8 questions with Alesso: Debut album shows who he is

8 questions with Alesso: Debut album shows who he is

In just five years, Swedish DJ and producer Alessandro Lindblad, better known by his performance name of Alesso, has gone from a virtual unknown to one of the biggest electronic dance music (EDM) stars in the world.

Since putting out his first EP in 2010, the 23-year-old music producer has worked with numerous top-ranking DJs and producers, including Avicii, Calvin Harris and David Guetta.

He has also performed at some of the biggest dance music festivals in the world, including Electric Daisy Carnival, which is held at various venues around the world, and Tomorrowland in Belgium.

Alesso, who is behind iconic club anthems such as Heroes (We Could Be) and Cool, was also named one of the EDM Rookies To Watch by music group MTV in 2012. He now ranks No. 15 on DJ Mag's annual Top 100 DJs poll.

In May, he dropped his debut solo album, titled Forever.

Speaking to Life over the telephone from Los Angeles, he says of his new album: "I think it's the first time I can show a little bit to my fans and people who haven't heard about me before. Like who I am as an artist and why I enjoy producing."

1. Why did you pick the name Forever for your debut album?

I didn't want to name the album after a specific song. I just wanted to have another name for it; I wanted something easy and strong. I thought, "I wanted forever to make an album, and it will forever be my debut album", so this word kept coming back to me.

2. The festival crowd and listeners at home are two very different audiences. Did you try to find a middle ground between the two when you were making the album?

Yeah, I tried. I love making great songs that are meant for clubs or festivals, but I also love making tracks you can listen to in your car or on the way to work.

3. Where do you find inspiration for the melodies in your music, and when was the last time you had an idea for a song?

I'm very lucky that it just pops up in my head. I try to find a catchy melody all the time. I need to feel it; even if it sounds good, it needs to feel good. Recently, I came up with a really cool hookline. Hopefully, that song will be finished soon.

4. What do you look for when you plan to do collaborations, or do they happen organically?

Yeah, they do. All the collaborations on the album happened organically. It was a very natural process and was never planned. Which is great and that's how I'd like to keep it.

5. You recently released the single Cool, which samples Kylie Minogue's Get Outta My Way. Are you a big fan of Kylie?

I wouldn't say a big fan, but I like her music and that song. I had an idea and it fitted the track, and I just wanted to create a cool atmosphere. I love that song and felt it never got the attention it deserved, and I never sample (another artist's music), so it was fun to do it this time.

6. How did you get into dance music?

I've always loved music and I'm always trying to find cool music. Just music that is different. Dance music was not very big in Sweden or Stockholm (in the past), so I was searching online about music that I read about. I found out more and more and loved it more and more. I got a CD from a friend and I loved it. I don't remember the name, but I think it was an Ibiza mix CD.

7. In your leisure time, what do you get up to?

Just hanging out with friends and doing fun stuff. Anything really, like going to the movies and playing football. I used to snowboard a lot when I was younger. I'd like to do more of that now.

8. How would you like to be remembered?

For my family and close friends, I want to be remembered for who I am. But for my fans, I want them to remember me for my music, obviously. Hopefully they'll listen to it when they're old.

Alesso's debut album Forever is available in record stores and on online music services such as iTunes and Spotify.


This article was first published on July 6, 2015.
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