Electronic music evokes a physical reaction. On dancefloors 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 Mafia 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 first time I heard a kick drum or four-on-the-floor 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 officially formed Swedish House Mafia. 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-certified “Greyhound” and “One (Your Name)” followed as they made history as the first electronic music act to headline and sell out Madison Square Garden and the first to perform on the main stage at Coachella. Taking a five-year break, they launched their comeback by headlining Ultra 2018 and embarking on the Save The World Reunion Tour across Europe. Everything just set the stage for their long-gestating full-length debut, Paradise Again, in 2021 though. When the record arrived in 2022, it crashed the Top 10 of charts in seven territories and toppled the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart and UK Dance Albums Chart at #1. Moreover, it earned the best reviews of their career courtesy of Pitchfork, NME, and many others. Kicking off this season, the trio joined forces with The Weeknd for an unprecedented headline set at Coachella 2022 in the wake of the album’s release. With The Weeknd, they churned out a global anthem in the form of “Moth To A Flame.” The latter served as a staple of both Paradise Again and The Weeknd’s Dawn FM. For the latter, Swedish House Mafia crafted “Sacrifice” and “How Do I Make You Love Me?”

In between, Sebastian and Axwell co-founded Axwell Λ Ingrosso as an equally impactful force in 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 gathered over 5 billion streams and counting as they headlined Tomorrowland four consecutive years in a 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 everything would explode without trying. So, we said, ‘Fuck it, let’s make Axwell Λ Ingrosso the biggest thing 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 for the international smash “Reload” on Refune Records, amassing hundreds of millions of streams. Plus, he teamed with Alesso for the hit “Calling (Lose My Mind)” [feat. Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic].

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 wherever you are, and this can soundscape your life so you feel like you’re in The Matrix or something, he grins.

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