in five years вЂ“ where he discovered an unexpectedly booming dance-music scene. Last year, Prydz made his first extended trip to the U.S. ItвЂ™s so huge, he can haul it only to major events like Coachella вЂ“ heвЂ™s working on a scaled-down, more tourable version. вЂњThe setup is actually bigger than a jumbo jet,вЂќ he says. (One track, вЂњDrums in the Deep,вЂќ took a sample of Sir Ian McKellen in The Lord of the Rings and set it over a brooding, orc-friendly electro-throb.) His live act deploys a laser show thatвЂ™s like a moody Eighties music video on a Spielberg budget, including massive holograms that would impress Kanye West and a gigantic rotating projection of PrydzвЂ™s own head. вЂњI wanted something like the card up the sleeve that I knew would get an instant reaction.вЂќДЄlong with this chart success вЂ“ or maybe as a way to push back against it вЂ“ Prydz records harder techno as Cirez D. Floyd,вЂќ which used a hunk of вЂњAnother Brick in the Wall.вЂќ вЂњI made it in the back of my tour managerвЂ™s car on the way to a show,вЂќ he says.

In 2004, Prydz topped charts throughout Europe with вЂњCall On Me,вЂќ an outrageously catchy house track hooked around the chorus of Steve WinwoodвЂ™s synth-y вЂњValerie.вЂќ (Winwood liked it so much he recorded new vocals for the song.) Two years later, the same strategy paid off with вЂњProper Education,вЂќ credited to вЂњEric Prydz vs. ItвЂ™s a little like if Pete Best had stayed on good terms with the Beatles while going on to become as big as Donovan.

Prydz is still friends with the SHM guys, who retired this year, and heвЂ™s collaborated with them on occasion.

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