Avicii

To put it lightly, what Avicii and his manager Ash have managed to achieve in just a few years is truly astonishing. Commencing his dizzying journey at the tender age of 18, the self-taught, fresh-faced Swedish luminary has unquestionably amassed greater success by the age of 22 than most could ever hope to achieve in a lifetime. The mastermind behind chart-topping phenomena Seek Bromance, My Feelings For You, Fade into Darkness and the current global obsession that is Levels, he has soared from budding bedroom music-maker to international electronic sensation in a matter of years. Reaching #6 in the ‘DJ Mag Top 100’ 2011 poll, without even a whisper of promotion, Avicii already stands shoulder-to-shoulder with just a handful of the most in-demand and elite DJs on the planet. We can only dare to imagine what will be accomplished in a whole career…

From the off, the prodigal wiz-kid has been driven by a determination to sculpt fresh, innovative and forward thinking electronic music. It’s what he does best. Enamored with production technology, and never one to get caught up in the particularities of sub-genres and musical trends, the countless hours he spent as a youngster immersed in the screens, synths and keyboards of his home studio have paid serious dividends. As he continues to deliver record after record of truly original and blissful makings, one thing has become blatantly clear for all to see – Avicii is a young man gifted with an unparalleled, innate ability to create inventive electronic sounds of the highest order.

The partnership between himself and manager Ash has flourished beyond all expectations – the unrelenting Avicii continues to masterfully hone his unique brand of high-octane, melodic house music, while the successes flood in. Amongst others, it was his critically acclaimed Muja EP and smash hit Ryu (which became Pete Tong’s “Essential New Tune” and Tiesto’s “Track Of The Week”) that led Avicii to even greater accomplishment, as in 2009 he was crowned “Breakthrough Producer/DJ of the Year” in DJ Magazine’s ‘Top 100’ special edition, and “The Swedish Future” in ‘Only for DJs’ magazine (FR). These were exciting times for the youngster, and consistently exquisite production outputs flowed thick and fast, but it was the events of the following Summer that truly took him to the next level as an artist, as the Swedish superstar sought a little bit of bromance…

Released under his alias, and quasi-namesake ‘Tim Berg’, the triumphant phenomenon that was Seek Bromance saw the plucky Swede escalated to previously unbeknownst heights and out-right superstardom, as the track became the international dance anthem for the summer.

Reaching Number 1 Beatport status after just two days, it climbed to top ten in the official national charts of ten countries across the globe – an achievement unheard-of for even the biggest of dance music megastars. Just a month later, his smash hit collaboration with Sebastian Drums My Feelings For You, reached the coveted Number 1 spot once again, remaining there for an astonishing 5 weeks. By the end of summer 2010, Tim Berg, Avicii, Tim Bergling – whatever you may choose to call him – were the words on everybody’s lips and demand soared!

If 2010 was the year of ‘the bromance’, then 2011 is the year that the whole world fell in love with the monster that is Levels. With an astonishing 20 million YouTube hits racked up even before its official release, (signed to Interscope/Atom Empire for the USA and Universal Music for rest of the world) this record was the dance track that managed to galvanise and unify a truly extra-ordinary number of people from all walks of life: black or white, male or female, young or old; every man and his dog fell under Avicii’s spell and caught the worldwide pandemic that was Levels. To the envy of his fellow DJs, a new generation and category of fans started to emerge for the young Swede – more engaged and more obsessed than ever before. His domination of the Hype Machine chart and the blogosphere became unrivalled as fixated fans continually flock to support even the worst quality rips and cuts of any new and exclusive material. In the short space of a year, the world literally went Avicii mad.

Furiously juggling the worldwide release of Levels with yet more hard work in the studio, his insanely popular podcast (Le7els), and a non-stop international touring schedule; there’s no question that Avicii has cemented himself as a simply unstoppable and dynamic force within the popular music industry. Tearing up parties at the biggest and most prestigious superclubs across the globe – including a breathtaking show at the recent ‘one night only’ re-opening of New York legendary Studio 54 – he is a performer in the true sense of the term. Of course you’ll also find him setting the festi-sphere alight, headlining colossal events such as Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, Dance Valley, Street Parade and IDentity Festival, infecting hundreds of thousands of EDM revelers with his uniquely captivating take on harmonious, pounding, stadium-driven sounds – or “big room melodic house” as he likes to call it! With the competence and confidence behind the decks to match his beautiful production abilities, his shows are nothing short of stunning.

If the first few years of unadulterated musical talent and unrivalled showmanship are anything to go by, the rapidly growing hoards of Avicii enthusiasts are going to be in for one hell of a ride. He was inspired by the likes of Daft Punk, Steve Angello, Eric Prydz and Axwell, but the way things are going he might well just overtake them all – the potential he has is second to none and unprecedented.