Only a couple of years ago, Swedish House Mafia members Sebastian Ingrosso, Steve Angello, and Axwell were an underground triumvirate known mostly to hardcore partiers, EDM addicts, and wannabe DJs.
But now these three club thugs are making serious moves into the mainstream. With its new album Until One, a new concert documentary called Take One, and this Saturday's Masquerade Motel party in Miami, the collective seems to be mere months from cracking pop consciousness.
And recently, Crossfade connected with Ingrosso for a conversation that touched on topics like the Motel bash, WMC, Paris Hilton, hip-hop, and kicking ass.
For the Miami event, you'll be taking over the future home of the 2010 edition of Scope Art Fair. You are performing in somewhat of a blank slate, not a traditional nightclub. Is that going to change the feel of the event?
I hope so. People come to see the music and show, and we have some extra stuff with us. I think it's going to be good. I think we know what we're doing. [Laughs]
Like dance music in general, is Swedish House Mafia making a move for the mainstream?
It's the same music. I think One is [full of] even more rave-y and festival tracks than any other music we've done. I think commercial music is now more interested in what we are doing. I don't think we are doing more commercial music. I remember 10 years ago when hip-hop artists would listen to dance music, they would say it was gay music, especially in the States.
When you listen to hip-hop today, remove the vocals and it would probably pass for a dance track.
Yeah, if you listen to Usher's track ["DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love"], take away the vocals and it sounds like Booka Shade's "Mandarine Girl." It's very simple, and I've been doing that kind of tracks for the last five years.
I started to take notice of Swedish House Mafia's success when you performed at this year's Ultra Music Festival. People went there specifically to see you guys. How was that experience for you?
I think it was one of the best gigs we've ever done. We came to Miami, and we were so pumped up to do a Swedish House Mafia show on that big stage. We love Miami. We love Winter Music Conference. We wanted to give them two hours of dance music, fist in the air. I think it was probably the number two best set of my life.
It was very different from what Steve Angello experienced the year before when Paris Hilton made headlines by insisting he play hip-hop at his WMC showcase.
I can't comment about that because I wasn't there. But it was quite funny.
Safe to say you didn't experience that this year.
Absolutely not.
Swedish House Mafia with Brazilian Girls, AN21, Cedric Gervais, Patrick M, TKO, and Riotgear. Saturday, October 30. Scope Art Fair, 3055 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Doors open at 3 p.m. and tickets cost $75 to $3424 via wantickets.com. Ages 21 and up. Call 305-321-3050 or visit masquerademiami.com.
