GALANTIS UPDATE: STILL A MYSTERY OR NO MONEY

Despite time passing, the breakup continues to be a highly googled search.

This article provides a fresh update on the GALANTIS breakup mystery. What we now know and what the future of Galantis may or may not hold. This Blog also discusses the psychology behind the love for EDM group duos - why are they so loved and what do they signify or inspire in us.

First, A Refresher - Visualize It, because I can see a billion dollars in Your Eyes

The breakup of the EDM duo Galantis, originally composed of Swedes Christian Karlsson and Linus Eklöw, has been and continues to be a mystery - perhaps reaching new mythical status or EDM folklore.

As we know, there was no official statement made explaining the split from either producer or their label Sony Music. The last time the two performed together was on March 1, 2020 at 12:51am at Exchange L.A. nightclub. No one in a million years would have guessed that this would be the last time Galantis would perform together.

In just a small club in Los Angeles right before the pandemic debacle.  Crazy because THEY DEBUTED THEIR NEW GALANTIS OPENING that night. This was a huge deal. A new Opening! My arms were wide for so many new VIP’s. This was the prototype or rehearsal for the 2020 festival season.

For the sake of new people to this Blog, we wrote 2 prior Blogs on this topic that you can check out for some context but nonetheless as we know Christian continued the Galantis project and post-breakup Galantis resurfaced on December 31, 2021 for a New Year’s Eve performance in San Francisco.  I had a ticket and hotel package booked to go see “them”, but had to cancel - a long side-story that I won’t bore you with. The point here is that when I found out that Christian was solo for that show I then knew there was something wrong and there was a 50% chance that they had broken per my 10 scenarios I list in the first Blog about this.

Official Reboot at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in April 2022

Per the usual, I had VIP Meet & Greet tickets for the original date of April 24, 2020 at the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater, however, as we know it was postponed by a whopping 2 years until April 22, 2022.

This would also mark my first trip to see a show at the mecca of all music venues - Red Rocks. If you would like to read about that experience and my recommendations on flying in to see a Red Rocks show then read the dedicated Blog here.

Ok so fast forward to Red Rocks, Christian was expectedly nervous for this performance on a few levels: 1) he was flying in from a performance in Las Vegas and driving straight to Red Rocks for the show, 2) Red Rocks is no joke - it is the most important concert of the year for an artist and he was doing it without Linus running the decks and the show was 2 years “in the making” from the delays, 3) it was being live streamed by Live Nation, 4) he knew he had the Meet & Greet to do thereby adding to his stress, and 5) perhaps his “handlers” add to his stress levels. You have to know how to communicate and “manage up” VIP’s and executives which makes them feel secure and in control even though they cannot micromanage everything - you have to surrender so much to other people at this level and it is stressful. 6) Christian’s ear was recovering from tinnitus that was only adding to his anxiety. There are very few in EDM that mix as many tracks as Galantis does - rarely playing anything more than 60 seconds unless its a Galantis track itself. That said, of course not every single mix or flip is done with the mixer - I am very well aware as I have made mixes in Ableton Live first, cut them up into tracks, and then mixed them on CJD’s etc.  

Oh and Number 7) whoever decided that Christian should ignore the change or breakup, in essence blowing off and disrespecting his / their fans on the departure or absence of his Galantis cofounder Linus (I don’t care if Linus was “the bad guy”) - was a big mistake and only added to Christian’s stress as he drove up the hills of Red Rocks to a waiting sold out crowd that Justin Blau, aka 3LAU, was going-full-ham with in a blizzard - laptop shutting closed from the wind and all.

This was the press release that should have been put out in January 2022:

“Linus Eklow has taken time during the pandemic to assess his personal priorities and musical direction and has decided to move on from Galantis. Christian and Galantis thank him for all of his contributions musically to Galantis discography, all the memories, and always running away under clouds of Gold Dust because there is no money in the World that is sweeter than the peanut butter jelly which Christian and Linus spread together with you - Seafox Nation. We wish Linus all the best.”

Comprende? That is all that had to be written. I wrote that and it took me 3 minutes.

Fire your publicist, if you have not already Christian. You can still do the right thing and literally say,

“I handled the change or breakup in the wrong way. I listened to the wrong people. I am sorry Seafox nation. Here is something a fan wrote that, insert the above paragraph, that I should have put out. I should have said that from the beginning. I love you all so much and I hope this helps with setting the record and creating some closure for you all. Love, Christian. Galantis Forever.”  

Back to the Red Rocks Meet & Greet

So Christian cancels the Meet and Greet which I expected and called! Christian’s assistant comes out to share the news with the roughly 25 of us by the Barn Doors and let us know that Christian would instead do a group picture.  I then notice a demure Christian standing next to his photographer and I say out loud, “There you are!” to which Christian turns, recognizes me albeit without my usual girlfriend with the pink hair, and walks straight up to me for the said group picture. I then whispered in his ear, “Don’t worry I won’t speak loud into your ear.”

Flashforward: Over 2 Years Later Since the Unofficial Debut of Galantis 2.0 at Red Rocks Amphitheater on April 24, 2022

Chapter 3: The Seafox Helmet Tease, A New Member of Galantis to be Revealed?

On June 14, 2023, we were led to believe that this new person wearing or parading around in a chrome Seafox Helmet was the new member of Galantis whereby the instagram post caption said, “Hello”. After this post the Seafox character was incorporated into all content and marketing; in essence filling the proverbial void left by Linus’ departure.  

Four Critical Things Here:

1. If this Seafox was a girl, how cool and exciting would that have been because we reached a place by Spring of 2023 that it was time to accept that this “new Galantis”. Trust me, no one has more nostalgia than I do for Christian and Linus up there together.  EDM duo groups just hit different.
2. Let me make a big point here. Creating the concept that Galantis itself is larger than any 2 persons - or any two original members - would mean that Galantis could live on forever. Why not every 3 or so years there are new members? Essentially, the Disneyland or Mickey Mouse of EDM continues on by way of Christian playing Willy Wonka - when he is ready to.  Golden Tickets are created for who will become the faces and musicians of GALANTIS. Christian would mentor them and still have a producing credit on all tracks. This would also give Christian the creative freedom to work on other music and collaborations - without having to create an alias and wear a mask.  
3. Now I am not saying this is what the plan is but it is one hell of a good idea; wouldn’t you agree, Christian?
4. In Conclusion, we go from the current “I am Galantis” back to “WE ARE GALANTIS”! The EDM powerhouse that always was a DUO and must and should revert back to BEING A DUO! Why? I will explain the psychology behind this next my friends. If Christian disagrees, then I recommend dropping the girl following him around in the Seafox chrome helmet. It is just a reminder that Galantis was a duo.

Some “Housekeeping” on the Breakup

1. What we now know of course is that either Christian was always the founding member, ie. the owner of Galantis (just like Axel Rose is and was the owner of Guns N’ Roses for example) or Christian bought out Linus’ 50% ownership stake in Galantis. Did you know Christian wrote and produced Britney Spears’ hit track ‘Toxic’? Ever heard of Max Martin? Swedish music producers are the best in the business along with the Dutch of course.  
2. Indeed our Blog: The Galantis Breakup Mystery, see Scenario E, was a driving reason for the breakup. Linus had a nervous breakdown due to the demands of touring and producing which possibly included problems with alcohol.
3. Of course, all of this could have been handled with a better PR plan as I laid out above instead of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach which only tarnished the brand. Trust me, I would rather be writing a Blog about something else but the reality is this story has to be told via my own VH1’s Behind the Music. However, I will say that these Blogs have been a means of processing this very sad breakup.

The Psychology Behind an EDM Power Duo: WHY FANS YEARN FOR A GALANTIS DUO?

As the saying goes, if you have a good thing going that works, don’t change it because “you are like Gold Dust”. There is a hole in this house whenever you are gone and it is why hundreds upon hundreds of searches on google continue each month by ravers searching for an answer to the question why Christian and Linus broke up.

Christian and Linus had the Galantis performance dialed down to a science. There was nothing quite like the opening of a Galantis set. Seeing the backs of these two guys in their matching jackets beat on that beautiful drum kit to the same opening beat with the opening sequence visuals above them - was and still is - pure euphoria. Christian always on the left and Linus always on the right.

I could go much deeper and write an entire essay on the Opening of a Galantis set but instead I will keep it short.

The infusion of the child vocal chop “Hey” that we all know and love are found throughout Galantis’ discography but it is here in their opening that strikes people so deep in and to their inner child.  

Galantis always uses the audio clip “Think I can Fly” and then later in the opening sequence, “As the wind blows”. This is so powerful that it will get you choked up because your soul knows that a Galantis set is a profound experience; you are embarking on a journey that is one of the best hours of your life. Your soul recognizes this. A Galantis set truly clears out anyone that should not be there. This is for a different breed. It is not for everyone.

Soon enough the Opening sequence triggers the start of the Build which culminates in Christian and in the past Linus - turning around and facing Seafox Nation with arms open wide - in a solute and embrace of some of the biggest raver hearts in all of the electronic dance music community. The happiness that is a Galantis set knows no boundaries between people. I have never seen anything like it and I have been to festivals and concerts around the world spanning every genre of this music.

This is not like any other EDM show. It is not to say that it is the best in EDM - not at all - it is simply a phenomenon that is in a class all its own but how much of that magic also came from Galantis being a duo? This seems to be the question isn’t it.  

I WILL FIND YOU SO EASILY…HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME.

No matter the EDM duo, subconscious or not, ravers live vicariously through these duos as a fantasy of being up there with their best friend. It is the ultimate dream - U and I - we run away.

The dream of being a touring DJ duo with your best friend in the whole world. This is why EDM duo’s pack a different level of intensity and joy.

Sure, some would say it is because there are literally 2 people on stage and that means twice the hype energy, but that is not reason why.

It is about the fantasy. Look around a rave or music festival - everyone is there with their best friends. Hence, why nearly every DJ’s ask, “How many of you are here right now with your best friend in the whole world right now?”

As I said before, Galantis is not for everyone - yes, for all extensive purposes it is the Disneyland of EDM. It has a mascot called a Seafox, the DJ’s have a uniform, the same ending every set which includes a flag thanking Seafox Nation. Galantis is an institution and aside from all the music hits and euphoric mashups and epic flips during their sets - the moral of the story or your mission is:

RUNNING AWAY WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD.

Galantis is the very essence of PLUR.  

Like it or not, they wrote Runaway and nearly everyone plays it in their sets at least once a year. One of the marks of “making it” is getting to publish your remix of Runaway. At HARD Summer 2022, Subtronics debuted his ‘Runaway” remix during his back-to-back with Zeds Dead. Subtronics (Jesse Kardon) gets it even if his legions of fans do not. He respects that track and what it signifies. Jesse has an incredible and diverse taste in music - from his number artist influence Radiohead to being a listener of Above & Beyond’s weekly radio program Group Therapy by Anjunabeats - he understands the happiness behind Galantis. I bring up Subtronics because he continues to be the “coolest” artist for people under 30 that bride themselves in being a music snob. I can most certainly tell you that it is not Fred Again.  

Christian and Linus were truly Kings of Electronic Dance Music royalty. What other duos bring this level of love, you ask?

Louis the Child are Kings - we named Blood Orange in Honor of their legacy and named it, Better Not Blood Orange. The Chainsmokers are Kings along with Zeds Dead, Odesza, Disclosure, Slander, Krewella, Dog Blood, and the insane powerhouse creation of Kx5 with Kaskade and Deadmau5, however, these are different vibes than Galantis, Louis the Child, and The Chainsmokers. Swedish House Mafia being something completely different and not comparable.

Think about this. Since 2021, there has been an explosion of back-to-backs (b2b) on lineups. Everyone either has formed a new alias as a back-to-back or is performing twice at every festival with a fellow artist friend. This is also expanding now into 3 artists performing together like Masterhand (Mvsthvnd is composed of Svdden Death, Space Laces, and Eptic), 3 Are Legend (Steve Aoki, Like Mike, and Dimitri Vegas), and Abraxis (Seven Lions and Dimibo).

Why is this? Well, because it is seriously fun for them to perform, they make more money, and they get to publish more and often different types of music. However, what is the real reason? The real reason is they realized what I have described above. People love watching 2 artists perform more than anything. So the EDM market has delivered to the masses.

Case in point, Party Favor pretty much abandoned it in search of higher success and streams. He joins up with NITTI to create Sidepiece. They produce and write the hit single ‘On My Mind’ with and/or for Diplo during covid and then the rest is history.

Other notable back-to-backs of late have been Dillon Francis b2b Knock2, Kaskade b2b Alison Wonderland, Excision b2b Wooli at Lost Lands 2024, Subtronics b2b LevelUp debut at EDC Las Vegas 2024, and RL Grime b2b Knock2 at Miami Ultra 2024.

Wrapping It Up - Final Words

People really miss the Galantis duo because it has always been about running away with your best friend and singing the song while watching the two best friends who wrote the hit together on stage completes the circle. Hence why it hits a little different with only one person on stage or put another way, there is a deep nostalgia and people wanted to believe that this was an everlasting friendship and/or collaboration. It only makes sense when you take in the Galantis discography that they wrote and produced together.

The reality is we still don’t know anything. Perhaps at some point it will be addressed but until then this Blog update feels complete for a while. Moral of the story is people love duo’s and back-to-backs in EDM especially when you make a huge hit or an anthem as it would be.

Nonetheless, this Blog serves as an update as I shared at the top about Galantis as hundreds continue to look for answers each month all these years later. Galantis’ music will no doubt live on forever and it will be exciting to see how Christian crafts the next 5 to 10 years for the EDM institution that is Galantis. Perhaps, some day he will heed my advice and sit down for an interview with me. Not because I have tens of thousands of followers, but because he knows who are the top Galantis fans and clearly it would be the nice thing to do. In fact, I would love nothing more than to name a future scent / aroma in honor of Galantis.

Enjoy your next festival and as Christian always says, “ 1 - 2 - 3 - GO ! “

Thank you for reading this Blog. Hopefully, you found it entertaining and felt like you are part of a community. Now share it with someone who you always see Galantis sets with and then chat about it.

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