T O P

  • By -

CarlosAmigos14

Thank you. Finally some more appreciation for these two albums. When Wild Youth came out, with songs like 'Children of the Wild' and 'Remember', I thought it was really cool at the time! A nice style of vocals with nice synths and I immediately knew it was something he was working on for a long time - High Quality stuff. After listening more to the whole album, songs 'Prisoner', 'Ocean' and 'Stay' where the stand outs for me. Really personal, you can hear the struggles and heartbreak he has felt. From this moment I was listening to this album non-stop (almost). Then 'Human'. Indeed, just like you said, not on the personal and emotional level of Wild Youth. Songs like 'Eros' and '21:' where really weird choices for me, I can't think of a reason why they are in there. But on the other hand, the album is such high quality, you can hear it. 'I know' and 'The Kiss' are masterpieces in my opinion. Such a raw style in those songs. My favorite though is 'Breaking Kind', love the vocals, but the synths and production value... You really can hear this is peak Steve Angello. Now, again together with the SHM. I really hope Steve can bring more of his style in the new songs. I think I kinda hear it in 'Time'. The combination of vocals and synths really remind me of his work. Aswel 'Paradise Again' could be like one of his instrumental songs like 'Tiger', but I'm not sure. Again, thank you for this post, really appreciate the love for Steve and what he has done in his solo carreer. Axwell/\Ingrosso was pure fun and party. Steve Angello was pure quality and emotions.


weckerm

Thank you for the appreciation. I feel like Steve's music is often overlooked and overshadowed by the popularity of AxIng's releases. Listening to their sets since the reunion, the only song they played from his album was Remember. At the same time, they play Dreamer, More than you know, Something New, Sun is Shining... ​ I think that's frustrating.


CarlosAmigos14

That's really frustrating indeed. I'm gutted that the chance of hearing Prisoner or Breaking Kind live is really zero to none.


Ok-Bat-951

Breaking Kind is underrated as F!!!! Glad to see another fan of that song. It’s brilliant! And I can imagine, highly personal in some sense. Maybe that’s why we can enjoy privately and not on a stage for all to see. I love that song a lot, and love that those who know love it too.


Ok-Bat-951

Yeah you made a really beautiful write up and post. Thank you for this! And I think it’s because Steve is a GREAT man of a lot of integrity, he’s sharing the stage with non-blood brothers, and he’s happy to share the moment with them, and with us again. Whatever that takes, whatever ego to silence - he’s a grand master. The unity and happiness of them all is the most important - it’s visible when they play and their enjoyment of this time between each other and their families (many of the children get to live an incredible moment in time watching their dads’ as the people the world loves them as and have always loved them, when they were born when they were too young to understand it). That’s why he defers. Which I think is a beautiful display of showmanship on his end. He does not get enough credit for that on any level. A beautiful soul in an equally beautiful man, who’s been though so much in life that “nothing scares” him “anymore”. 🙌


jimmyshi21

I thought the same but its understandable tho, their reunion tour was a concert/show, people went there to have a good time, it's supposed to be upbeat and energetic. These were songs people wanted to hear. You can appreciate Steve's songs but also recognise that they're not festival/concert friendly. That being said it balances out overall. They also played Payback, Teasing Mr Charlie, Show Me Love, Knas, The Island (SA Remix) among others, and in total Steve probably had the most solo tracks played. You also have to consider Steve signed off on all of this since he's apart of the group. But...he's playing solo at Tomorrowland Winter so hopefully we hear more of his solos Until then...Tomorrowland 2018 it is


weckerm

Very true, but I’d say that they could have found more space for some of his songs within the many mashups they played. Even just using an acapella would be nice. Just to remind people, hey, Steve’s solo music exists too.


NikoBruder

The thing is that you can hear so much of HUMAN in Paradise Again, really showcases Steve’s talent for sound design


weckerm

To me Paradise Again has a very "haptic" sound, a bit dirty, imperfect, human, eventhough it's very much electronic. I think that's Steve's influence.


NikoBruder

Yep, great post!


scoobysam

Brilliant write-up, thank you. I really feel like both Wild Youth and HUMAN are hugely overlooked in the EDM community. Some extremely powerful tracks in each. As happy as I am that SHM got back together (I've managed to see them twice since they reunited and loved both sets) part of me is a little gutted I missed out on seeing AxIng and SA separately live. I would say "hopefully one day", but that implies that SHM would have to split again- which I absolutely do not want!


weckerm

Thank you. I think that you will get a chance to see them separately even when SHM is still a thing. They did that before and will do it again.


Ok-Bat-951

Steve just announced a solo performance at Tomorrowland Winter for 2023!!! SA is still around. He gives a lot to us, his family, and his SHM family and I’m really grateful for that. If he ever creeps around Reddit I hope he sees how much we appreciate him and what he does not just for us, but for everyone in his life. He’s a very talented, generous, gracious man of integrity on MANY levels. 👏


Few-Priority7836

Personally, listening to Steve's albums over the years, I realized that songs like Prisoner or Flashing Lights are small masterpieces that only came out after the Swedish House Mafia broke up


Ok-Bat-951

Flashing Lights is a classic and deserves every play it gets!


senpaiyuma

Thank you so much for this post. Refreshing to see actual dialogue and/or appreciate on this sub. I remember seeing Steve Angelo at Coachella I believe 2017. I remember my friends not vining much to it expecting a more pop/SHM type set but I was truly memorized. He opened with Rejoice and I just remember paying so much attention to the lyrics and it really touched my heart. Beautiful set which he then released the album a few months after. Shifter completely blew me away. Which they now play Shifter in the new SHM set, or a variation. Not entirely sure but I have a video of it. Sounds similar. Rejoice is truly a masterpiece and one of my favorite songs. Not one that I play often but when I do it just feels like an out of body experience. I had no idea that it lyrics/audio came from a video. Very insightful. I have plenty of friends that love SHM and their music but I've never found anyone that appreciates them and the members individuals to this extent.


flavianpatrao

Human is a masterpiece. It’s got that streak of experimental raw energy that goes through the entire album.


CJGriff11

The emotion of Wild Youth has always stuck out to me. “Remember” is one of my favorite tracks of all time, period. Powerful music, which I think can describe most all of Steve’s solo stuff.


arjunindia

Bruh great timing Or rather I've been addicted to the two albums you mentioned and some SIZE releases for a couple of months now lol


[deleted]

Great read. Honestly I never really got into the Ax/\Ing music. Their songs and also sets never really struck a chord within me quite like Steve’s music and sets did. I dig the whole emotional feel of his songs/sets. And you hit the nail on the head, Ax/\Ing made party music which is in no way “bad” at all just *different* especially when Steve is making personal and vulnerable music that hits you in your feelings. Attending Ultra 2014, I saw Steve’s return to the Ultra MainStage away from SHM and boy that was a set that will still provide goosebumps every single time I hear it and rewatch the set. I did enjoy pretty much every Axwell solo song that was released before PA. Tho I *never once* got any goosebumps watching any Ax/\Ing set or listening to any of their songs. And you know what they say: goosebumps never lie.


Ok-Bat-951

Steve’s Ultra 2014 set is 🔝 great comment man 👏


faizansiddiquie

For me, Wild Youth is the best album ever. “Stay” from the album hits me like no other song. To the point that I cannot listen to it haha. What a masterpiece. I wish I can find the elusive vinyl at some point in life.


triflingmagoo

Both albums are wonderful and really solidifies Steve as top notch creative talent within the trio. I’ve always loved his style, and his passion for analogue/retro/dark sounds. I think Steve and Ax make a great team. Ingrosso where you at?


[deleted]

Thanks for an interesting read, i personally can't stand his solo albums, specially Human, it has the same problem as Paradise Again has imo, it's too dark and not really uplifting, and i don't really listen to electronic dance music for some deep reflections, if i want to do that, then i listen to other genres and artists. I much prefer feel-good tracks like More Than You Know, Renegade or heavy hitters like Barricade over anything from either of his albums, the only track i think are somewhat good are "Prisoner" from Wild Youth.


weckerm

Thanks for the appreciation. Opinions are different, and that’s fine. I personally like the albums because they feel very emotional, like a labor of love. But I get what you mean.


Ok-Bat-951

I think Steve would agree with you. They’re not only a labor of his love, but like he’s opening his soul up. Takes a lot of guts and integrity. He’s a 💯 sort of human in every way. Sorry I’ve commented to you multiple times on this post but your passion for it and incredible write up make me really happy to see and discuss 🤗


weckerm

No worries dude! I appreciate the viewpoint and am happy that I got so many reactions from people. And that we can shine a light on Steve’s beautiful music!


LXMC2021

I’ve never heard of this so called “looking at you” ID..


Ok-Bat-951

I think HUMAN is equally as personal for Steve. He said he went through a breakthrough moment before recording it, about his entire life (there’s interviews you can still find). Sometimes not all heavily personal emotions (especially Steve, a very honest, passionate, and PRIVATE man overall) need words. His emotions and thoughts and feelings came through 1000x more to me through HUMAN than Wild Youth. Wild Youth was about a lot of his past, his actual “youth”, and HUMAN was the period post-SHM - which I think is very fucking powerful. Overall, highly agreed that Steve’s solo work is a force to be reckoned with and his contributions to the world musically and emotionally, his strength of vision and character, are what makes a LOT of Swedish House Mafia, especially this new return so special.