Steve Angello may have become a name synonymous with the shallow end of the dance music spectrum during his years as the helmsman of progressive house supergroup Swedish House Mafia, but his recent releases indicate a desire to showcase his depth as an artist. An interview conducted by Fuse TV during the “Children Of The Wild” producer’s recent trip to New Orleans for Voodoo Fest indicates that the shift in focus has been deliberate.
Angello’s upcoming album, Wild Youth, is slated for release on November 20th. Regarding his priorities as an artist, the producer said:
“First and foremost, it’s about music. I’ve done this for such a long time and for me, dance music means so much [more] than that short hype that it’s had the last couple years. You know, I’ve done this for almost 20 years now, so for me it’s about expressing musically and being something that I’ve wanted to be my whole life. I want to be an artist. I don’t want to be put in a folder of ‘Hey, you’re this DJ guy, stick to that.’ I am a music lover.”
Placing greater emphasis on his creative growth than on the advancement of the Steve Angello brand, he went on to explain that “If it won’t chart, then it won’t chart but that’s not the purpose of it either.” Seeing as how Angello was once responsible for trends in dance music which would radically change the meaning of “progressive house,” hearing him speak from such an evident place of artistic integrity makes one hopeful for the future of dance music – as there are clearly still tastemakers who are in it for the right reasons.
Watch the entire Fuse TV interview with Steve Angello in the video embed above and let us know what you think.