Until Now EMI ***
Irish audiences will forever associate Swedish House Mafia with the violent shenanigans following their Dublin show earlier this year. That gig was part of the band's final tour (until the inevitable reunion) and Until Now is a timely pre-Christmas wrap for fans. As swan songs go, it does a decent job of showing just why Sebastian Ingross, Axwell and Steve Angello could pull 45,000 to a live gig. Along with David Guetta, Skrillex and a bunch of other DJs and producers, SHM found themselves in the right place at the right time as their amped-up house became the favourite additive for big pop hits in the US and Europe. There's no holding back on the maximalism here, each tune a relentless, pumping variation on a theme and as far from house music as defined by the purists as you can possibly get. That said, few could quibble with the perfect pop bounce of Leave the World Behind or the manic, dizzy rush of Greyhound. swedishhousemafia.com
Download track: Leave the World
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