Electro-Dance Music (EDM) is arguably the definitive sound of this generation, and no artiste or group better exemplifies EDM than Swedish House Mafia.

The Grammy nominated trio, consisting of veteran deejays Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso, brought their heart-stopping, fist-pumping tracks to our sunny shores on Jan 17. The guys are no strangers to Singapore, with all 3 of them boasting previous performances here. and therefore a pit stop here on their final tour as a group was a must.

The news of the group’s breakup in June 2012 shook the music world. Fans bought their tickets for the One Last Tour (at $155, $115 and $85) with a deep sense of loss amid their excitement, but all knew that this wasn’t to be missed.

The fans made no mistake. Swedish House Mafia decided that if they were going to call it a day, they would be going out with a bang.

The concert was a testament to everything that EDM stood for – intense bass drops, uplifting vocal riffs – sounds that simply set your heart on fire. Boy, was the Singapore Indoor Stadium alight that night!

Local producer and ex-Zouk resident DJ Aldrin started the night by spinning an absolutely electrifying set that prepped the 9,500 strong crowd for the main event.

Right on time at 9:15 pm, the entire stadium was enveloped in some of the most pristine house music known to man. As the familiar beats of their hit song, “Greyhound” began to come on, and Singapore received Swedish House Mafia with thunderous applause.

As expected, the EDM giants’ set was nothing short of breathtaking. They spoiled fans with a lavish selection of their greatest tracks that were as familiar as they were refreshing. Courtesy of their stunning turntable artistry, Swedish House Mafia painted a beautiful mosaic of heavenly sounds that included their hit tracks “One”, “Antidote” and “Miami 2 Ibiza”.

The band also treated fans to spectacular remixes of Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” and The Temper Trap’s “Sweet Disposition”, framed by some of the most stunning visual effects UrbanWire has ever seen. The symphonic medley of multi-colored lasers and strobe lights was almost hypnotic.

Perhaps the most unforgettable moment of the concert was when the impressive piano riff to their latest song “Don’t You Worry Child” came on. Above the already deafening in-house music blasting from the massive speakers, was the thunderous ringing of 9500 voices, belting out the chorus to 1 of 2012’s most celebrated songs. The whole stadium was awash with an overwhelming sense of sentimentality and heartfelt anguish, as the inevitable realisation of the band’s breakup finally dawned upon the Swedes’ huge local following.

This, however, never stopped the party from going on. Almost comfortingly, DJ Axwell remarked over the microphone, “You guys are the greatest singing crowd that we’ve ever had, do you guys learn it in school or something?”

The Scandinavians also showcased talents besides their extraordinary mixing; proving that at the end of their 4-year stint together, they had also matured as true entertainers. Before the bass drop to “Don’t You Worry Child, DJ Ingrosso coyly said, “We’re gonna try something special. I want everyone to sit down, and when the bass drops, I want everyone to jump up.”

There was only one way this could go.

The feeling beat even the exhilarating unity of the Kallang Roar. As the crowd jumped up together, fists in the air, feet off the ground, a sense of solidarity and belonging echoed through the minds of all who were there. At the end of the day, at the end of 4 great years, we were still one, big Swedish House Mafia family.

This sense of being at one with the audience remained till the end. Much to the disbelief of the local following, the band walked off the stage after their 2-hour long set without playing “Save The World”, arguably their most popular song.

Through the darkness, the voice of a seemingly invisible DJ Axwell rang out, “For those of you who know who we are, you’d know that there’s something missing, for those of you who don’t know who we are, who on Earth is that?”

Then opening beats of “Save The World” began to play, much to the relief of the fans. Judging by the unison and sheer enthusiasm in everyone’s voices that night, DJ Axwell’s statement hard to argue with. And the band’s fully forgiven for their  arrogance – what chance will we get to do so again?

As the notes of the final song faded out, so did an era of great EDM music. No doubt, while everyone has their well-wishes for the Swedish trio as they concentrate on their own personal projects, no one will ever forget the legacy that was and forever will be: Swedish House Mafia.

All photos courtesy of KH Yeo.