Earlier this month, Steve Angello was inducted into the BBC Radio Hall Of Fame, a select group of producers who have had a significant mark on the history of electronic music. Angello’s position as founder of SIZE Records, as well as his tenure as member of mega-group Swedish House Mafia, and his debut album Wild Youth out early in 2016 all make him a prime candidate for the recognition.
However, in an even more recent with BBC last week, Angello reveals that his childhood and upbringing weren’t always the most stellar incubators of creativity. His father was apparently involved in organized crime when Angello was growing up, leading to the traumatic event of witnessing his father being shot.
“It was really traumatic for a couple of days for me. From one second to another, my whole life changed.”
Angello grew up in Greece with his father, but later moved to Stockholm to live with his mother. It was a different environment, and it ultimately helped him to achieve success. He began DJing at the ripe age of 14, and by 18, was already touring Europe.
“So all of the sudden now I’m 32 and I have two kids and I still don’t understand how it happened.”
To say that success creeped up on Angello would be an interesting statement. There’s no doubt that he has the talent for business and production to make it big in this industry, and he’s done just that. But various lucky (or smart) choices, including Swedish House Mafia and SIZE Records, have led Angello to become one of the most universally recognized and accomplished producer/DJs in EDM right now.
2016 will inevitably see Angello have success, considering his album Wild Youth will no doubt be one of the highlights of the entire year. We’re excited to ride that wave with him.
You can listen to the full interview below.
H/T We Rave You | Image via RUDGR
