A&E

Swedish electronic duo Galantis joins the Wynn nightlife party

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Galantis plays XS on April 21.
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One of the most anticipated new resident acts at Wynn Nightlife launches a new party at XS Saturday night. Christian Karlsson (aka Bloodshy and one-third of Miike Snow) and Linus Eklöw (aka Style of Eye, producer of Icona Pop’s megahit “I Love It”) are both among the most prolific writers and producers in the dance-pop genre. When they come together to form Galantis, irresistible singles like “Runaway (U & I),” “Gold Dust” and “Firebird” ensue, and award nominations follow. We caught up with the dynamic duo during their hectic touring and producing schedule to talk about their Vegas evolution.

How are you feeling about this Wynn Nightlife residency? Karlsson: Stoked! We love Vegas!

What makes this it special for you? Eklöw: We’re in such good company at Wynn [with] so many incredible artists on the roster. It’s an honor.

Karlsson: To us, the most important thing is to be able to present our music with the same energy and spontaneity as the way we made it in the studio. We are excited that we are able to bring our full show with lots of big drums, pads, crashes and other exciting toys from the studio.

How has your Vegas experience changed over the years? Karlsson: We’ve been performing in Vegas since 2015. It’s been amazing to see more and more fans sing back our lyrics every time we play.

Eklöw: Yes, hearing our lyrics being sung back is one of the best feelings. Feeding off the audience’s energy is what makes the performance for me.

You’re coming to the Strip from a quick tour in Japan. What other gigs do you have coming up? Karlsson: I love Japan. Some of our most hardcore fans are based there, so it is always a warm welcome. It’s been crazy being able to play festivals worldwide and see how each place responds. Some songs evoke the same reaction every time, everywhere, but other songs respond differently in each market. It’s like we’re conducting a gigantic science experiment with each set.

Eklöw: Before Japan we spent two weeks in South America playing all the Lollas [Lollapalooza festivals]. We’ve got some big Asian festivals this year as well.

You’re known for your dedication to songwriting and you both do a lot outside of Galantis. How does your process change depending on who you’re collaborating with? Karlsson: The core of the songwriting process stays the same. We always start with the chord progression and the melody. It is very different if you are producing for someone else, though. Producing for other people puts you in a box. You are limited in how far you can experiment and treat the vocal because that is the artist’s voice and you have to respect it. When we produce for ourselves, the possibilities of what we can do are limitless.

How often are you working on new Galantis music? Karlsson: We are constantly writing. I don’t think there is a day that goes by where we don’t. It’s habitual at this point.

Eklöw: Yes, and we have new music coming out very soon. We’re excited to let it free for the world.

GALANTIS April 21, 10:30 p.m., $25-$45. XS, Encore, 702-770-7300.

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Brock Radke

Brock Radke is an award-winning writer and columnist who currently occupies the role of managing editor at Las Vegas Weekly ...

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