Avicii

To put it lightly, what Avicii and his manager Ash has 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 before turning 22 than most could ever hope to achieve in a lifetime. The mastermind behind smash hit phenomena Seek Bromance, Levels and Fade into Darkness and chief collaborator for the chart topping My Feelings for You, he has soared from budding bedroom music-maker to international electronic sensation in a matter of years, and 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 man gifted with an unparalleled, innate ability to create inventive electronic sounds of the highest order.

In 2008, Avicii met Ash Pournouri – an introduction that proved to be the beginning of a more prolific and creative relationship that either could have fathomed. Ash, with an ear and eye for ‘raw talent’ spotted Tim on an online portal and straightaway instigated a meeting. He was signed to ‘At Night’ – Pounouri’s bespoke management agency – and everything fell into place. With all the right forces now at work, a buzz began to surface and surely enough, the masses began to fall in love – in April that same year, Avicii emerged victorious from Pete Tong’s fiercely competitive ‘Fast Trax’ competition, and his first notable hit Manman was subsequently signed to Pete’s ‘Bedroom Bedlam’ imprint – a hefty achievement for a mere teenager.

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 soured!

Furiously juggling more hard work in the studio (notable underground outputs include Street Dancer, Eurhythmics’ remix Sweet Dreams, and another Sebastian Drums collaboration Snus), a brand new radio show (Le7els), and a non-stop international touring schedule, there’s no question that Avicii has cemented himself as a simply unstoppable and dynamic force. Tearing up parties at the biggest and most prestigious superclubs across the globe, he is a performer in the true sense of the term. 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. 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 – the potential he has is second to none and unprecedented.