About Galantis
Aria: When audiences say “Galantis,” do you think they are naming a sound, a feeling, a live experience, or a persona? Which of those do you feel most responsible for protecting?
Galantis:
I think the answer is that it’s definitely a combination of all those things. But more than anything, it comes down to a feeling. There’s a feeling in the sound - the Galantis sound - and definitely in the live experience, and also around the persona of me and Piiper.
Aria: What does a “good show” mean to you now, precision, freedom, chaos, intimacy?
Galantis:
For me, a great show is about freedom. That’s what keeps me inspired. It’s a driving force for me, both in the studio and on stage. When I’m thinking about the experience I want to create on stage - the sets, the visuals, the instruments… everything, the more I move towards something that feels like freedom. That’s what motivates me the most. That’s my fuel.
Aria: What do you think people are actually seeking when they come to a Galantis show in 2026, escapism, release, belonging, or something closer to emotional regulation?
Galantis:
I think escapism is probably the word I’d use, especially considering what’s going on in people’s lives and in the world right now. Going to a Galantis show - or live music in general - is a kind of escapism, but in a positive way.
There’s also a real sense of belonging. I have songs that have been around for over ten years, and people have attached their own memories to them. They’ve connected those songs to specific emotions and moments in their lives. When they’re singing those songs live - the ones tied to those memories - in that moment, they feel a sense of belonging to their surroundings and the people around them.
Aria: What is the last record that inspired you?
Galantis:
Well, right now, I don’t want to point to one specific record. What inspires me most, whether it’s new releases or rediscovering older music is the human touch. The human mistakes. I’m drawn to things that don’t feel perfectly aligned to the grid, not perfectly synchronized. That's what I get the most inspiration from right now. In whatever way, I just want to feel the human - that a real person has put craft and love into the work. And usually that comes from small mistakes, intentionally or unintentionally, the kind of human detail that, at least for now, can’t really be calculated by a machine.
K-pop, Remix Culture,Collaborations and “Busy Boy”
Aria: What do you look for in a collaborator that you cannot generate alone?
Galantis:
That’s a good question. What I really like about collaborations is the freedom. I’m used to writing and producing without thinking about who the song is for. I go where the song goes - wherever it feels best, that’s where I take it. Then, if someone connects with it and it finds a home, that happens naturally - that act will find itself. When I create as Galantis or Miike Snow, I follow the same process, but I’m working within a more defined world. There’s a vibe, a brand, a style that has to make sense for that project. When I collaborate, that world expands. The sphere gets bigger. I can move toward genres, feelings, or sounds I might not normally explore. And at the same time, I still bring the Galantis DNA into it. That’s when it becomes a mash - two different energies coming together to create something entirely new.
Aria: What have you learned from working with artists whose audiences don’t naturally overlap with yours?
Galantis:
I don't know if I can say exactly what I’ve learned, but it's always interesting to look into other people's worlds - to see the type of following they have and what type of things are happening around their music. So that's what I see and discover and it's interesting in a lot of ways. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s about learning something specific, but I definitely get a lot of inspiration, new thoughts and ideas from these types of interactions… through experiencing it and being part of it.
K-pop is no longer operating adjacent to electronic music. It is one of the most advanced systems for global pop circulation, structurally, visually, and culturally. Remixing within that ecosystem requires a different kind of literacy.
Aria: How did the RESCENE “Busy Boy” remix come together, and what made the project compelling for you?
Galantis:
Well, it was an instant connection. The moment I heard the song… the chord progression together with the tempo just kind of lit me up. It reminded me so much of gaming culture. I have been into gaming since the first Nintendo, and there was something about this track that really hyped me up. There was something that reminded me of PlayStation One, Bomberman and all these different games that had really cool music. Sometimes the tracks were really, really jazzy but also with that Commodore 64 bit sound. A lot of the time they were really fast. This song tapped into that same feeling - it tapped into something nostalgic for me. That was the spark. That was the fuel.
Aria: K-pop records are engineered around “moments”, switch-ups, hooks, sections designed for choreography and social circulation. Did that change how you approached the remix?
Galantis:
No, I don't think about music in that way, maybe I should! But I just make music the same way I always made music - by pure emotion and inspiration, what I'm feeling, what I'm hearing, and that's it. That's how I make music every time.
