The third and final act of Steve Angello‘s grand trilogy of rebirth and reinvention arrived Thursday (Nov. 16) and it's a little slice of heaven for anyone who enjoys a dance on the darker side. Steve Angello‘s Paradiso EP follows Genesis and Inferno, and anyone who has read the Bible or Dante's Inferno should pick up on the religious literary references.
Steve Angello told Billboard about his recent feelings of loss and confusion, how he found himself sick of making the same old songs, aiming for a hit on streaming services and social media more than what was in his heart.
A break from the public world led him to meditations in a Swedish church in his hometown of Stockholm and that time spent alone in his head, surrounded by all the heavy glory of Christian imagery led him to write this moving musical installation.
Where Genesis was about starting again and Inferno represented the dark and sensual elements of life, Paradiso is the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Lead track “Break Me Down” is the most traditional house tune of the trilogy so far. It builds on soulful vocals and uplifting chords, though Steve Angello‘s new penchant for dark musical undertones counterbalances the tune from being a full-on big-room anthem.
“Break Me Down” is followed by “Dopamine,” a stark and emotional piano ballad featuring vulnerable, wavering vocals from Barns Courtney. It's powerful and redemptive with fat, eerie synth rhythms that add a bit of toughness to its melancholic beauty.
Now that the triology has been completed, Steve Angello‘s next step will be to give fans the release in full with each segment fleshed out by more songs, making for what he considers more of an installation than an album, per say. Either way, it means more cool music to come. For now, listen to Paradiso below, out now on Size Records.
Act III: Paradiso | Break Me Down & Dopamine feat @BarnsCourtney Out Now!
Listen: https://t.co/bF9nwKCouN pic.twitter.com/3VlFk3TBbs
— Steve Angello (@SteveAngello) November 17, 2017