Avicii News
KAAZE: The Evolution of “Hot Tekno” – A Journey from Underground to Mainstream Success
KAAZE: The Evolution of “Hot Tekno” – A Journey from Underground to Mainstream Success
In this exclusive interview with Swedish DJ and producer KAAZE, he discusses his musical evolution from underground techno to pioneering what he calls “Hot Tekno.” Currently ranked #48 in DJ Mag’s Top 100, KAAZE shares insights about his upcoming North American tour, his Swedish musical heritage, and exciting new projects on the horizon. The interview reveals how his return to techno roots has reinvigorated his creativity and expanded his fanbase dramatically over the past two years.

Throughout your career, you’ve dabbled in all different kinds of genres, from groovy electro house, underground techno, and now you’ve been pioneering a concept, what you call “Hot Tekno”, and that’s with a K. What is hot techno?
It’s a funny story. Me and my agent Dennis, who were sitting one day exploring this new sound that I had, and it was like, it’s not really typical techno, it’s not hard techno. Like, what? What is it? Because what I’m doing is implementing sounds from the previous genres I’ve done and, finding a more rhythm base, and it’s not that static. So I was like, a lot of girls like it. I see on my social media. It’s kind of sexy sometimes, but I think sexy is kind of cliche to say. And then we just said “Hot Tekno”. It was a funny thing, and I was posting a little bit here and there, and my fans caught up on it. So they liked it, “Hot Tekno”.
Last year, you ranked number 48 in DJ Mag Top 100, congratulations! How did this achievement influence what you’re doing now?
The thing that people don’t really know about “Hot Tekno” is that 20 years ago, when I started making music, like way before I created KAAZE, I was making techno music. I come from the underground scene back home in Sweden, so I was making really underground industrial techno. And at one point, I just wanted to find myself and have fun again in the studio because I was a little bit uninspired and bored with my previous progressive house, or whatever I was doing, and that’s kind of where it started.
So I started pushing that sound, and had a lot of fun making it, and then I started receiving really good feedback and reactions on social media, like two years ago, and I just saw another rise of fans exploding over two years. I think I went from like 200,000 followers to like almost 800,000 followers. So, like, I got a massive amount of new fans that only know me right now for “Hot Tekno”, which is really fun for me because it’s a new world for me too. So, like, obviously, becoming number 48 was kind of like a big part of that.

You have a debut tour coming up in North America. Can you tell us a little bit about the tour, what your plans are for “Hot Tekno”, what are you going to show us over in the States?
I’m really excited to go to North America, I used to be based in America when I started KAAZE, I was in America together with my American wife, so for me, America is very special. I never did a tour back then, so it’s been so many years, and because I started there, all my fans are Americans, still till this day. So, it’s been eight plus years. They’ve been asking me when I’m coming, and I never knew how to answer them. For me that’s super special to finally go to America for these fans that have been waiting for so long. I’m going to go over there and do my thing, my European style. So far, I’ve heard a lot of great things from the from the shows.
Something else I’ve been dying to ask you, so you’re from Sweden. I’ve never been there before, but a lot of my favorite artists are from Sweden. Avicii, may he rest in peace, was from there, obviously, Swedish House, Mafia, Alesso, etc. So what is in the water in Sweden that pumps out all these amazing DJs? What is it about Sweden that just produces such amazing talent?
Sweden has always been a big part of the music industry. In terms of pop music, you know, we have Max Martin. So Swedish people have always been super involved. And if we go all the way back to about time, we have this big pop culture, and I think in terms of DJs, what we do is like we implement a lot of those sounds, and the way of making pop music in Sweden into our productions. That just gives to that type of different sound. I don’t know really why Sweden is so good on music itself, but I do think it comes from back in the days where these individuals got the opportunities to explode, Max Martin is a great example. So I think those people have had a huge impact on the Swedish artists in general.
So what’s next for you, what can we expect from KAAZE this summer?
My schedule is getting pretty packed. Couple remixes in the in the works. I got some David Guetta remixes that I’ve been wanting to release for quite some time. We got some really dope solo releases coming up, couple collabs in the process. Just blast on! There’s gonna be a lot of OGs this year, and a lot of OG music, like I did for the last six months. A couple covers, couple of sample based. So, I’m kind of excited to go back to some original music again. So, yeah, it’s gonna be all over the place, fully packed!

This interview is also available in an audio format on the 10 Days in Dance podcast.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FzG7IXBqW7WUceqEYjqCU?si=442fb52c03224c79
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Avicii News
Tomorrowland Honours Avicii With The Return Of A Tribute Experience
Tomorrowland honours Avicii with the return of a tribute experience, original artefacts, remastered live sets and an exclusive festival collection.
Fifteen years after his first unforgettable performance on the MainStage in 2011, Tomorrowland once again pays tribute to Tim “Avicii” Bergling, the artist who helped shape the sound of a generation and bring electronic music into the mainstream.

THE AVICII TRIBUTE EXPERIENCE
At Tomorrowland Belgium 2026, festivalgoers will once again be invited into a dedicated Avicii Tribute Experience: a 144-square-meter immersive installation celebrating the music, creativity and legacy of one of dance music’s most influential artists. At the heart of the experience is a large-scale LED screen featuring an exclusive audiovisual piece that brings together iconic festival moments, intimate studio footage and personal creative moments, offering a unique perspective on Avicii not only as a performer, but also as a songwriter, producer and musical visionary.
The experience combines never-before-seen imagery, personal stories and audiovisual storytelling from Avicii’s Tomorrowland journey, inviting visitors to reconnect with the artist behind the music and the moments that defined a generation.
For the first time ever, original artefacts from Tim “Avicii” Bergling’s personal collection will be exhibited outside the walls of the Avicii Experience Museum in Stockholm. Several iconic items connected to Avicii’s career and creative process will be on display, offering fans a rare glimpse into his world.
Visitors will also have access to a dedicated Avicii space featuring exclusive collection and limited-edition pieces created especially for Tomorrowland Belgium 2026. Access to the experience is limited and requires advance reservation.
AVICII X TOMORROWLAND COLLECTION
To accompany the tribute experience, Tomorrowland will launch an exclusive Avicii x Tomorrowland collection, available online and at Tomorrowland Belgium 2026.
Inspired by the visual language of sound, the collection incorporates artwork based on sound waves and the Doppler effect, translating Avicii’s musical legacy into a contemporary visual identity. The limited collection serves as a tribute to his enduring influence on electronic music and festival culture.

REMASTERED TOMORROWLAND SETS IN SPATIAL AUDIO
As part of the tribute, fans around the world will be able to relive some of Avicii’s most legendary Tomorrowland performances through newly remastered recordings of his 2012, 2014 and 2015 sets. Available via Apple Music and the Tomorrowland App, the sets have been remastered in Spatial Audio, allowing listeners to experience these iconic performances with a new level of depth and immersion.
A DEFINING TOMORROWLAND LEGACY
Avicii made his Tomorrowland debut in 2011, surprising festivalgoers on the MainStage with “Levels”, a defining moment in his career as the track had not yet been officially released. He returned in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, with his final MainStage appearance becoming one of the most memorable performances in Tomorrowland history.
Following his passing, Avicii’s connection with Tomorrowland has remained stronger than ever. In 2018, festivalgoers paid tribute to him during Nicky Romero’s MainStage set, when a giant Swedish flag bearing his image was spread across the crowd in an emotional moment of remembrance.
Today, his music continues to resonate throughout the festival grounds, with artists across the line-up regularly honoring his legacy through their performances. His iconic anthem “Levels” has been voted the number one track in the Tomorrowland Top 1000 three times, cementing its place as one of the most beloved tracks in the history of dance music.
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Avicii News
Court Dismisses Ash Pournouri’s Lawsuit Against Avicii Estate
Swedish Court Dismisses Ash Pournouri’s Lawsuit Over His Portrayal in Avicii Documentary and Books
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Wake Me Up: Avicii’s Song Passes 3 Billion Streams on Spotify
Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” crosses 3 billion Spotify streams more than a decade after its release.
More than a decade after its original release, Wake Me Up by Avicii has passed 3 billion streams on Spotify, marking one of the highest streaming milestones reached by an electronic-led track on the platform. First released in June 2013 as the lead single from Avicii’s debut studio album True, the song quickly became a global commercial success, achieving widespread radio play and sustained chart presence across multiple regions. Over time, “Wake Me Up” has continued to accumulate streams well beyond its initial release period, remaining a consistent presence across playlists and long-term listener activity tied to Avicii’s catalog. Its continued performance places it among a very small group of songs to cross the 3 billion mark on Spotify, a threshold reached by only a limited number of recordings across all genres. As streaming milestones increasingly reflect listening longevity as opposed to short-term popularity, “Wake Me Up” stands out as a release that has maintained relevance and listener interest year after year.
The Release of “Wake Me Up” and How It Marked a Turning Point for Avicii
The release of Wake Me Up followed several months of public exposure before it officially reached streaming and radio. The song was first played live by Avicii during his main stage set at Ultra Music Festival in March 2013, where its acoustic guitar intro and mid-tempo structure contrasted sharply with the big-room EDM sound common across festival lineups at the time. Audience reaction during that initial performance was mixed, but Avicii continued to include the track in subsequent shows across North America and Europe, indicating confidence in the direction of the record. The official release followed on 17 June 2013, with the song serving as the lead single from Avicii’s debut studio album True. At that point in his career, Avicii was already established through tracks such as “Levels”, making “Wake Me Up” a noticeable stylistic departure from the sound most closely associated with him.
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When “Wake Me Up” first premiered at Ultra Music Festival in 2013, the song was initially met with confusion and skepticism. The unconventional use of a live bluegrass band on stage, along with the unexpected blend of genres, was far from what the crowd had expected from an Avicii set. But as fans began taking in the lyrics, the melodies, and the genre-bending sound, “Wake Me Up” quickly soared to global success, topping charts around the world as the soundtrack of a generation. Now, almost 13 years since its release, “Wake Me Up” has passed 3 billion streams on Spotify, making it the most-streamed song by a Swedish artist on the platform. This remarkable milestone stands not only as a testament to its timeless significance but also echoes the profound impact Tim left on electronic dance music ◢ ◤
“Wake Me Up” features vocals from Aloe Blacc and was co-written with Salem Al Fakir, whose background in pop and songwriting brought a more traditional verse-chorus structure to the track. The production combined acoustic guitar, bass, hand percussion, and a restrained electronic arrangement, placing emphasis on lyrics and melody rather than festival-oriented drops. Following its release, the song held number one chart positions in markets including the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and Sweden, while also becoming a long-running fixture on radio playlists throughout 2013 and 2014. Over time, “Wake Me Up” became Avicii’s most commercially successful release and remains his most streamed song on Spotify, with its recent passage of 3 billion streams reflecting sustained listening activity more than a decade after its original release.
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The lyrics of Wake Me Up are carried by a clear, repeatable idea that runs through the song without being broken up. The chorus centres on the line “So wake me up when it’s all over, when I’m wiser and I’m older,” a statement that openly accepts uncertainty in the present while pushing understanding into the future. That thought is reinforced throughout the song, where time is treated as something that teaches only after experience has already happened, not before it begins. The words do not suggest having answers, and they do not frame growth as something neat or immediate. Sung by Aloe Blacc, the lyrics stay conversational and plain, which is why the chorus in particular has remained easy to remember and easy to sing back in full during live shows. Years after its release, that central line continues to be the part of the song most closely associated with “Wake Me Up,” anchoring it as a track built around patience, time passing, and learning as life moves forward.
“Wake Me Up” Joins Spotify’s 3 Billion Club
By surpassing 3 billion streams on Spotify, “Wake Me Up” moves into one of the platform’s highest long-term listening tiers, a threshold reached by only a limited number of songs across all genres. Other recordings that have crossed the same mark include “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, which has exceeded 4 billion streams, “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran at well over 3.7 billion, “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi at just above 3 billion, and “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee, which has also cleared the 3 billion line. These tracks are characterised by sustained daily listening over many years, not short-term peaks tied to release cycles. In that context, “Wake Me Up” is notable for being one of the earliest releases in this tier, having first appeared in 2013, and for being led by a producer associated primarily with electronic dance music rather than pop or hip-hop.
When the comparison is narrowed to electronic dance music and electronic-led releases, the field becomes significantly smaller. “Closer” and “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers are among the very few electronic productions to have also passed 3 billion streams, supported by crossover radio exposure and long-term playlist placement. Just below that level sit several high-performing electronic dance music tracks that remain in the upper-two-billion range, including “Let Me Love You” by DJ Snake and Justin Bieber at approximately 2.8 billion streams, “One Kiss” by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa at around 2.6 billion, “Happier” by Marshmello and Bastille at roughly 2.5 billion, and “Faded” by Alan Walker at just over 2.3 billion. The gap between those figures and the 3 billion mark underscores how rarely electronic dance music releases progress beyond the high-two-billion range. Against that landscape, “Wake Me Up” passing 3 billion streams places it among the most widely listened-to recordings on Spotify, not only within electronic dance music, but across the platform as a whole.
More than ten years after its release, “Wake Me Up” continues to record strong listening figures on Spotify, with its recent move past 3 billion streams confirming its position as the most streamed song in Avicii’s catalog. Very few electronic dance music releases from the early 2010s remain this active on streaming platforms, especially at numbers more commonly associated with long-running pop records. The milestone places “Wake Me Up” alongside a limited group of songs that listeners continue to return to well after their original release cycles. For those revisiting the track today, it also serves as a clear entry point into Avicii’s wider body of work, from earlier releases such as “Levels” through to the broader direction introduced on True, which remains central to how his music is discovered and replayed on streaming platforms.
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