The expectations were high for Axwell & Ingrosso, two-thirds of the now defunct but still wildly beloved Swedish House Mafia, who headlined the outdoor stage at Coachella Saturday night (April 11).
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Not only would they have to prove that they hadn’t lost their edge since becoming a party of two (the former group’s third member, Steve Angello, is now a solo artist), but they’d have to test-drive their new sound, which is more aggressive and urban-influenced than the electro-pop anthems for which Swedish House Mafia was known (“Save the World,” “Don’t You Worry Child”) — thanks in part to Def Jam, their new label.
But if this is the start of a new chapter for Axwell & Ingrosso, fans are ready. Fresh off a stand-out main stage show at Ultra Music Festival in March, the pair’s Coachella performance drew so many attendees that the drone cameras hovering above struggled to capture them all in one shot. The crowd seemed to especially embrace the theatrical live element of the show, which included surprise guest vocalists Salem al Fakir and Vincent Pontare, who appear on several Axwell & Ingrosso tracks, dressed in elaborate animal costumes (many assumed it was Australian band Empire of the Sun).
Glitzy pyrotechnics and an over-the-top light show was a crucial entertainment element, but while special effects are certainly a part of the package — a holdover from their Swedish House days — Axwell and Ingrosso aren’t all style over substance. As a sign that they’re stretching into new musical territories, they teased a good chunk of their forthcoming album which features other boundary-pushing artists, like Pharrell Williams and Pusha T, and peppered in unexpected remixes of Metallica‘s “Enter Sandman” and Valentino Khan’s heavy-hitting “Deep Down Low.”
