One is pretty much a pioneer with over 15 years in the industry. The other one has had a meteoric rise to fame and could be seen playing at Boiler Room in Stockholm two years ago. In their new joint project, Suite Simone, Rebecca Scheja and Viggo Dyst let melancholy take a vital part in their genre-crossing music.

Suite Simone is probably one of the most exciting things to happen to Swedish electronic music since DJ Seinfeld, and it is easy to understand why. Rebecca and Viggo share a love for vibrant, ambient and emotional melodies, which they successfully combine with merciless breakbeats. They do this with a mature yet playful sound. Rebecca has a lot of experience in the industry. Viggo describes himself as a true nerd who – in his younger years – preferred to produce beats while his friends played computer games.

We meet digitally, and Rebecca and Viggo are about to start the day in their music studio. With different backgrounds, they complete each other. Rebecca’s career began in 2008 when female DJs were a rare phenomenon on the Swedish club scene. Rebecca & Fiona has been a powerhouse on the Swedish music scene for nearly a decade. On the other hand, Viggo released his first material on Spotify ten years later and has since studied music theory, lived in Berlin and worked with prominent Swedish producer La Fleur.

How did the two of you meet?

Rebecca: We met at a writing camp hosted by Vivrant Records. I was there as a producer, lyricist, and songwriter, and meeting Viggo was like love at first sight.

Viggo: I joined the camp unexpectedly due to a cancellation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rebecca and I connected instantly, especially while creating “Lost in Love.” We decided to form a band after that session.

You come from different backgrounds but share an equal love for electronic music. Tell me about Suite Simone:

Rebecca: We share a lot of nostalgic love for the Basshunter era. Viggo comes more from techno, and I am from the house genre. In the project, we strive for a melancholic melodic language but also want to up the tempo. Suite Simone can be a little dark and sad at times.

Viggo: “Lost in Love” is an excellent example of the spread of genres in a single song. You can find both UK breakbeat and some Italo vibes. I've never really landed on what I wanted to do, so the common thread has never been a genre but a language conveyed through all the songs. The first songs were a bit more 90s, then we've come up in years, so the latter has leaned more towards how Deadmau5 sounded in 2008. We've simply landed in a combination of EDM, trance and techno. don't want to be put in a specific compartment.

Tell me a little bit about the dynamics in your duo.

Rebecca: I don’t think we have ever argued about anything. We have chemistry around the melody and in how we do things. It has been very effortless.

Viggo: I've never been angry with you. We have a very mutual understanding. We are also responsive to each other. The work we do together must be completely open, “if you do this, then I will take responsibility for that.” It has been a satisfactory relationship. I sit at the computer and tweak things, but we try to have an equal relationship. Rebecca is with me when I mix, and I am there when Rebecca writes lyrics.

Rebecca: I have learned incredibly much when it comes to mixing. I had Viggo's role a lot while working with Fiona, so it has been nice to switch things up. Viggo is incredibly educational.

When are you going on tour?

Rebecca: We will aim to run hard this spring. Everything needs to be nailed down. Our album will come out this spring, at the beginning of March, then we’ll probably tour a lot.

Viggo: You are so invited to our release party.

If you had to choose, who would be the dream collaboration, and why?

Rebecca: The only producer that would have been epic to work with is Timbaland.

Viggo: So many good producers do similar things to us, but we can do that ourselves. Timbaland is a little something else. Regarding artists, it would be someone from a completely different world, like Enya, Björk or Rozalia, maybe?

Listen to Suite Simone's new singel Ajuna!