IN CONVERSATION WITH ILLENIUM
interview by SAMO ŠAJN
GRAMMY-nominated electronic powerhouse ILLENIUM ushers in a bold new era with the release of his sixth studio album, ODYSSEY, out now via Republic Records. Featuring an impressive lineup of collaborators including Ellie Goulding, Kid Cudi, Zeds Dead, and Bring Me The Horizon, the album represents his most expansive and emotionally charged project to date. Led by the iHeartRadio Music Awards–nominated single In My Arms featuring HAYLA and the soaring focus track Don’t Want Your Love with Ellie Goulding, ODYSSEY showcases ILLENIUM’s signature blend of melodic bass, cinematic production, and genre-defying ambition. Fresh off a high-energy release show in San Francisco and with an upcoming historic headline run at Sphere in Las Vegas, ILLENIUM continues to redefine the scale and emotional impact of modern electronic music.
knit t-shirt KING & TUCKFIELD
pants PAL SPORTING GOODS
sweater CALEB
jewelry TALENT’S OWN
You’ve described ODYSSEY as a shared journey. When fans press play, what kind of experience do you hope they go through?
I hope the music and lyrics create a journey of highs and lows that fans can connect with on an emotional level in their own way.
This is your sixth studio album. In what ways do you feel you’ve grown since your earlier projects?
The further I go into my career, the more comfortable I feel blending and producing different genres and working with artists and collaborators from all types of music.
You collaborated with artists like Ellie Goulding, Kid Cudi, Zeds Dead, and Bring Me The Horizon. How do you make sure each feature enhances the story of the album rather than just standing alone as a single?
All of these artists were actually part of album tracks and not standalone singles, which made the album release even more exciting. I worked closely with all of them, so neither side had more influence over the track than the other. That created uniqueness within each individual track, but also cohesiveness across the album.
dress shirt KING & TUCKFIELD
jacket DZOJCHEN
tank COMMAS
pants KING & TUCKFIELD
boots DOUCAL’S
On Don’t Want Your Love, Ellie’s vocals really lead the emotional tone. What drew you to her voice for that track specifically?
I've always been a fan of hers. Everything she sings on is incredible. This song and her performance stood out at first listen. Even though the demo was a bit slower and had a different rhythmic vibe, I knew we had to work on it together.
Was there a particular turning point during the making of ODYSSEY where you realized the album was becoming something bigger or different than you originally planned?
I think once the story outline was completed and I could go into sessions with specific scenes in mind, the recording process took on a new form compared to how I’ve made albums in the past.
In My Arms received major recognition at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Did that kind of response influence your confidence going into the full album release?
We decided on it as the first single for this album because I felt it encapsulated a lot of the sounds and energy people could expect across the record. I was stoked that fans were into it.
You’re becoming only the second electronic artist to headline Sphere. How did knowing you’d perform ODYSSEY there impact the way you built the live experience?
There’s only one Sphere, so pretty much every decision regarding the live show for the album revolved around this residency. There’s no other place with such an exciting canvas to work with, so the creativity and ideas you can bring to life are almost limitless.
full look DOLCE & GABBANA
With Sphere’s immersive technology, are fans going to experience these songs differently than at a traditional festival set?
100 percent. Between the hundreds of thousands of speakers, the 12K visuals, the massive screen, seat haptics, and immersive audio capabilities, there’s really nothing like it.
Across your catalog from Ashes to Fallen Embers, emotion has always been central. What emotional space does ODYSSEY live in?
The title explains a lot of what I was trying to create. The goal with this album, both lyrically and sonically, was to build a dynamic emotional journey that touches on a wide range of feelings. I hope when people listen, they can feel that.
This feels like a major year for you. When you look back on the ODYSSEY era, what do you hope it represents in your career?
I hope it represents a time in my career when I was ambitious and open to taking chances with the type of music I was making, and excited about the ways it could be transformed into my live show.
knit t-shirt KING & TUCKFIELD
pants PAL SPORTING GOODS
sweater CALEB
jewelry TALENT’S OWN
TEAM CREDITS
talent ILLENIUM
creative director RYAN LUCCA
photography RETO STERCHI
stylist EMILY DIDDLE
hair BAILEE WOLFSON
producer JESSE SIMON
studio MVMT Studios
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview SAMO ŠAJN
