For over two decades, Rasmus Faber has been one of Swedish electronic music’s most distinctive voices, a classically trained pianist who discovered house music and never looked back. From his breakthrough track “Never Felt So Fly” on Black Vinyl Records to his work scoring anime soundtracks and virtual reality projects, Faber has built a career that defies easy categorization. His latest collaboration “Somebody,” featuring fellow Swedish artists Lucas Nord and Melo, exemplifies his approach: melodic depth meets dancefloor energy, live musicianship woven into electronic production.
In this conversation, Faber reflects on the collaborative spirit that defines Swedish electronic music, the enduring creative partnerships that have shaped his sound, and what it means to maintain musical authenticity in an era when AI is rapidly transforming creative work. Whether discussing his classical training, his decades-long relationship with vocalist Melo, or his thoughtful concerns about the future of music production, Faber offers rare insight from an artist who has successfully navigated multiple creative worlds without compromising his artistic vision.
1. You began your career working behind the scenes as a session musician and musical director for local Swedish acts before transitioning into electronic music production. What drew you to electronic music after that foundation in live performance, and how did those early experiences shape your producer mindset?
Playing live taught me how music works without the guardrails of a studio setting. You feel the how every small musical choice, or even accident, can shift the energy. When I discovered electronic music, it gave me a new way to shape that same feeling, just with different tools. That live experience still shapes everything I do in the studio. It helps me think in dynamics, movement, and emotional arcs.
2. Your first collaboration landed on Black Vinyl Records in the early 2000s, which opened doors to working with major dance labels. How did that initial breakthrough shape your understanding of what it takes to succeed in dance music, and what lessons from that period still guide you today?
Everything was very intuition-driven back then. I was 21 years old when I made Never Felt So Fly for Black Vinyl, and I knew nothing about the club music scene and DJing, I came at it purely from a musical perspective. I would say it took me another 5-10 (20?) years at least to draw any sort of lessons from anything haha! I’ve made so many mistakes along the way, luckily, I’ve had the chance to succeed a few times as well.
3. Your discography spans deep house, anime soundtracks, video game music, and even virtual reality projects. That is an incredibly diverse range of work. How do these different creative worlds inform and influence each other, and has composing for visual media changed how you approach club music?
Absolutely. Writing for visual media makes you think about story, pacing, and emotion in a different way. Every cue needs a reason to exist beyond just sounding good. That has influenced how I write club tracks too, because I think more in terms of journey and atmosphere. And on the flip side, the rhythmic energy from dance music brings a freshness to my soundtrack work. They feed each other creatively. It is all storytelling, just in different forms.
4. Sweden has produced a remarkable number of influential electronic artists who have shaped global dance music. Having been part of that scene for over two decades, what is your perspective on why Swedish producers have had such an outsized impact, and how has the local scene evolved since you started?
I think it comes down to collaboration and craft. Swedish producers share knowledge really freely and everyone helps each other get better. There is also a long tradition here of strong songwriting, even in electronic music, so the musical foundation tends to be solid. When I started, the scene was much smaller and very underground. Now it is broader, with so many sub-scenes coexisting. But the attention to detail and that sense of pride in production quality have not changed.
5. You have maintained long-term creative relationships with artists like Melo, who sang on your very first release and continues to work with you today. What makes these enduring collaborations special compared to one-off projects with international artists, and how has your creative chemistry evolved over the years?
Working with someone over many years builds a kind of musical shorthand. You stop explaining things and just play off each other’s instincts. Melo and I have grown up together in music, so there is a shared language that makes the creative process feel natural. When you have that level of trust, you can take more risks. It is not just about making a track, it is about exploring something new together every time.
6. You are both a classically trained pianist and an electronic music producer, two disciplines with very different approaches to creating music. How do you balance the technical precision and musicianship of your piano background with the more instinctive, energy-driven demands of dance music production?
For me, they are not opposites at all. Classical training gave me structure, harmony, form, and a respect for dynamics. Electronic music gave me freedom and intuition. The real art is in knowing when to lean on one or the other. Sometimes a track needs a strong harmonic base, and sometimes it just needs to flow.
7. “Somebody” brings together three Swedish artists, yourself, Lucas Nord, and Melo, each with distinctive careers in melodic house. How did this particular collaboration come together, and what does each artist bring to the creative equation? Was there a specific vision you were all working toward?
It came together very naturally. Lucas and I had been exchanging ideas, and when Melo heard an early demo, his voice just fit perfectly with the atmosphere. We wanted to make something that felt emotional but still worked on the dance floor, something that had depth and movement. Lucas brought his melodic sensibility and a modern edge, I focused on the soundscape and structure, and Melo added that soulful, human connection. It felt like the right combination from the start.
8. Do you find yourself approaching production differently when you know a track might eventually be performed with the full orchestra versus something intended purely for DJ sets? How does that potential future life of a track influence your creative decisions in the studio?
Yes, definitely. When I imagine a track with an orchestra, I think more in layers and space. I leave room for acoustic instruments and dynamics. A club track is more about direct energy and physical response. But I love when those two worlds overlap, when a piece can exist in both spaces and still feel natural. That possibility always sits in the back of my mind when I am producing.
9. As someone who has built a career on musical depth, live instrumentation, and emotional authenticity, what is your perspective on how AI might change electronic music? What aspects of music-making do you think will always require that irreplaceable human touch?
I think anyone who so far made the prediction ”AI will never be able to [insert whatever]” has mostly been proven wrong, sometimes within months. Music creation with AI is coming strong, very quickly. Using visual media (illustration, design, etc) as a historical guide which has been AI-dominated for a few years already, I think we’re in for some significant changes in how we approach everything. My guess is that authenticity will be valuable still, so live performances and personal documentation of the creation process will still matter (kind of like how no one is interested in watching a chess computer play chess).
But I fear it will be much more niche, and I worry a bit that a lot of the jobs in just creating music, whether for film, ads, games, etc, will go away. Even the producer who just makes cool music will be much less interesting if they can’t prove authenticity.
Guessing about the future is futile though (and yet I just did it..), I hope that there will be some sort of development that let people be creative, as well as a climate where an audience is interested in said creativity. In some form.
10. And building on that, what advice would you give to emerging producers and DJs who are trying to develop their own authentic sound in 2025, especially in an era where technology can do so much of the technical heavy lifting?
Focus on what actually inspires you. Do not worry too much about trends or algorithms. Let your curiosity guide you, and do not rush the process of finding your sound. Learn your tools well enough that they disappear, so you can focus on expression instead of technique. And collaborate, because that is where you will grow fastest. Authenticity is not something you decide to have; it is something that comes out when you stop trying to sound like someone else.