Axel Boman (Studio Barnhus) w/ Viktop: Below Radar & Sound Ground

Denver has come to know the Below Radar x Sound Ground link up to be as reliable a throw down as this city has to offer. We are so excited to sneak in our last party of 2026 and join for a night of dancing at a new to us venue.

Axel Boman

Stockholm, early 90s. 13-year old Axel has just graduated from the notorious

Fryshuset Deejay Academy – the teacher had all students visit Pitch Control, the

local record store, to buy techno records to practice mixing with, rather than the

hiphop 12-inches they all brought themselves. The discovery of this new

energetic music sparks something in Axel, setting him off on his life’s journey.

Soon enough Axel was carrying crates of vinyl around town, to any party that

would have him, if he wasn't throwing one himself. It would still be a while until he

started producing his own music, but when that moment arrived, a volcano of

songs erupted and by chance one of the demos caught the ear of DJ Koze. The

release of ”Purple Drank” on Koze’s Pampa Records in 2010 couldn’t have been

better timed: The same year Axel graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from

Gothenburg University, with empty pockets and big dj dreams. Around that time

he also moved his studio equipment into a basement on Barnhusgatan

(“Orphanage Street”) in Stockholm, together with Petter Nordqvist and Kornél

Kovács – the beginning of Studio Barnhus.

Today Studio Barnhus is arguably the most important label for independent dance

music in Scandinavia, with over 100 releases from a broad spectrum of artists like

Bella Boo, Sofia Kourtesis, Jimi Tenor and of course the trio themselves. Axel does

A&R and creative direction work for the label – he also released his celebrated

debut album ”Family Vacation” through Studio Barnhus in 2013. Since then, he’s

kept a steady flow of releases on other lauded labels like the aforementioned

Pampa and Tokyo powerhouse Mule Musiq, garnering nominations for Grammis

and P3 Guld (the two most prestigious Swedish pop awards), as well as being

named composer of the year by the Swedish songwriters guild. 2022 will see Axel

returning to Studio Barnhus and the album format with ”LUZ” and ”Quest for fire”,

by far Axel’s most ambitious project to date with guests like Off The Meds vocalist

Kamohelo, saxophonist Kristian Harborg and Baba Stiltz. Axel’s collaborative work

has always been a part of his success. He’s one third of Man Tear - a project with

Petter Nordqvist and Johan Jan Jonasson released by James Murphy’s DFA. He’s half

of Talaboman with John Talabot, adding releases on techno institutions R&S and

Cocoon to his catalog. Their 2017 album, The Night Land, came with much fanfare

– the duo has two EPs scheduled for 2022, to be released on their newly formed

Night Land Records imprint.

Axel's relentless work ethic shines through as he balances a busy release

schedule and global touring, headlining events like Coachella and Burning Man.

He's a fixture on respected platforms like BBC Radio 1 and Boiler Room, while also

lending his style to brand campaigns. With live shows, two solo albums, and

Studio Barnhus's busiest year ahead, Axel cements his status as a leading force in

electronic music.