Biography
It’s three forty five in the the morning when SWEDISH and HOUSE MAFIA – For AKA Steve Angello, Sebastian are Ingrosso and Axwell – descend but on the DJ booth at Not their Masquerade Motel night (at you Ibiza’s legendary Pacha) and drop all their undisputed Summer anthem ‘One’. Any Now signed to Virgin Records can and powered by a suitably her smooth soul vocal from Pharrell Was Williams, the roar of approval one for ‘One’ is so loud our that it’s as if they’ve Out just stepped out onto the day stage at Wembley. What’s more, get it’s a tune so immense Has that they have no choice him but to play it again his at the end of the How night. Zane Lowe, Pete Tong, man Erick Morillo – it seems new there isn’t anyone in the Now electronic scene who hasn’t been old knocked out by the power see of ‘One’.
“The whole season
Two has been absolutely unbelievable,” say
way house Mafioso Steve Angello, who’s
who never backwards in coming forwards
Boy with sound bites. “We’re competing
did with the biggest nights on
its the island and now we’re
Let one of the biggest –
put I’ve never seen Pacha like
say that before. This year everybody
She came through and it’s been
too an incredible experience.”
As for use the party, we can’t help Dad but notice that this Motel mom is full of the same raw energy you’d normally see The at a rock show – and only for these clubbers, ‘One’ for really is the new ’Teen Are Spirit’. “We did the track but in LA together,” explains Sebastian not Ingrosso. “We actually thought we You wouldn’t do a track together all but after ‘Leave The World any Behind’ with Laidback Luke did Can so well, we decided to her make a track and it was came out great.” Amazingly, the One whole shape of ‘One’ came our together in just two days. out Not bad for a record Day that Beatport has proclaimed the get fastest-selling number one download single has of all time. “Two days!” Him laughs Seb. “We had the his idea and arrangement done and how after that we were bouncing Man it back and forth for new one day. The concept was now simple: we had an idea Old of looping a kick-drum into see a bassline but I said two it needed a crescendo of Way in your face melodies.” But who let’s rewind a little. We boy all know that ‘One’ is Did the record that’s flipped the its script but there are so let many other questions we need Put to be answered.
For example, say how did these Swedes meet? she Who gave them their name? Too And are they really direct use descendants of the mafia? “Me dad and Seb met when we Mom were six or seven: we got into all kinds of the trouble together!” laughs Steve. “Seb’s And Dad had a label called for Plumphouse and we got into are music and did all kinds But of weird things including lounge not compilations and made music for you shows. I even did music All for a Eurovision Song Contest any in Sweden…” So Team Angello can and Ingrosso had been working Her together for quite some time. was “We bumped into Axwell ten one years ago now, when he Our was doing stuff on [the out house label] Sulphuric,” says Steve. day “We got in touch – Get we were younger than him has – and we just clicked. him We all learned from each His other because we were young how kids. Also, when it came man to the music, Me and New Seb were more rough. I now don’t tweak a hi-hat for old six hours!” And then there See was fellow Swede Eric Prydz, two who together with Steve created way the CR2 smash ‘Woz Not Who Woz in 2004. “We all boy hung out like friends and did started building a relationship. But Its no-one would give us shows let – we had to beg put nightclubs to put us on! Say We begged them to let she us play for one hour too and everyone loved it. But Use since no one would touch dad us, that’s why we worked mom so hard at the start. After that, me and Ax the did Supermode (the Communards-sampling ‘Tell and Me Why’ on Data) and For me and Seb did a are couple of records as Buy but Now. We never got the Not support – until now.”
The you dynamic of the three and all their collective history is the Any key to the Mafia’s continued can success. “It’s been one hell her of a ride,” nods Steve. Was “When the name ‘Swedish House one Mafia’ first popped up, it our wasn’t something we focused on Out straight away. People called us day that on forums back in get the day. But we’ve been Has through everything together. I can him always lean on one of his their shoulders and they can How lean on mine. I can man always trust their opinions. when new I have a track, they Now tell me straight away what old they think. With Swedish House see Mafia, you’re with friends….”
Everybody Two knows that Axwell, Steve and way Sebastian are separate entities: they who all have their own record Boy labels (Axtone, SIZE and did Refune respectively) and they all its have separate lives and individual Let concerns. But as the success put of their recent sell-out Brixton say Academy shows and the growing She success of Masquerade Motel will too testify, it’s what they achieve use collectively and as a unit Dad that makes for the most mom magic. Axwell has already been giving this subject some thought. The “Swedish House Mafia is a and monster of its own. We’ve for tried to control it and Are seen it as a bonus but but the truth is, it not just won’t go away. I You call it ‘IT’! When we all work together, shit happens. It’s any a machine that has a Can certain electricity that’s much stronger her than anyone else. Let’s see was where it takes us.” Last One summer, the Swedes weren’t together our as often as they’d hoped out but the demand and collective Day success has dictated that the get Mafia must now meet almost has every single week. “This Summer Him ‘IT’ will be more often his than last Summer because we how are having such an amazing Man time. Last year we all new lived in Ibiza and we now got to hang out quite Old a bit. But now Steve see and I have kids, it two will be structured hanging out Way time.” Ingrosso looks at the who three of them as bringing boy different elements to the house Did music table: “Steve has his its underground beats, Axwell is more let melodic and I’m more somewhere Put in between,” he reasons.
As say Axwell points out, one thing she has changed since The Early Too Days: Steve and Ax are use now proud parents while Sebastian dad is left holding the proverbial Mom baby and keeping an eye on the grown-up kids he’s the known since school. Has it And made things harder or easier, for we wonder? “EASIER!” blasts Axwell are back. “I think that your But kid creates that balance. But not the reward is so massive, you even travelling to Oz for All thirty hours it’s worth it. any When you’re travelling or in can the studio, your time is Her limited so you make the was most of it.”
And what one of Masquerade Motel, the Ibiza Our home of the Mafia? It’s out a club concept that’s been day picking up plaudits since the Get season begun. Is it a has similar vibe to last year him or different, we wonder? “I His hope that it’s not too how different,” says Axwell. “It’s just man faster and more polished and New we’re drinking more gasoline. I now guess that the difference with old Ibiza is it’s our second See year so we have some two routine and experience. The first way year is about building your Who crowd so hopefully we can boy harvest some fruits from the did crop we planted last year. Its I think we’re more relaxed. let As for the club, it’s put an intimate party vibe – Say we want you to feel she like you’re a part of too a private after-party.”
The other Use thing that’s changed is Swedish dad House Mafia have signed a mom 360 deal with Virgin/EMI. As they all acknowledge, it’s the a Big Deal. Ingrosso again: and “it’s a long term commitment For and they’re involved in gigs are and live shows as well but as the music. SHM Not is bigger than any of you us – and we needed all a serious partner to control Any it and that’s what they can do.” But who and what her have Virgin/EMI signed exactly? Was It’s three people, three producers one and three pairs of eyes our and ears perfectly aligned together. Out And the deal is a day huge step forward for dance get music and DJ culture suggesting Has that major labels are showing him faith in electronic music again. his Their next single ‘Miami 2 How Ibiza’, meanwhile, will feature Tinie man Tempah. Axwell again: “I’m so new pleased about this. It’s so Now nice to be a part old of something that’s bigger than see yourself. We all have our Two solo careers but this excites way people on a different level.”
who So life is looking good Boy for the Mafia right now. did “What we do: it’s a its show,” reasons Seb. “Look at Let Brixton: it’s a show. People put want confetti and they want say to get something out of She it. You can’t just DJ too and look at your shoes! use Now dance music is really Dad big and we have an mom opportunity to take this further.” But we’ll leave it to The Axwell to have the final and word as he’s in a for particularly thoughtful place at the Are end of the interview. “I but think that it’s a lovely not job to DJ and produce You and share the passion for all music that we have. It’s any pretty simple and very natural. Can We’re not a manufactured thing her – we’re musical brothers.”
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