Nightlife

Getting to know: Benny Benassi and Swedish House Mafia

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Swedish House Mafia amidst a sexy pillow fight: (from L to R) Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello

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Nocturnal Admissions: Swedish House Mafia (6/16/10)

Swedish House Mafia

House-music DJs/producers Steve Angello, Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso—better known as the Swedish House Mafia—spin June 26 at Wet Republic. Tickets are sold out for the rare West Coast gig, but a limited number might become available at the door. Angello filled us in on SHM’s plans.

I think the West Coast is ready now. We were waiting for a big show … so when [Electric Daisy Carnival] came around, it was a perfect opportunity to do Vegas in the same weekend.

We do so many solo shows, [and] my catalog is so different from Seb’s or Axwell’s. We need to sit down and say, “Okay, here’s 60 tracks—we can only fit 30, but let’s just play around these 60.” Then we just take it from there.

They are my extra four arms. I trust them 100 percent, and they trust me.

We were a collective of boys just having fun in Sweden … [and] somebody said, “You guys are like the mafia; all the producers are hanging out”… so then one guy was like, “You’re like the house mafia. You’re controlling all the music.” Then we just came up with Swedish House Mafia.

I don’t make records to fit on the radio or to sell records. I produce records to fit in my DJ sets.

Download the podcast with Steve Angello for free here.

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Benny Benassi (06/24/10)

Benny Benassi

Benny Benassi

He concedes his English isn’t great, but we think his music sure is. Even if you’ve never stepped foot in a nightclub, there’s a good chance you’ve heard a track or remix by Grammy-winning Italian DJ/producer Benny Benassi. He’s back in Vegas this weekend for a June 27 set at Wet Republic (free for locals and ladies before 2 p.m. $20, $40 cover).

I love Vegas, but I don’t want to play a residence. Not now—maybe in the future. If they’re going to do something … like the Pacha party in New York, we could do the same in Vegas.

I’m super excited for Electric Daisy Carnival … because the vibration is amazing; the energy is really, really, really big. [Then] the day after, I will be at Wet Republic, which is very funny because it’s completely the opposite. All the people are in the swimming pool; it’s like a friendly party at a house.

I love to take some sample from an old rock band or an old rock artist. I’m a fan of Iggy Pop, especially “Sixteen.” … I went into the studio and said, “Maybe we can do a bootleg to play at festivals.” The reaction was so good, we decided to release “Electro Sixteen.” Iggy wrote to my manager and said, “Hey, I like this fucking song.”

The new album I think is coming very soon, maybe in September.

Download the podcast with Benny Benassi here.

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