I've always been a producer - that's how I see myself first. The DJing came second as a way for me to be able to perform.
AviciiThere's always haters, no matter what you're doing - whether they're complaining that everything you do sounds the same, or it's too different.
AviciiI always just sit down at the piano and make the main hook—what I want the track to be about melodically—and then I’ll build everything else around that. But growing up, I did not play any instruments.
AviciiI love DJing, I do. I love everything that comes with it; it's fun and it's kind of glamorous.
AviciiI grew up listening to a lot of Ray Charles and '60s rock, thanks to my father, and then my brothers got me in to KISS and whatnot, so I guess that's where I got my first taste for music.
AviciiI would never lay down a pre-programmed set and perform to a pre-mixed CD; I would never cheat my fans like that.
AviciiI always used to travel without a passport case, and because of it I think I'm four passports in. I bought this small Tumi case to protect my new one, and it works really well, not just for protecting it but also for keeping credit cards and small stuff. I just throw it in my bag when I'm traveling, as opposed to stuffed in my pocket.
AviciiI've always had a fascination with making your own music but never have been skilled enough to play the instrument, so to be able to make music without the ability was awesome.
AviciiMy dad has always been a big Ray Charles fan, and I've grown up listening to all kinds of music.
AviciiI travel with a bunch of battery packs because I don't always have time to charge my phone at the hotel room when I'm traveling. I always change them, so I never run out of battery.
AviciiThere's always so much music around me now, it seems like everything has to be something with music, so in my spare time I try not to listen to anything. It's so hard for me to listen to something without trying to see a benefit in it: "Maybe I'll make my own version of that track or maybe I'll do this or that." When I'm off I just don't want to hear anything.
AviciiI don't really look at the charts at all. If anything, I try to out-do what I've done before. I try to make music that I like and I trust my own judgement with what will work with a wider audience. If you compare yourself to the charts, you lose perspective on what you're doing and why you're doing it.
AviciiObviously there is stuff that I wouldn't play in a club that I play at festivals, and vice-versa, but my sets are still dominated largely by my own music. I think that's what makes me stand out a bit. My music is also festival- and club-friendly, so it generally works out well.
AviciiIf I wanted to make a quick buck, there's far easier ways of doing it. What I want is to provoke people. If you want a hit song, all you need to do is rewrite an old song. It might have been proven to work, but you won't be remembered the same way.
AviciiTo me, I'm always trying to look for the energy, to imagine in being played on the dance floor. I guess that's the most important thing in making music for me.
AviciiI actually only started listening to house music around the time I started making it. I got hooked both to making music and to house music.
AviciiI have always been mainstream. It's so weird, because I don't see it as something negative at all. So many people see it as something negative.
AviciiI've tried plenty of telephones. I tried to get into the Samsung Galaxy and the Blackberry, but the iPhone is just too easy to use. The camera takes clear pictures and the phone itself looks great. Like all Apple products, it kind of just makes sense.
AviciiI'm good at melody - I'll write the top-line melody and ideal words I want to go with it. But I'm not that good at writing lyrics. I bounce those back and forth with songwriters or someone who can sing.
AviciiLife's a game made for everyone and love is the prize. So wake me up when it's all over - when I'm wiser and I'm older. All this time I was finding myself and I didn't know I was lost.
AviciiI think I am a pretty good judge of character in general and try to surround myself with the best people I can.
AviciiWhen it comes to electronic music, I started listening to a lot of Daft Punk, way before I knew what house music was, and then progressed into a lot of Steve Angello, Eric Prydz, Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Laidback Luke.
AviciiA lot of work and thinking goes into my DJing. I want the entire night to progress seamlessly and when I have to adapt the energy on the fly for the crowd on any given night, I can do so with harmonic mixes that Ive practiced over and over again. I am far from the only DJ that does this and its something I take pride in being able to do.
AviciiI've always worn a lot of Ralph Lauren, and plaid shirts in general have been a signature piece for me. With plaid, you can look super-relaxed or you can look a bit dressed up.
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