DONE WITH THE MAFIA, STILL A DON.
“I’m just having a lot of fun right now, it’s just pure music” says Steve Angello as he acknowledges his new found, no boundaries solo career in the post- Swedish House Mafia era. The grin across his face is obvious, even though we're talking to him from 4,000 km away over a cell connection between Las Vegas and Ottawa. It’s 4:30pm and his day has already included a studio session and a round of golf, but Steve Angello is most excited about the club gig that awaits him later on in the evening on the Vegas strip. “I play Encore and XS between 12 and 14 times a year; it’s been amazing. Every show we’ve ever done here has been sold out, these guys are great to work with. The marketing is great and it’s a really good crowd… They really get dance music and they’re not the typical commercial dance crowd, so that’s great.”
We’ve been chasing an interview with Steve for a minute now. Of all three newly single Swedes, Angello has been quickest to establish his own musical direction. Cueing up the very first post-Ultra Essential Mix on Pete Tong’s legendary BBC decks, Steve surprised a few of his newer fans by showcasing a darker, techier side to his DJ persona that didn’t fit within the set of main stage monsters they were accustomed to hearing from Angello at festivals across the world. Those who were following Angello before the Mafia were more relieved than surprised at the prospect of the return of the Mescal Kid.
A few days later, Steve announced the launch of a brand new label called X, which will sit opposite his Size imprint as a sister label, releasing the “techier stuff and more beat-driven stuff” instead of the big room progressive house tracks that characterize the Size catalogue. When we ask about the upcoming release schedule, Steve hints at some quality names dropping on the label soon: “We have Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano and Chocolate Puma, we have a Junior release, I’m going to do a couple Mescal Kid releases, Abel Ramos… There’s a lot of stuff coming out. I’m talking to everyone. You know, I’ve always had my foot in that [tech-house]. Now all of a sudden I have an output, so it’s really nice to finally have this chance to put it out and work with these guys that I’ve wanted to work with for a really long time.”
When Steve rolled through Montreal in May accompanied by Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, AN21 & Max Vangeli, and Junior Sanchez to play a double header Size day at Beach Club and New City Gas, we jumped at the opportunity to hit him up with some questions about his new direction. Although interview timing didn’t work out in Canada, he recalled the day fondly while reflecting from Vegas. “That was great. I had a really good time, it was a little bit cold but I had a blast, the crowd was really up for it. And then New City Gas, I consider it one of the best clubs in North America. I think it’s amazing how they’ve built it. It’s really focused on the DJ and the crowd is responding really well to the great sound system, great lights, great effects… It’s a really solid club so I’m always happy to be back.”
He doesn’t have to wait very long to return to Canadian soil, as Steve is slotted to headline two festivals this summer including a return appearance at VELD in Toronto, and his debut appearance at Escapade in Ottawa, which he is very excited about. “I love Canada, they have a very educated crowd, they’ve been supporting this scene for quite some time so it’s really nice to come to Canada and have great shows. They really show a lot of appreciation for the music and I always have a blast. I consider Toronto as my third home.” When he mentions Toronto, we can’t help but reminisce about the moment when Steve changed our perception of him as a DJ, which occurred on the dance floor of The Guvernment some time in the early hours of a hot August night following VELD last summer. After a predictable Mafia-esque set that sounded eerily familiar to the one we had witnessed a few months previous in Ottawa, Angello put on “the Mescal hat” and dove into a dark and groovy extended tech-house selection that gave a totally new respect for his musical taste and mixing skills. Apparently, Steve remembers the night well: “I love doing those kind of things. For me, the music scene is so big right now, and most people are just doing their 90 minutes or 2 hours, so I think it’s really important as a DJ to broaden your perspective a little bit and be able to play whatever music you like. If you can’t play it at a festival, then go play it at an afterhours. I like to go and do those shows once in a while, and just showcase something completely different.”
042
djmag.com
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