When Swedish House Mafia announced in June 2012 that their One Last Tour run was in fact … the last for the band, fans were saddened. The split seemed entirely out of touch with the EDM trio’s mounting critical and commercial success, and it left much of the industry and their supporters just as puzzled by the decision.
Finally, though, some questions are being answered. On Wednesday (March 12), the documentary “Leave the World Behind” had its world premiere at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, giving fans an inside look at the events the led up to the group’s last show at Ultra Music Festival. (Advance previews and nationwide screenings kick off this month.)
The doc starts with a quick recap of SHM’s history together, jumping off with Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso listening to Daft Punk’s “Homework” in Ingrosso’s dad’s office. From there, the film shows them rounding out their trio with the addition of Axwell to become self-proclaimed best friends and the super group known as Swedish House Mafia.
As the doc follows the group from city to city on their One Last Tour, the story of their decision to call it quits unfolds.
In a memorable scene from 2011, the dance music DJ/producers head to Australia to finish working on what would become their most popular song, “Don’t You Worry Child.” When Angello disappears from writing to get a tattoo, it’s clear for the first time that there’s mounting tension between them. Axwell is particularly heated about Angello’s absence, and as the documentary goes on, you see that his disappointment in his bandmates’ perceived lack of effort is very much a trend.
At one point, Axwell asks Ingrosso, “Do you remember two years ago when I said we should focus on Swedish House Mafia 100 percent? We should have focused on Swedish House Mafia and given up our other stuff. If we had committed we could have done this properly.”
In a candid scene, Angello and Ingrosso also admit things weren’t going well despite what the public would view as a wildly successful period. “A lot of things happened this year, and it makes you realize we are not best friends anymore. And that’s the truth,” Ingrosso explains.
The group’s manager, Amy Thomson, insists the documentary isn’t an explanation of the SHM breakup, however, even in light of what “Leave the World Behind” reveals to viewers.
“It’s the psychology of three friends figuring out a difficult situation — put in a piece of film — based around the sadness of the breakdown and the elation of the tour,” Thomson told MTV News.
The film ends with what feels like an apologetic confession from one of the members. To catch the doc and see for yourself, head over to LeaveTheWorldBehind.com for information on when screenings are coming to a city near you.
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