For decades, Sweden has exported talented individuals to the U.S. who either made an impact on our culture themselves or through their descendents. It was the Swedish Hollywood actress Greta Garbo who mesmerized us on the big screen. Uma Thurman charmed us with her sex appeal. Mark Wahlberg gave us a glimpse of his best parts and now it’s Avicii who wants to be a mainstay in your dance music playlist.

Avicii started out in his bedroom, where he taught himself how to tweak beats and refine melodies, eventually leading him to become an “international electronic sensation.” Catapulting onto the music scene in 2008, Avicii is the mastermind behind the monster dance hits such as “Seek Bromance,” “Levels,” “Fade into Darkness,” and “My Feelings for You.”

First Page of Avicii’s Jan. 2012 interview with JMG

With a continuous stream of success, Avicii shows no signs of slowing down. The hits keep piling up, including “Street Dancer,” the track that went No. 1 on the worldwide Beatport charts in 2011. The young DJ also has a monthly LE7ELS podcast and radio show on SiriusXM, as well as a heavy touring schedule that includes a show in Houston on Thursday, Jan. 19 at Stereo Live.

While on the road, Avicii was able to answer a few questions for me regarding his success, music and ideal female collaboration.

Second Page of Avicii’s Jan. 2012 interview with JMG

JMG: What makes a great house record?  
AVICII: For me personally I’ve always been in love with melodies, so that’s what I look after in a track!

JMG: How would you compare house music in Sweden to the U.S.? 
AVICII: I would say that the music is newer to people in the U.S. Sweden has a long history of both producers and DJs, so the crowd is a bit more educated.

JMG: How would you describe the Avicii sound?
AVICII: Big room melodic house!

JMG: Where are some of your favorite places to perform live and why?
AVICII: I would probably say Guvernment in Toronto. Really love that venue, and the crowd, they are amazing.

JMG: You have a show in Houston at Stereo Live on Jan. 19. What can fans expect from your show?
AVICII: Happy uplifting house music and an insane vibe!

JMG: There are a lot of female artists who are dominating radio, such as Katy Perry, Adele and Rihanna. Is there a female music star that you would like to work with soon?
AVICII: I would really like to work with Adele. I love her voice!

JMG: What do you consider to be your biggest achievement to date?
AVICII: That must really be my track “Levels!”

JMG: What are some of your future goals as a DJ/producer? 
AVICII: I would love to make an album someday. Other than that, as long as I can do what I’m doing right now, I’m happy.

JMG: So can we expect a full length album from you anytime soon?
AVICII: Well, it’s a personal goal of mine, but I don’t know when I will actually have the time for it. Plus, the whole industry is moving towards singles at the moment.