Dancing Astronaut’s Time Capsules: Steve Angello

Dancing Astronaut's Time Capsules: Steve Angello

There was life in Steve Angello long before the reign of Swedish House Mafia.

As fans patiently await Steve Angello’s debut album ‘Wild Youth’ – we take a step back and examine the origins of Steve Angello and the tracks that first cemented his place on the industry radar.

From the formation of his Size Records imprint to a titanic hold on the European club circuit, Angello’s presence on the club floor held weight long before the main stage festival sets and sold-out arena shows became commonplace. With an arsenal of early tech house offerings and a visible curve towards the big room sound now associated with the Stockholm heavyweight, the first decade of Steve’s output casts a fascinating light on the artist we now know to have taken his craft to new and unchartered territory.

Steve Angello - Yourself (Original Mix)

Heading up 2004’s Toolbox EP, ‘Yourself’ was a firmer and fiercer take on the groovier edge that kept showing its face in the early days of Angello’s output. It was the sound that became commonplace in his earliest European residencies, also setting a bar for Size’s inaugural offerings before the label ever truly opened its doors to outside contributors.

Steve Angello – Humanity 2 Man (Original Mix)

In the same year as Angello’s Toolbox EP, Tumbata Records dropped a four-track instalment that has historically fallen off the radar where the Swedish producer’s earlier work is concerned. Second A-side ‘Humanity 2 Man’ harnessed the fusion of raw tech house and melodic edge that Angello was becoming renowned for, offering a longer playing club weapon that can still hold its corner more than a decade down the line.

Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso – Yo Yo Kidz (Original Mix)

Angello and Ingrosso collaborated under many different monikers in the early days, but Refune single ‘Yo Yo Kidz’ saw the duo link up for a definitive chapter of their careers pre-Swedish House Mafia. Flaunting early progressive vibes and marking an early highlight for Ingrosso’s now infamous label, the track remains testament to both artist’s mutual compatability – a feat somewhat forgotten in the wake of Axwell and Ingrosso’s current reign.

Steve Angello & An21 – Flonko (Version One)

Alongside brother and label mate AN21, ‘Flonko’ continued the minimalistic and gypsy themed house getup that Angello’s own aptly named original set in motion. Built around simplistic beats and that infamous horn sample, the track showed where Size could comfortably move away from the big room sound associated with the growing label whilst tapping into Angello’s more stripped back studio prowess.

Steve Angello – Tivoli (Original Mix)

By 2009, the world had come to realise that Steve Angello could do a lot with very minimal musical canvases. ‘Tivoli’ was testament to this ‘less-is-more’ attitude, throwing delayed leads into a series of energetic peaks to forge a stripped back progressive number that could hold both the smaller rooms and the bigger festival that Angello occupied. By now, the latter was becoming far more commonplace.

Steve Angello – Monday (Original Mix)

The thick cut melodic sound found on ‘Monday’ is something we can see to have been the origins of Angello’s current big output. Uplifting without the heavy trance influences and still geared around thick cut beats and rising big room energy, a subsequent remix from Max Vangeli & AN21 kept this track in rotation for a considerable run, but there was no topping Steve’s well-oiled original.

Mescal Kid – Do You Want It (Original Mix)

Mescal Kid is a side of Angello that rarely releases music, but still shows its face on the live circuit under very special circumstances. As the follow-up to ‘Majic,’ the high-octane tech house stylings of ‘Do You Want It’ spelled a new peak in Angello’s output with a wholeheartedly underground twist. There’s been little from this alias to-date, leaving these two solitary singles as a testament to the other side of Steve’s creative spirit.

Steve Angello VS Alex Metric – Open Your Eyes (Original Mix)

Alex Metric was fast establishing himself as a UK player capable of holding face with the cream of the European crop, but ‘Open Your Eyes’ marked a definitive moment for both respected artists. Where a later re-issue would garner vocal duties from Ian Brown, the instrumental original paired heavyset melodic lead work with serious rock undertones. House music was on its way to being an arena staple by now, but ‘Open Your Eyes’ epitomized that energy and Angello’s wish to take things beyond the club floor.

Steve Angello & Laidback Luke Feat. Robin S – Show Me Love (Original Mix)

Though many have tried, few have topped Steve Angello and Laidback Luke’s 2008 remake of the timeless Robyn S hit ‘Show Me Love.’ With subsequent re-releases spanning Ministry of Sound, Ultra Music and Luke’s own Mixmash imprint, the collaborative single topped the UK dance charts and propelled both artists into the international spotlight. We may have had to suffer a wave of horrendous remixes and remakes since, but ‘Show Me Love’ remains testament to where Angello first saw a space to take electronic music beyond the club floor.