Alesso 2.0: The Swedish DJ Is Back In Sin City And More Ready To Rage Than Ever

Photo Credit: Randall Slavin

 BY: LAURA SCHREFFLER
PHOTOGRAPHY: RANDALL SLAVIN
STYLING: MILA SARIC
GROOMING: MARLAINE REINER
HAIR: NIKKI PITTAM
SHOT ON LOCATION AT PENDRY RESIDENCES WEST HOLLYWOOD BY MONTAGE HOTELS & RESORTS

On a blindingly bright day in June, Alesso (née Alessandro Renato Rodolfo Lindblad) is toiling away in his at-home recording studio in Stockholm, cloaked in darkness with Turbo, his Staffordshire terrier, sitting quietly by his side. It’s mere weeks until Swedish Midsummer and its nearly 24 solid hours of sunshine, but he’s got creating to do, and he’s most focused when there’s simulated night. Yet, as Leonard Cohen once said, it’s true that there is a crack in everything, so the light manages to get in. And really, this is an appropriate metaphor for the Grammy-nominated DJ’s life, because after the hell that was 2020, he, like all of us, is officially ready to escape the darkness and let in the light.

Literally, the light is here (he shows me what’s going on beyond his blackout curtains during our Zoom chat), but figuratively, traces of the past remain. The 29-year-old explains that in Sweden, there are still pandemic curfews and restrictions. Restaurants are now open until 10 p.m. instead of the earlier 8, and 500 people can gather in one place. But he’s certainly not going to be performing anytime in the foreseeable future.

The world is still so unstable that his schedule is in constant flux. Guaranteed shows, including EDC Portugal, have been cancelled. Tour dates are being persistently pushed. It’s not ideal, but shit happens, and if he’s learned anything from 2020, it’s how to roll with the punches (and how to be smart with money, but that’s another story for another time).

“I’ve only gotten to do three shows in total in the last year, but those have been incredible,” he says. And there are more to come — a lot more. And they’re definite blessings, though being at home so much in the last year — be it in Los Angeles or his native Sweden — he’s fallen into a surprisingly wonderful, if a bit mundane, routine. There’s comfort in consistency.

“I’m appreciative of the time off,” he admits. “When I start seeing some of the flights [coming up in my schedule], it’s like, ‘Damn, I’m going to be starting on this crazy touring life again.’ I’m not complaining; I’m excited, but it’s also nice sleeping in my bed every night and having a more normal life. I’ve been enjoying going to bed and waking up at the same times, going to the studio every day. But at the same time, I don’t care how crazy it gets, because I’ve been waiting for this for so long now. I’m thankful that it’s actually happening, that people still want to see me after all this time.”

Photo Credit: Randall Slavin
Although he’s currently sitting alone at home, it isn’t the norm, and it isn’t how he thrives. He’s the kind of DJ who thrives off of energy, who loves nothing more than to be in the center of things, kicking back, bringing joy, living his best life. “Just to see people together, celebrating, having fun — that makes me so happy,” he acknowledges. “That’s the best part of all of this, seeing people together, seeing their happiness. I’m a very outgoing person: I like going out, meeting new people, seeing people. Especially now, when we’ve been so locked in.”

On the flip side — and he sees both — that clubgoers have been forced to stay in might just be the reset his industry needed. “I think this break has made people appreciative again. There were so many raves, so many clubs, so many things being overly done before Covid,” he says. “It was too much. Now, there is nothing, and people aren’t taking it for granted anymore.”

The closure of clubs and not being able to live life as he had for the past 10 years had another benefit, too. “It made me realize how powerful dance music is. It’s so uplifting and energetic. It’s pure happiness, 24/7. Every song is a celebration.”

Those notes of celebration are the driving force behind his latest EP, Progresso Vol. 2, which arrived the week of June 1. Its two tracks, “Together” and “Again,” are aggressive, euphoric floor-fillers. The former is more understated, while the latter is a forward-thinking techno song that also harkens back to rave classics, simmering with pure dance-floor energy.

“This is just full-on dance music,” Alesso says. “There is no set radio hit. People will still listen in their cars, I hope, but the music, it’s really made more for shows, so people can be there in the moment, and that’s the magic of dance music. It’s difficult to do that with a song that is very well written and lyrical. When you’re at a club, you just want to lose it, in a way, and that’s what these records are for.”

That sound fans love is still there, but he isn’t returning to his roots. “Been there, done that” is not a phrase Alesso enjoys or employs. “In comparison to my old music, it’s definitely leveled up, but you can still hear me. I don’t want to go back to the things I did two or three years ago. That’s not the goal. I want it to be 2.0.”

Photo Credit: Randall Slavin
He’s still going to be releasing more radio-friendly hits this summer, like “Going Dumb,” his recent collaboration with Chinese singer and producer CORSAK and Korean boy band Stray Kids, and “Midnight” with One Direction’s Liam Payne, which appeal to a wider audience. But Alesso 2.0 is also going to be embarking on some uncharted new creative endeavors.

He recently became involved with One Of, a new green NFT platform built specifically for the music community with the aim to break down economic barriers. Of this he says, “The whole NFT world has been very big, and my team and I thought that doing an NFT could be incredible. To just combine music with visuals, that’s art to me. That’s what I’ve been doing with my shows for the past 10 years. But now you can own [that feeling] as a piece of art. I’m not trying to make a quick buck; I’ve been working very hard on it for months to do it the right way. The possibilities are endless.”

Another new creative outlet he’s passionate about has been scoring music, for an upcoming animated series. He can’t speak about the specifics of the project but says that it’s something he always yearned to do. “If there’s a chance to evolve as an artist and use a different side of your brain, I’ll take it,” he says. “It’s easy to just repeat yourself. I’m always trying to do something new with every record, every project, and that makes it fun. I always strive for that. That’s why I try to collaborate with people who doesn’t always make sense sometimes. You evolve and get more experience, and along the way you find more of what you want to do in the future. I think every artist goes through a phase when they’re like, ‘I’ve done this, and now what?’ To figure that out, I have to keep trying new things. Otherwise I’d get bored and would want to quit music or something. I have a lot of passion for things you see, too, not just what you hear. When you combine music and visuals, it becomes something more, almost emotional.”

There’s also the bonus that keeping his creative juices flowing has increased his overall happiness, in that it’s allowed him to discover new modes of self-expression. “If I kept getting into the same kind of thing all the time, I’d have quit music eventually and might have gone full time into creating visual art. Doing something new like this, it makes me want to keep going.”

Photo Credit: Randall Slavin
And he must, because the dance party is nowhere near over — unlike his day-to-day life in L.A., which came to a bittersweet end during the pandemic. He put his Studio City mansion — the first actual home he’s ever owned — up for sale earlier this spring for $6.5 million; it has since sold.

“I was living there for almost three years, and it was just time to move on,” he says. “I loved that house and I have great memories, but as to what the future will bring, I honestly don’t know. Maybe I’ll buy another house in L.A., but right now, I’m keeping it open. I have my family here [in Sweden], and everyone said they’d come and visit [me in L.A.], but they never did. I finally got this house, and I’m like, ‘Where are they?’ But it’s a beautiful house. You should put an offer on it,” he teases, adding, “What I do know is that I’m going to live in Sweden for now, and for the next eight months, I’ll be spending more time in Europe — but still doing shows in the U.S.”

His American tour dates, in fact, are the most stable, given that those in Europe are currently on unpredictable ground. “It feels solid that the shows I’ve been announcing recently in the U.S. will actually happen — especially in Washington, D.C., Miami, Hollywood, Florida, L.A. and Las Vegas. There’s going to be a lot in Vegas. I would bet my money that they’re happening. Or no, I wouldn’t. I don’t know!” he laughs. (He is also headlining the Electric Zoo festival on Randall’s Island in New York City over Labor Day weekend.)

If he were going to bet on a place, my money would be on Sin City, too. After all, it’s the most hedonistic summer spot in America, and it’s been far too quiet for far too long. Alesso, who has been a resident at Wynn Las Vegas & Encore Resort for the past 10 years — and who just announced the return of his residency for summer 2021 — agrees.

“Having this break makes me 10 times more excited about returning,” he admits. “I was in Vegas not too long ago for my manager’s birthday. It was still kind of restricted and spread out; you could only be at your own table. It was fun, but it wasn’t the same. I also went one time last year when it was very, very restricted. My girlfriend’s parents were in town, and we went even though we knew it would be dead. It was really sad to see no one there and barely anything open. That’s not what Vegas is about. Vegas is a place that’s open 24/7, where you can do anything you want for 24 hours. You come there to party. It’s such a powerful city.”

He loves many things about the city, from the Wynn’s upscale Asian fusion eatery Wazuzu, where he dines almost every single time he’s in town, to golfing with friends at the tony Wynn Golf Club. What he loves the most about Las Vegas is the Wynn itself, his home away from home for the past decade. “The Wynn is one of my favorite spots to play in the world, and I’m not just saying that because I have a residency there,” he confides. “I love Encore Beach Club and XS. I love the sound system, I love that it’s half indoor and half outdoor, I love the people that work there, I love the hotel. It feels like coming home every time I play there. I can’t wait to play Encore Beach Club because those parties get so wild. People have a different kind of energy during the day.”

Photo Credit: Randall Slavin
And speaking of energy, his focus at the moment is on the positive kind only. Alesso wants to do anything and everything that brings him personal happiness. The last few years — including the lonely and isolating 2020 — served as a reminder to be mindful of his mental health as well as his physical well-being.

“A couple of years ago I went through a difficult time mentally,” he confesses. “I got everything I wanted — a career and to travel around the world — but then I noticed that if I didn’t take care of my health, all these things I wanted just became stressful to me. They were supposed to give me happiness, but they started not to because I didn’t take care of myself mentally or physically. That was scary. Your health is everything. I like a little stress, but not for things to be so stressful that you can’t take care of yourself — which we’ve seen 100 times now, unfortunately: big artists that get into situations where it becomes too much. I don’t want to be like that. It scares me.”

He references fellow Swedish DJ Avicii, who died by suicide in 2018 after struggling from poor mental health. “When Avicii passed away, it was a thing I started thinking about even more. I knew him. The last couple of years we weren’t that close, but I remember in the beginning of our careers, we would hang out a lot more and even make music. The bigger our careers got, the harder it was to get together and have some sort of relationship. Obviously, though, it was the biggest shock ever.” He mentions that Stockholm’s iconic Ericsson Globe was recently renamed the Avicii Arena to raise mental health awareness. “Being lonely in this world is not good for you,” he adds, “and so, for me, the two things I care most about in the world are family and friends. Everything else comes after, including my career.”

But enough negativity: Alesso is already stepping into the light, allowing the loneliness of the last year to fade away by surrounding himself with family, friends and, of course, music. This summer, he plans on letting loose and letting the spirit of Sin City take him away (minus any actual crowd-surfing, because it would give his manager a heart attack).

“I’m definitely someone that has fun, but I do pick my nights,” he says. “If I know I have two shows the next day or an early flight, I don’t drink. But if I can sleep in and don’t have anything the next day and my friends are in town, why wouldn’t I? I’m not there yet to go with this super-healthy DJ lifestyle. My shows are more like, ‘Let’s go, let’s dance, let’s celebrate, let’s have a shot.’ I’ve been missing that like crazy, and I think a lot of other people have been, too. So right now, just hanging out with people and having fun is the name of the game. I think people are just going to rage twice as hard. I know I am.”

Photo Credit: Randall Slavin