Electronic music evokes a physical reaction. On dance
fl
oors worldwide, the beats and
production inspire bodies to move without warning. Sebastian Ingrosso treasures this unseen,
yet undeniable phenomenon. In fact, he has consistently catalyzed the same reaction among
audiences as a two-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist, DJ, producer, and Swedish
House Ma
fi
a and Axwell
Λ
Ingrosso co-founder. He chases and catches this feeling every time
he steps on a stage or into the studio.
“The very
fi
rst time I heard a kick drum or four-on-the-
fl
oor beat from an electronic drum
machine, I was like, ‘This music is doing something to my body’,” he laughs. “I was like,
‘Whatever the fuck is going on I’m in!’ The energy of the music really swept me away. It’s never
changed.”
Growing up in Stockholm, music practically surrounded Sebastian. His dad founded Loop
Records, releasing music from Blanco, Yakari, Harmon Eyes, Carl Lekebusch, Thomas
Chrome, Joel Mull, and more. “I grew up looking up to those guys, and I knew I wanted to be a
DJ,” he recalls. His friendship with Steve Angello kicked everything into high gear. They would
listen to vinyl for hours on end at Steve’s house, educating each other and participating in DJ
competitions. After hearing Daft Punk’s “Da Funk,” they began to collaborate, assimilating
Steve’s hip-hop leanings and Sebastian’s predisposition for melodic dance music.
Simultaneously, Sebastian built up his own Refune Records. He made waves with the Mode
Machine EP as well as singles such as “Yo Yo Kidz” [with Steve Angello] and “Click” [with
Steve Angello]. Concurrently, the label also continued to thrive.
“Building Refune was one of my proudest moments,” he smiles. “I was selling like 500 vinyl
records from my bedroom out of my mom’s place. Then, my life started to happen.”
In 2008, Sebastian, Axwell, and Steve o
ffi
cially formed Swedish House Ma
fi
a. Together, they
earned consecutive GRAMMY® nominations in the category of “Best Dance Recording” for the
platinum “Save the World” in 2012 and quintuple-platinum “Don’t You Worry Child” in 2013.
Smashes such as the gold-certi
fi
ed “Greyhound” and “One (Your Name)” followed as they
made history as the
fi
rst electronic music act to headline and sell out Madison Square Gardenand thefirst to perform on the main stage at Coachella. Taking afive-year break, they launchedtheir comeback by headlining Ultra 2018 and embarking on the Save The World Reunion Touracross Europe. Everything just set the stage for their long-gestating full-length debut, ParadiseAgain, in 2021 though. When the record arrived in 2022, it crashed the Top 10 of charts inseven territories and toppled the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart and UK DanceAlbums Chart at #1. Moreover, it earned the best reviews of their career courtesy of Pitchfork,NME, and many others. Kicking offthis season, the trio joined forces with The Weeknd for anunprecedented headline set at Coachella 2022 in the wake of the album’s release. With TheWeeknd, they churned out a global anthem in the form of “Moth To A Flame.” The latter servedas a staple of both Paradise Again and The Weeknd’s Dawn FM. For the latter, Swedish HouseMafia crafted “Sacrifice” and “How Do I Make You Love Me?”In between, Sebastian and Axwell co-founded Axwell Λ Ingrosso as an equally impactful forcein electronic music. The duo’s 2017 full-length debut, More Than You Know, boasted“Something New,” “On My Way,” “Sun Is Shining,” “I Love You” [feat. Kid Ink], the gold-certified “More Than You Know,” and “Dreamer” [feat. Trevor Guthrie]. It impressively gatheredover 5 billion streams and counting as they headlined Tomorrowland four consecutive years ina row in addition to performing at Governors Ball, Ultra Music Festival, and beyond.“We had to start from the beginning and build a new brand,” he explains. “That was achallenge. It wasn’t just the red carpet for us where we could release music and everythingwould explode without trying. So, we said, ‘Fuck it, let’s make Axwell Λ Ingrosso the biggestthing we can’. It was amazing for us as friends and bandmates.”Along the way, he expanded his solo catalog too. In 2012, he linked up with Tommy Trash forthe international smash “Reload” on Refune Records, amassing hundreds of millions ofstreams. Plus, he teamed with Alesso for the hit “Calling (Lose My Mind)” [feat. Ryan Tedder ofOneRepublic].In the end, Sebastian continues to deliver the same feeling that brought him here.“I really want to take people on a journey,” he leaves off. “Put your headphones on whereveryou are, and this can soundscape your life so you feel like you’re in The Matrix or something,”he grins.BOILER PLATE:Sebastian Ingrosso has consistently catalyzed audiences as a two-time GRAMMY®Award-nominated artist, DJ, producer, and Swedish House Mafia andAxwell Λ Ingrosso co-founder.Growing up in Stockholm, he built up his own Refune Records as a teen. He made waves withtheMode MachineEP as well as singles such as “Yo Yo Kidz” [with Steve Angello] and “Click”[with Steve Angello].During 2008, he linked up with Axwell and Angello in Swedish HouseMafia. They earned back-to-back GRAMMY®nominations for“Best Dance Recording”withthe platinum “Save the World” in 2012 and quintuple-platinum “Don’t You Worry Child” in 2013.They sold out legendary venues—including Milton Keynes Bowl and Madison Square Garden—and delivered historic sets atCoachella,Ultra Music Festival, and beyond.Axwell Λ Ingrossoconcurrently leapt to the forefront of electronic music. Their 2017 full-length debut,More ThanYou Know, spawned the gold-certified “More Than You Know,” and the duo headlinedTomorrowlandfour straight years. 2021 saw the return of Swedish House Mafia with their long-awaited debut LP,Paradise Again. It clinched #1 on theBillboardTop Dance/Electronic AlbumsChart and UK Dance Albums Chart. They launched the massiveParadise AgainWorld Tour,canvasing 29 cities in 11 countries across two continents forfive months.Along the way, heexpanded his solo catalog. In 2012, he linked up with Tommy Trash for the international smash“Reload” on Refune Records, amassing hundreds of millions of streams. Plus, he teamed withAlesso for the hit “Calling (Lose My Mind)” [feat. Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic]. No matter whathe does, Sebastianalways takes listeners on an unforgettable ride