Kanye West
Photo:Def Jam

Kanye West’s ‘Runaway’ Is ‘Art,’ Swedish House Mafia Say
West’s film ‘helped him and pushed him back up,’ says Steve Angello.


Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and Axwell, who make up the house music supergroup Swedish House Mafia, are the focus of a feature-length documentary, “Take One.” Directed by Christian Larson, who edited Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” clip, the movie follows the group over two roller-coaster years.

The flick’s release comes on the heels of another music-related film: Kanye West’s “Runaway,” which the trio sees as an inspiration.

“It’s a piece of art,” Angello told MTV News. “I saw it the other day, and the photos and the pictures and the colors — it’s like, wow.

“He did something there, that I think is unbelievable as an artist; to put so much time and effort into something they really love, without losing the balance of still being creative and making music,” Angello continued. “I think that’s important. I think every artist should … just give back some more.”

After a self-imposed exile following his disrupting of Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV VMAs, West has made a pop culture rebirth, with a film, a new bounty of hit records and a reformed outlook on life. Angello sees the new and improved West as someone who weathered the storm of a tumultuous two years.

“It’s been good — he had a downfall there,” Angello said. “And like he said himself, he had a really tough time since his mother passed; he wanted to take his own life because he was so depressed. I think [‘Runaway’] helped him and it pushed him back up.”

Swedish House Mafia is well aware of the strain that a musical career can have on an artist. They often play gigs at opposite corners of the planet three, four, or even more times each week for months at a time: certainly a cumbersome task.

“It’s tough to always smile and be happy, but as long as you love what you do — and we all love what we do — we love every minute and second of it. We’re still sitting here — it’s freezing, doing this interview — because we love it,” Angello said as the trio sat on the terrace of MTV’s New York headquarters.

As if on cue, a bone-chilling gust blew through the area. With a laugh and a smile, Ingrosso interjected, “(And) we’re from Sweden. We know how to freeze!”

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