livestreaming wave, particularly during 2020 and 2021. His streams attracted significant viewership, partly because his pop-centric style translated well to home listening. In 2021, he organized and headlined a blockchain-based music festival called Music Festival, which was billed as the first cryptocurrency-backed music event. This venture reflected his interest in merging live performance with emerging technology, positioning him as one of the more visible figures exploring NFT and token-based engagement in electronic music.

Why They Matter

3LAU occupies a specific intersection in electronic music: a producer who achieved commercial success through accessible, vocal-heavy progressive house while simultaneously becoming one of the most vocal advocates for blockchain technology in the music industry. This dual identity makes him notable beyond his discography.

Impact on progressive house

His early mashup-driven approach arrived at a moment when EDM was exploding in the United States. 3LAU capitalized on that wave without relying exclusively on instrumental bangers. By prioritizing recognizable vocals and pop structures, he made progressive house approachable for listeners who might not otherwise engage with electronic music. This strategy proved commercially effective and helped normalize the idea of DJ-producers as crossover artists.

However, 3LAU’s more lasting impact may come from his involvement in music and Web3 technology. In 2021, he auctioned an NFT collection that generated over $11 million, demonstrating that digital music assets could attract significant financial interest. He also co-founded Royal, a platform allowing fans to invest in music royalties, which raised $55 million in a Series A funding round. These ventures positioned 3LAU as a central figure in discussions about how artists might monetize work outside traditional label structures.

Whether his blockchain projects will reshape industry economics remains uncertain, but his willingness to merge music with experimental technology keeps him relevant beyond streaming numbers and festival bookings.

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