Interview- Avicii

Tell us a bit about your relationship with your manager Ash…

Ash and I first met back in 2008. I had been producing for a while then and and put up some tracks on different blogs and Youtube. He took me under his wings and we’ve really grown together since then. My father refers to him as my second dad, which is true in many ways, haha. But he’s my friend, brother, mentor etc. We have developed a really close relationship both in business and personal life.

Last year, you were playing an afternoon set at the Hilltop Arena of Electric Zoo Festival and I was privileged enough to experience it. A year later, you’re headlining major festivals around the world. Tell us a bit about your phenomenal rise to fame and how BIG this past year has been for you.

This year has been really amazing! So many things have happened, things I couldn’t imagine would happen when I started to produce. The ones I can thank for this opportunity and this very rise are my fans and management.

Of all your shows, travels, new festivals and clubs, which has been your favorite or most memorable gig of 2011? And of all the cities you have visited, which one parties the hardest?

That is a tough question, I’ve had so many great memories and experiences this year.  One of the most memorable gigs so far must be At Night and Pacha NYC’s gig at Governors Island in July, the crowd dancing to the Manhattan skyline was an incredible sight.

LEVELS! So many big DJs have been supporting it in their sets and almost every individual in the crowd sings along to it. Prior to its release, the track had been doing rounds on the internet for a while. Why did you wait so long to release it?

We wanted to go with a deal that felt right for me and Ash. Universal and Island together with Interscope really was something we wanted, and going back and forth a couple of times we could finally agree on a deal we were all happy with. We got a great commitment and that is ultimately what we needed. It didn’t stop people who really wanted it to find it somehow though! ;)

Over the last year, the Avicii sound has become distinctly recognizable within the growing EDM scene, with its feel-­‐good vibe and uplifting synths. What have been your influences and inspirations that lead to the production of this unique sound?

I don’t know what really lead to finding my sound. My father listened a lot to Ray Charles and a lot of 60’s rock when I grew up and that definitely influenced me a lot. I like to try and take certain scales and rhythms not usually used in house music and try to adapt them to fit into EDM and my kind of big room happy melodic tones. I mean everybody knows right now that Ash has helped me develop the sound since day one and we’re not done yet. We’re still trying to keep it fresh and exciting and feel a responsibility for this now more than ever.

What is your view on the recent DJ Mag Poll?

I’m really happy and surprised about the result. It’s a real honor to be among the top tens! I owe it to all my fans. <3

Can we expect any new Avicii releases this year or will we have resort to youtube quality previews till 2012?

Levels was my last release of 2011. Stay tuned for early 2012, I’ve a couple of things I can’t wait to get out there! Among that a proper big vocal version of Levels.

Your monthly podcast “LE7ELS” is only 4 episodes old and has already received an immensely positive response around the world. Tell us a bit about it and your future plans for it.

The podcast is made by Ash and I, and it’s basically a mix of tracks we think are really good. We mix new tracks with some older classics and discuss different topics. We don’t really have any future master plan for it, we’re open minded and want as much feedback as we can get from the listeners in order to make it better from episode to episode. It’s just a genuine look into our everyday life and attitude to the business.

One DJ that has always inspired you?

That question is really hard, there are so many good DJ’s and producers out there, but the Swedish House Mafia and Eric Prydz have always inspired me and they are the reason to why I started produce.

Are you looking forward to playing the Sunburn gigs this December? Have you heard anything about the dance music scene in India?

Yes! I can’t wait to see India and the Sunburn festival. I’ve heard so many great things about Sunburn and India so it will be awesome to finally see it!