Avicii shocks fans, silences critics with game changing ‘Diplo and Friends’ guest mix

Avicii took to Diplo and Friends last night with an unexpected mix that impressed fans, shut down critics, and provided insight into the mind of Tim Berg. After one hour of what may have been the most significant mix of the young producer’s career, Avicii reinforced his elite position in dance music and reminded the industry that there’s more to Tim Berg than “Levels.”

Opening with songs from The Isley Brothers and Smokey Robinson, Tim held the ‘electronic’ out of ‘electronic dance music’ for the first ten minutes as Diplo interluded to proclaim that Avicii is, in fact, his friend. Breaking the electro-barrier with Justice’s “D.A.N.C.E” and “Phantom pt. 2,” he moved into Eric Prydz’s remix of Paolo Mojo’s “1983,” plunging into the deep, groovy mood that would embody the rest of his outing.

Leaping into Dog Blood’s “Middle Finger” and a bootleg of “Sweet Dreams,” Avicii had already left an impression on listeners worldwide, as fans rapidly took to Twitter to express admiration for his technical skills. After classic house with Ian Carey’s remix of Moris & Minor’s “Is This The Groove” and classic dance with Foreigner’s “Cold As Ice,” Avicii finally turned to an original production, the only one of the night, “Let Me Show You Love.”

Going on to blend dance floor gems with disco vocals, the mix takes on a life of its own. Then it happens — “Oh oh sometimes, I get a good feeling yeah.” But it wasn’t “Levels,” it was Etta James’s “Something’s Got A Hold On Me,” the original in its entirety. BBC Radio 1 listeners were astounded with ten minutes left as he dropped his own bootleg of Major Lazer’s “Get Free,” returned to funk with Jessie Ware’s “110%,” and brought disco back on Chris Issak’s “Baby Did A Bad Thing.”

Concluding his time slot with Cazzette’s take on “Niggas In Paris,” Avicii put the stamp on his biggest mix since his 2010 Essential Mix, and possibly the biggest of his young career. Just as his Essential Mix introduced the world to the artist we now know as Avicii, his Diplo and Friends mix turned the tables, preparing fans for a reinvented Tim Berg.

Categories: Music