Electronic dance artist Axwell has earned five Grammy nominations along with widespread recognition for his luminous and singular sonic identity. As both an award-winning DJ and producer, he belongs to the progressive house supergroup Swedish House Mafia, whose festival conquests defined much of the early 2010s and yielded two platinum-certified albums, Until One and Until Now. On his own, the musician has delivered a steady stream of singles, including the 2008 track “What a Wonderful World,” the 2012 remix of “In My Mind,” and the 2018 release “Belong.”
Born Axel Christofer Hedfors in Lund, Sweden, he spent his youth behind a drum kit. That rhythmic foundation guided him toward electronic production, which he began experimenting with while still a teenager. Early releases appeared under the aliases OXL and Quazar, after which he adopted the Axwell moniker for his remixes. His first Billboard dance-chart entry arrived in 2003 via the collaborative single “Burning,” featuring Robbie Rivera and Suzan Brittan; the following year brought “Feel the Vibe,” later reissued in 2005 as “Feel the Vibe (‘Til the Morning Comes)” with fresh vocals from Tara McDonald. Also in 2005, Axwell issued the dance single “Watch the Sunrise” featuring Steve Edwards and launched his own imprint, Axtone.
In 2006 he launched the side project Supermode alongside fellow producer Steve Angello. The pair, joined by DJ Sebastian Ingrosso, performed together as Swedish House Mafia for the first time during a 2007 Ibiza set. Two years later the trio secured a major-label deal with EMI and unveiled their debut commercial production, the 2010 summer anthem “One,” also known as “One (Your Name)” when featuring Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes. The track reached the Top Ten in the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and later appeared on the group’s first album, 2010’s Until One. In 2012 the members declared an impending split and a return to solo work, capped by a farewell tour and the release of their second album, Until Now.
That same year Axwell’s remix of Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl’s “In My Mind” propelled the original into a major hit and earned him a Grammy nomination for best remix. He followed with the 2013 solo single “Center of the Universe” and the Ingrosso collaboration “Roar.” The two formally established the duo Axwell /\ Ingrosso in 2014, headlining festivals and issuing tracks such as “Something New” and “Can’t Hold Us Down.” Their 2015 release “Sun Is Shining” topped the Swedish singles chart and later received quadruple-platinum certification. Later that November the pair dropped “This Time,” directing all proceeds to charity. These recordings were eventually collected on the duo’s debut album, More Than You Know, which surfaced in late 2017. At Ultra Miami 2018 the three former Swedish House Mafia members reunited for a surprise appearance, hinting at an official future regrouping.
Also in 2018 Axwell issued the solo singles “Barricade” and the Swedish chart success “Belong.”
