Axwell & Ingrosso
Axwell /\ Ingrosso is a Swedish electronic dance music duo consisting of DJs and producers Axel Christofer Hedfors (professionally known as Axwell) and Sebastian Ingrosso, who previously formed two-thirds of the influential group Swedish House Mafia.[1] The duo was formed in Stockholm in June 2014, shortly after Swedish House Mafia announced their split in June 2012 and performed their final show at Ultra Music Festival in Miami on March 24, 2013.[2] Axwell /\ Ingrosso made their live debut at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City in June 2014, premiering new material.[3] Signed to Def Jam Recordings, they released the EP X4 in February 2014, featuring tracks like "Together," "We Come We Rave We Love," and "Can't Hold Us Down," followed by singles such as "Something New" (November 2014), "On My Way" (2015, featuring Salem Al Fakir), "Sun Is Shining" (2015, which reached number one on the Swedish Singles Chart), and "I Love You" (2017, featuring Kid Ink, peaking in the top ten in Sweden).[4] Their sole studio album, More Than You Know, arrived in 2017 and debuted at number 22 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.[1][5] The duo entered a hiatus in 2018 to prioritize the reunion of Swedish House Mafia, which has since resumed touring and performances, including shows scheduled through late 2025. As of November 2025, the duo remains on hiatus, with members active in Swedish House Mafia.[1][6][7]Members
Axwell
Axel Christofer Hedfors, professionally known as Axwell, was born on December 18, 1977, in Lund, Sweden. From a young age, he showed a strong interest in music, teaching himself to play the drums by age nine and immersing himself in the burgeoning house music scene of the 1990s. This early exposure to electronic sounds, particularly the funky house influenced by French Touch artists, inspired him to begin producing tracks in the late 1990s. Axwell launched his solo career in the early 2000s, gaining recognition with his debut releases around 2004. His breakthrough single, "Feel the Vibe," originally an instrumental track, was re-released in 2005 by Ministry of Sound featuring vocals from Tara McDonald, marking a pivotal moment in his rise within the European house scene.[8] He followed this with other notable solo works, including the 2007 track "I Found U," which showcased his evolving style blending vocal house elements with infectious rhythms.[9] These releases established Axwell as a prominent figure in the global dance music landscape, often under his own label Axtone Records, which he founded to support his productions.[10] In 2008, Axwell co-founded the supergroup Swedish House Mafia alongside Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello, bringing his expertise in vocal and funky house to the collective.[2] His contributions helped define the group's anthemic sound, characterized by soaring builds and emotional drops that resonated widely in the progressive house genre.[11] This collaboration elevated Swedish House Mafia to international stardom, with their innovative productions influencing the broader EDM movement. Following the group's disbandment in 2013, Axwell opted to deepen his partnership with Ingrosso, leading to the formation of the duo Axwell & Ingrosso in 2014 as a natural evolution of their shared creative synergy.[12]Sebastian Ingrosso
Sebastian Carmine Ingrosso was born on April 20, 1983, in Nacka, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, to Italian immigrant parents.[13] His father, Vito Ingrosso, was a choreographer who owned two record labels and introduced him to electronic and techno music through his own label launched in 1989, fostering an early passion for dance music within a musically inclined family environment.[14][15] Ingrosso began DJing at the age of 14 in 1997, honing his skills in Stockholm's burgeoning house music scene during the late 1990s. By the early 2000s, he transitioned into production, releasing his initial tracks as part of the duo Outfunk alongside childhood friend Steve Angello, including collaborative EPs in 2004 that showcased their emerging house sound. He also issued solo releases and remixes on Size Records, the label founded by Angello in 2003, which became a key platform for his early work in electronic dance music.[16][17][18] Prior to the formation of Swedish House Mafia, Ingrosso actively participated in the vibrant Stockholm house scene, collaborating closely with fellow Swedish producers such as Eric Prydz, for whom he created a notable remix of "Proper Education" in 2006. These partnerships highlighted his growing reputation for blending melodic elements with driving rhythms in house tracks.[19][20] In 2008, Ingrosso co-founded Swedish House Mafia with Axwell and Steve Angello, a supergroup that built on his established production techniques to pioneer a signature progressive house style characterized by euphoric builds, anthemic drops, and intricate layering. His contributions to the group's sound emphasized emotional depth and high-energy transitions, influencing their rapid rise in the global EDM landscape.[13][2]History
Origins in Swedish House Mafia (2008–2013)
Swedish House Mafia was formed in 2008 by three prominent Swedish DJs and producers: Axwell (Axel Hedfors), Sebastian Ingrosso, and Steve Angello, who had previously collaborated on tracks like "Get Dumb!" with Laidback Luke earlier that year.[2] The trio's partnership built on their individual successes in the house music scene, aiming to create large-scale electronic anthems that blended progressive house elements with high-energy performances.[21] Their early work included the 2008 single "Leave the World Behind," released under their individual names but featuring Deborah Cox on vocals, which marked the beginning of their joint productions.[22] The group's first official release as Swedish House Mafia came in 2010 with the single "One (Your Name)," featuring Pharrell Williams, which topped charts across Europe and introduced their signature sound of euphoric builds leading to explosive drops.[2] That same year, they issued their debut compilation album Until One, a mix of original tracks and remixes that captured their rising influence in the global EDM landscape, including hits like "Miami 2 Ibiza."[23] Axwell and Ingrosso played key roles in co-producing these tracks, often focusing on the melodic progressions and vocal integrations that amplified the anthemic quality of the music.[21] Swedish House Mafia achieved international breakthrough in 2012 with "Don't You Worry Child," featuring John Martin, which became their biggest hit, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Dance/Electronic Songs chart while exemplifying their style of soaring, festival-ready drops.[24] The track propelled them to headline major tours, including sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden and a global "One Last Tour."[23] However, internal pressures from balancing group and solo commitments led to the announcement of their disbandment in June 2012, with their final performance at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami on March 24, 2013, drawing over 330,000 attendees across the weekend.[2][25] Within Swedish House Mafia, Axwell and Ingrosso's synergy was evident in their collaborative production approach, where they frequently handled the emotional builds and harmonic layers that defined the group's slick, soaring sound, complementing Angello's rhythmic foundations.[26] The massive success of SHM, which sold millions of records and redefined EDM's mainstream appeal, underscored Axwell and Ingrosso's shared creative vision, directly influencing their decision to form a duo post-disbandment as a more focused extension of that partnership.[27]Formation and early releases (2014)
Following the disbandment of Swedish House Mafia in March 2013, Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso announced their decision to continue collaborating as a duo, officially forming Axwell Λ Ingrosso in early 2014.[12] The duo's inaugural release was the X4 EP, issued on February 13, 2014, via Refune Records, featuring tracks such as "Can't Hold Us Down," "We Come, We Rave, We Love," and a reworking of their 2007 collaboration "Together." This EP served as an introduction to their independent sound, blending progressive house elements with vocal hooks. Their first official single, "We Come, We Rave, We Love," was previewed in live sets before its full release on May 26, 2014, and later issued as a standalone single on October 8, 2014.[28] The track, produced by Axwell and Ingrosso, emphasized anthemic builds and euphoric drops, reflecting their intent to evolve beyond the trio's framework into a more streamlined, pop-leaning house style. Axwell Λ Ingrosso built anticipation through high-profile debuts, including their first live performance as a duo at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York on June 8, 2014, where they unveiled new material amid pyrotechnics and lasers.[3] Additional festival appearances, such as at EDC Las Vegas later that year, further showcased previews and remixes, generating buzz in the electronic dance music scene.[29] In September 2014, the duo secured label partnerships with Def Jam Recordings for the United States and Virgin EMI for the United Kingdom under Universal Music Group, paving the way for broader distribution of their upcoming projects.[30] This move underscored their motivation to focus on original compositions and a duo dynamic that allowed for more direct creative control compared to their previous group endeavors. "We Come, We Rave, We Love" contributed to early online traction for the project, with its accompanying music video featuring dynamic festival footage.[31]Breakthrough and debut album (2015–2017)
In 2015, Axwell Λ Ingrosso achieved significant commercial momentum with the release of their single "Sun Is Shining" on June 12, featuring Swedish production duo Vargas & Lagola. The track, characterized by its uplifting progressive house melody and anthemic chorus, topped the Swedish Singles Chart for four weeks and reached the top ten in countries including Belgium, Finland, and Norway. It also peaked at number six on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart in the United States, marking the duo's growing international appeal within the EDM scene.[32][33][34] Building on this success, the duo continued to build anticipation for their debut studio album with a series of high-profile singles, including "On My Way" (featuring Salem Al Fakir) in 2015 and "I Love You" featuring American rapper Kid Ink, released on February 10, 2017. This collaboration blended EDM drops with hip-hop verses, exemplifying their expansion into pop-EDM crossover territory and peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart. The titular track "More Than You Know," initially released as a single on May 26, 2017, in multiple versions including remixes, became their biggest hit, reaching number one in Sweden and topping charts in over ten countries such as the Czech Republic, Finland, and Slovakia. It also achieved top-ten positions across twelve European official charts and amassed over 1.5 billion streams on Spotify by mid-2025, underscoring its enduring popularity.[35][36][37] The full album, More Than You Know, was released on December 8, 2017, via Virgin EMI and Def Jam Recordings, compiling twelve tracks that showcased the duo's evolution from festival anthems to more radio-friendly productions. Lead singles like "Sun Is Shining" and "More Than You Know" anchored the project, which peaked at number 12 on the Swedish Albums Chart and received certifications including triple platinum in Sweden for the title track. To promote the album, Axwell Λ Ingrosso embarked on extensive arena tours across Europe and North America from 2015 to 2017, including headline performances at major festivals such as Ultra Music Festival in Miami and Tomorrowland in Belgium, drawing tens of thousands of attendees per show and solidifying their status as EDM headliners.[36][38]Hiatus and Swedish House Mafia reunion (2018–present)
In August 2018, Axwell & Ingrosso announced an indefinite hiatus following their performance at Tomorrowland, where they paid tribute to the late Avicii with an emotional mashup of "Wake Me Up" and Swedish House Mafia's "Don't You Worry Child."[39][40] The duo's final single as a project, "Dancing Alone" featuring RØMANS, was released in June 2018 via Def Jam Recordings, marking a poignant close to their collaborative era with its introspective lyrics and progressive house production. This pause allowed Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso to redirect their focus toward the reformation of Swedish House Mafia, prioritizing the supergroup's revival over new duo material.[41] Swedish House Mafia's reunion gained momentum in late 2021 with initial teases, culminating in their first performance in nearly a decade at Coachella in April 2022, where they headlined with a set blending classic anthems and previews from their upcoming album. The group followed with the release of their debut studio album, Paradise Again, in April 2022 through Republic Records, featuring tracks like "Moth To A Flame" with The Weeknd, though no new Axwell & Ingrosso-specific content emerged.[42] By 2025, Swedish House Mafia continued their momentum with high-profile tours, including a New Year's Eve performance at San Francisco's Pier 80 Warehouse on December 31, 2025 and sets at Tomorrowland Belgium, where Axwell and Ingrosso performed back-to-back alongside Steve Angello in the supergroup context, maintaining their creative synergy without reviving the duo.[6][43] Post-hiatus, Axwell and Ingrosso pursued individual projects that echoed elements of their duo's legacy in electronic dance music. In May 2025, Axwell released "Until The Lights Go Out" in collaboration with UK duo CARMA on his Axtone label, a high-energy house track that highlighted his continued production prowess and received support in club sets.[44] Similarly, Sebastian Ingrosso dropped "Flood" in October 2024 via Superhuman Music, the label co-founded by Swedish House Mafia members, delivering a bass-heavy, atmospheric single that underscored his experimental edge and ties to the supergroup's ecosystem.[45] As of November 2025, no official reunion for Axwell & Ingrosso has been announced, with their joint appearances limited to Swedish House Mafia performances, such as the back-to-back set at Tomorrowland 2025's Crystal Garden stage, preserving their partnership indirectly through the trio's ongoing activities.Artistry
Musical style and influences
Axwell & Ingrosso's music is rooted in progressive house, often incorporating pop sensibilities and big room elements to create expansive, festival-oriented soundscapes. Unlike the anthemic, high-octane style of their Swedish House Mafia era, the duo's output as a pair emphasizes melodic progressions and vocal hooks, fostering a more introspective yet uplifting vibe designed for broad emotional resonance.[46][47] The duo draws heavily from the 1990s Swedish house scene, where early collaborations like Axwell's remix of StoneBridge's "Put 'Em High" highlighted groovy, vocal-infused grooves that shaped their foundational sound. Influences also extend to contemporaries like Eric Prydz, whose emotive builds informed their layered productions, and icons such as Daft Punk, whose innovative electronic textures inspired the duo's blend of melody and rhythm on their debut album. This heritage manifests in emotional builds leading to euphoric, crowd-unifying drops tailored for large-scale events.[48][49] Their evolution reflects a progression from the high-energy rave aesthetics of early releases like "We Came We Raved We Loved"—which channeled pulsating, communal euphoria—to the crossover polish of their 2017 album More Than You Know, where guest vocalists added narrative depth through themes of love, unity, and escapism. This shift allowed them to bridge underground roots with mainstream appeal, prioritizing lyrical introspection alongside dancefloor drive.[50][51] Critics have lauded the duo for rendering EDM accessible and emotionally engaging, with "More Than You Know" celebrated as a pinnacle of melodic house that silenced skeptics about their post-Swedish House Mafia viability. While some observers noted a reliance on polished, formulaic structures amid the 2010s EDM boom, their contributions helped solidify progressive house's dominance in festival culture and global charts.[52][53][54]Production and songwriting
Axwell & Ingrosso's production setup centers on digital audio workstations like Ableton Live and Apple Logic Pro, which facilitate their workflow in crafting electronic tracks. Sebastian Ingrosso incorporates hardware elements such as the Roland Juno-107 synthesizer to add analog warmth and texture to their sound design.[55][56][16] In their songwriting process, the duo frequently collaborates with external writers to refine melodies and lyrics, as seen in "More Than You Know," co-authored with Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare of Vargas & Lagola. This approach allows them to blend their electronic production expertise with fresh vocal and compositional perspectives.[57][58] Their studio habits emphasize immersive, extended sessions in Stockholm-based facilities, often spanning 18 hours or more, where they experiment iteratively—sometimes spending a year perfecting elements like drum sounds before finalizing decisions. This perfectionist method underscores their commitment to organic evolution in the creative environment.[27] A key innovation in their work as a duo lies in adapting the expansive big-room house elements developed during their Swedish House Mafia era to a more intimate, personal scale, intended as a "smaller thing" that still captures global festival energy through refined, vocal-driven arrangements. Their remixing strategy builds on this by reinterpreting tracks to highlight emotional depth over sheer bombast, maintaining ties to their foundational influences while evolving the sound.[27]Discography
Extended plays
Axwell & Ingrosso's debut project, the EP X4, served as their initial full-length release following the Swedish House Mafia hiatus, compiling four tracks that established their post-duo sound blending uplifting house with vocal-driven anthems. Released on February 13, 2014, via Refune Music, the EP features themes of unity, love, and communal energy in electronic dance music, exemplified by tracks like "Together" (featuring Michael Feiner), which emphasizes partnership and shared experiences, and "We Come We Rave We Love," a high-energy declaration of positivity in nightlife and relationships.[59] The other tracks, "Can't Hold Us Down" and "Something New," reinforce this optimistic vibe with soaring builds and motivational lyrics, marking an early exploration of pop-infused EDM that resonated in festival settings.[60] While specific chart data for the EP is limited, it laid foundational commercial groundwork, contributing to the duo's growing fanbase through digital sales and streaming platforms.[61]Studio albums
The duo's sole studio album to date, More Than You Know, represents a culmination of their collaborative evolution, expanding on the EP's foundations with a 15-track collection that delves deeper into themes of love, self-discovery, and emotional resilience within a pop-EDM framework. Released digitally on July 28, 2017, via Virgin EMI Records and Axtone, the album incorporates guest vocalists and producers to enhance its anthemic quality, including Kid Ink on "I Love You," b0b and Whyline on "Can't Hold Us Down," and Salem Al Fakir on "Belong."[62] Production notes highlight the duo's hands-on approach, with Axwell and Ingrosso co-writing and producing most tracks alongside collaborators like Vincent Pontare and Salem Al Fakir, focusing on layered synths, euphoric drops, and relatable narratives about relationships and personal growth.[63] Key songs such as the title track "More Than You Know" and "Renegade" exemplify this, with the former's heartfelt vocals and the latter's driving rhythm becoming staples in live sets.| No. | Title | Featured Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "More Than You Know" | 3:23 | |
| 2 | "How Do You Feel Right Now" | Kinnda | 2:59 |
| 3 | "This Time" | 3:37 | |
| 4 | "Something New" | 4:07 | |
| 5 | "Renegade" | 3:11 | |
| 6 | "Dream Bigger" | 3:16 | |
| 7 | "We Got a Feeling" | 3:51 | |
| 8 | "Sun Is Shining" | 4:14 | |
| 9 | "I Love You" | Kid Ink | 3:10 |
| 10 | "Thinking About You" | 3:24 | |
| 11 | "Can't Hold Us Down" | b0b, Whyline | 6:18 |
| 12 | "Dawn" | 5:32 | |
| 13 | "Dreamer" | 4:11 | |
| 14 | "Belong" | Salem Al Fakir | 3:45 |
| 15 | "On My Way" | 4:24 |
Singles
Axwell & Ingrosso's singles discography highlights their transition from Swedish House Mafia members to a prominent EDM duo, with releases that blended progressive house, big room, and pop elements to achieve international success, particularly in dance-oriented markets. Their early non-album single "We Come, We Rave, We Love," released in May 2014 as part of the X4 EP, marked their debut as a duo and was initially performed during Swedish House Mafia's farewell tour; it gained traction in the EDM community through free digital distribution and festival plays, though it did not secure major mainstream chart peaks.[67] Subsequent releases built on this momentum. "Something New," featuring John Martin and issued in November 2014, became a breakthrough, topping the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and reaching No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart while spending five weeks there. The track earned 5× Platinum certification in Sweden for exceeding 200,000 units. "On My Way," featuring Salem Al Fakir and released in March 2015, peaked at No. 1 on the US Dance Club Songs chart. "Sun Is Shining," released in June 2015, reached number one on the Swedish Singles Chart. "I Love You," featuring Kid Ink and released in February 2017, also hit No. 1 on the US Dance Club Songs chart and peaked in the top ten in Sweden. "More Than You Know," released in May 2017, peaked at No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart with 13 weeks of presence. "Dreamer," released in December 2017 with Trevor Guthrie, continued their string of dance hits, peaking at No. 20 in Austria and charting in several European countries, though it focused more on radio and streaming play than club dominance. Their final major single as a duo, "Dancing Alone" with RØMANS in June 2018, reached No. 4 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, underscoring their sustained appeal in US electronic music circuits.[68][65]| Single Title | Year | Key Peak Positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| "We Come, We Rave, We Love" | 2014 | US Dance/Electronic Songs: N/A (EDM festival hit) | N/A |
| "Something New" (feat. John Martin) | 2014 | US Dance Club Songs: 1; UK Singles: 22; Sweden: 1 | Sweden: 5× Platinum |
| "On My Way" (feat. Salem Al Fakir) | 2015 | US Dance Club Songs: 1; Sweden: 4 | Sweden: 3× Platinum |
| "Sun Is Shining" | 2015 | Sweden: 1; US Dance/Electronic Songs: 23 | Sweden: 2× Platinum |
| "I Love You" (feat. Kid Ink) | 2017 | US Dance Club Songs: 1; Sweden: 8 | N/A |
| "More Than You Know" | 2017 | UK Singles: 30; Sweden: 2 | Sweden: 3× Platinum; UK: Platinum |
| "Dreamer" (feat. Trevor Guthrie) | 2017 | Austria: 20; Belgium (Ultratip): 2 | N/A |
| "Dancing Alone" (feat. RØMANS) | 2018 | US Dance Club Songs: 4; UK Singles: N/A | N/A |
Awards and nominations
Swedish and European awards
Axwell & Ingrosso received recognition from several Swedish and European music institutions for their contributions to electronic dance music. Their debut EP and singles earned nominations and wins at the Grammis Awards, Sweden's equivalent to the Grammy Awards. In 2016, they were nominated for Best Electronic/Dance for "Sun Is Shining"/"On My Way". In 2018, they won Årets elektro/dans (Electronic/Dance of the Year) for "More Than You Know/I Love You".[69][70] At the NRJ Music Awards in Sweden, the duo was nominated multiple times in the International Group/Duo category from 2015 to 2017, reflecting their rising international profile within the domestic scene. They also garnered a nomination for Best Swedish Act at the 2016 MTV Europe Music Awards, highlighting their prominence among Scandinavian artists. In Sweden, their track "More Than You Know" was awarded the most-played song of 2017 by the MPA (Swedish Society of Popular Music Composers) in 2018, underscoring its widespread radio and streaming impact.[71]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | NRJ Music Awards (Sweden) | International Group/Duo | — | Nominated |
| 2016 | Grammis Awards | Best Electronic/Dance | "Sun Is Shining"/"On My Way" | Nominated |
| 2016 | MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Swedish Act | — | Nominated |
| 2016–2017 | NRJ Music Awards (Sweden) | International Group/Duo | — | Nominated |
| 2018 | Grammis Awards | Årets elektro/dans (Electronic/Dance of the Year) | "More Than You Know/I Love You" | Won |
| 2018 | Swedish MPA Awards | Most-Played Song | "More Than You Know" | Won |