Style Of Eye Interview

Style of Eye has been taking the Dance music scene by storm since 2003. From playing tracks to his classmates at school discos to supporting Swedish House Mafia in Sweden, it’s safe to say this guy’s done well. He’s remixed tracks by everyone from Miike Snow to Kylie Minogue and continues to be sought after for his intense and powerful skills. We spoke to the man himself about his current projects and his continuous love of what he does…

Hi Linus, how are you today?
I’m good!

Where in the world are you right now?
I’m actually back in Stockholm for a few days.

What are you up to?
I’m in the studio finalising my next single.

Oh, brilliant! So, where did the name Style of Eye come from?
It started with me not wanting to have a thousand different projects, so I can fit everything under one name. What I’m inspired from will be under that name.

You seem to have had a very diverse range of musical influences when you were younger, what would you say was the strongest?
I don’t know really, my years into Drum & Bass and Trip-Hop kind of stuff, like Mo’ Wax, DJ Krush and DJ Shadow. That sort of stuff was really important for me in moving my own productions into Dance music territory. But it’s hard to pick one; all have helped me grow as a musician and producer.

When you were 14 you DJ’d at school discos, what sort of tracks would you play for your classmates?
I’d play all the cheesy stuff and then every third or fourth track I’d empty the floor with a Drum & Bass tune!

You’ve worked with some of the best in the industry from John Dahlback to Skrillex, and gigged at major clubs and festivals; what would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
I’d say the most important show I’ve done has to be when I opened for Swedish House Mafia in Sweden for their last tour.

Do you know the guys well?
Yeah, we’re all working in the same area so I do know them a bit.

You remixed Swedish House Mafia’s Save The World, a successful track in mainstream charts; what are your thoughts on Dance music in commercial markets?
I think it’s come to a time where all the guys in Dance music are making great tracks and wanting to explore the variety of actually writing songs and that led to more song-based material. I think it was about time for Dance music. It’s been waiting around the block to break through. When that happened, radio was a great support.

Is there a track out now that you’d like to remix?
Umm…let me think…I actually just had to say no to a Depeche Mode record, which I’m still bummed about as I didn’t have time. I remix a lot, but the only track I want to finish now is my next single.

When can we expect that?
Hopefully in September.

Awesome! Your sound is extremely energetic and powerful, what reaction are you looking for when people hear your music?
For where I’m at now with playing clubs and festivals, I want to make people extremely happy and go crazy [Laughs].

Would you say your heart lies with DJing or writing and producing?
For me it goes hand in hand; one gives to the other. When you’re in the studio for a month and then you go on the road, it’s probably one of the best feelings. You get a receipt for what you’ve been doing and then you get inspired to go back into the studio. It’s a great spiralling circle.

Your most recent project is Gallantis with Christian Karlsson from Miike Snow, how’s that coming along?
It’s going well, we’ve been working on a lot of music and hopefully we’ll be rolling that out this fall.

How did it all come together?
We’ve been friends for a long time and we’ve been talking about making music together. What would it be and for whom, when would it start… This past year we’ve been writing a lot of stuff together. There’s a good vibe.

Is there anyone you’d like to work with that you haven’t?
Prince [Laughs]

Haha, good choice! What are your plans for the next few months?
I’m going on a small US tour in early August, and I’ll be doing Osheaga festival and smaller gigs like Eden and Batveckan. Then I’m heading out to Asia for a longer tour.

You’ve played all over the world; is there a place you especially like to go back to?
There’s so many, they’re so different. I really enjoyed playing in Brazil. I haven’t been back since but I’d really love to.

Your motto is ‘music not genres’, what do you mean by this?
For me, it’s just about making music that I like and can dance to; it doesn’t matter if it’s Deep House, Electro House, Tech House. For me it’s not about a name, it’s about being free. A good song is a good song. I think I’ve tried it all. I’m still opening all the doors; whatever is interesting will probably pop into my world.

What a great way to think about music! Thanks a lot, Linus! It was great speaking to you and I hope the single goes well!
Thanks, have a good one!

By Charlotte Mellor