If you’ve ever been to Stockholm, you’ll know that quality is key. It infiltrates absolutely everything from food to flirting, and in the creative arts especially, and in Sebastian Carmine Ingrosso’s case…..music! You’ll also more than likely have had some contact with the “Ingrosso” family! Let’s just say that this notorious family who originally descended from Italy, have a considerable presence in Stockholm!
Rewind though, and you’ll find a young Sebastian growing up in the ghetto with a certain young Steve Angello. Best buddies through thick and thin from WAY back, these boys looked to music for their distraction and ultimately discovered where their talents lay, and shortly afterwards their passion followed. Hip-hop, movie soundtracks, funk & soul, techno, lounge, everything!
So welcome to Sebastian’s world: Streetwise. Energetic. Charming. And utterly dedicated to rocking the party.
Seb’s first ventures into the studio were at his father’s place in the mid-90s and it was only a few years before the mighty “Freshly Squeezed” in May 2001, and “Echo Vibes” in October 2002 were released. These early and promising EPs were created with Steve Angello and released on Joia Records, which is another Ingrosso family venture. Drawing heavily on influences such as Daft Punk’s “Homework LP”, and other artists such as Todd Terry, Dj Sneak and Carl Craig, Sebastian was finding new flavour and looking up to artists who would soon become his piers in the DJ fraternity, something which Sebastian will never forget. After “Echo Vibes”, turned into a hit, the record was remixed by his successful Swedish counterpart Eric Prydz, and the two have been close ever since. In fact today Sebastian, Steve Angello, Eric Prydz and Axwell are known collectively as the Swedish House Mafia – a familiar name in the dance music industry. They are now a successful mesh of friends & workmates and their different levels of relationships gel together perfectly.
From there Sebastian worked solidly on producing music – his passion. And as he worked, his distinctive sound evolved and was fine-tuned. Pushing boundaries on a regular basis soon caught the attention of the industry’s heavy hitters. After Sebastian released “Get It Back”, “Shake” and “Yo Yo Kidz” in 2004 on his own label Refune, he only got better. With a string of innovative house music productions, the worlds dance music community had now officially discovered his talent. Now for Sebastian having his own label is something that excites him, after all he gets to present his talent and hard work:
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Q*You launched your own label a few years ago, ‘Refune Records’, what was your main goal with the creation of this label?
A* to do exactly what I want with it!
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Although Sebastian still puts out tracks and remixes for the cream of the world’s dance community, he is dedicated to turning his own label Refune Records into a household name in the industry. Even though only in its early stages it seems the label’s 5th release ‘Same Man’ will be the record to put it on the map. So now as his project starts to take flight, look for a solid 2006 from Sebastian Ingrosso and Refune Records.
As an early producer Sebastian learnt that spinning records was just as fun. He & ‘partner in crime’ Steve Angello skipped school to go to clubs, and later, put on the best underground parties in their home town; the pair soon developed a taste for entertaining the passionate dance music community in Stockholm with their raw feel for the music. The opportunity for these kids to perform in front of a crowd was what sealed the deal…they practiced, shopped for records and studied their idols. Sebastian’s passion for the scene and music drove and consumed him and while he worked hard in the studio, he continued to build his name as a great DJ throughout Sweden. Even better, he started making it pay too, staggering considering he was only 17. Since then he has been making crowds go wild from Johannesburg to Jakarta. Sebastian then started building his international DJ career, and fast. In 2005 he made his mark at Pacha Ibiza alongside Erick Morillo at the legendary Subliminal Sessions party. He played club sets (New York’s award winning Cielo) and headlined large events (Miami’s BANG! Music Festival, and KISS FM’s yearly celebration in Kiev). His sets worldwide made people stand up and take notice. Humble Sebastian felt these were huge accomplishments but has since set his sights even higher. Early 2006 has already seen him playing the famous Ministry of Sound in London and Paris’s hottest new club, The Mix. And more featured sets are to come at the Global Gathering, Coloursfest and Creamfields Festivals. Plus as his production & remixes continue to bleed out to the masses, plans are set for him to visit USA South America & Canada, Australia & Asia and to the farthest corners of Europe.
His link with Subliminal in 2005 also had him producing the “Subliminal Sessions 8” compilation CD in summer 2005 with Steve Angello. Reviews for their mix were great. An explosive and innovative sound was showcased and the dance music world took notice:
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“Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, Angello and Ingrosso drop a bomb mixing some acid, progressive, and techy tunes demanding some of my attention toward the volume knob. Many of the tunes on this side have been progressed by the likes of house music's biggest over the past few months. Songs like Cirez D's "Teaser" and Tony Senghore's "Peace" (Ingrosso Mix) set the stage for a well-formed album and excellent transaction from tune to tune. Listening to this you can’t help but wonder what these guys will come up with next! If you’re into the gritty deep dirty filthy dark house stuff then this one’s for you as these guys throw it down mashing 12 soon to be classics into one perfectly arranged album. An essential piece to any collection”
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After that Mixmag put Steve & Sebastian’s next mix on the cover of their September issue, which fans voted their favourite of the 2005. This was another great accomplishment for Sebastian, it showed the fans understood and appreciated his talents as the mix featured mostly records he produced or remixed. Soon after that the most powerful man in dance music came knocking. Pete Tong not only raved about Sebastian’s talent and “golden touch” when it came to making records, he invited Sebastian & his partner Steve Angello to do an Essential Mix for UK’s famed Radio 1 station. That too won the fans over! And to top off the year, another big honour (and probably closest to his heart) was Sweden’s popular main-stream radio station P3 named him “Dance Music Artist of the Year”, a title previously won by his “Swedish House Mafia” counterpart, Eric Prydz.
Some of the most successful club records you heard in 2004 & 2005 hailed from Sebastian’s studio in wintery Stockholm. Under the production moniker “Buy Now”, he & Steve Angello brought us the dance floor slammer “For Sale”. The club hits “Together”, “Yeah”, “Instrumental” and “82-83” were also from Sebastian. Plus he might as well have his name next to the word “remix” in the dictionary as he’s developed a very credible name for delivering distinctive and rocking remixes in the dance music industry. His most recent and successful remixes include tracks for Moby, Royksopp and Deep Dish. And you’ll be glad to hear that he has been dedicating more of his precious time to studio work. Sebastian says he has two main focuses. The first is developing the musical direction and working on key tracks for Refune Records’ 2006 catalogue, and second is the much-anticipated album for his ‘Buy Now’ alias. An artist album is a first for Sebastian and no doubt he’ll to step up to the challenge. With multiple projects on the way, there’s definitely alot to stay tuned for from Sebastian Ingrosso…passionate, smart, independent, talented and right in your face! You’ll be hearing a lot more from this exceptional young man.
