Avicii’s family sells 75% of producer’s recordings to Abba star Björn Ulvaeus’ entertainment company-Louise Griffin-Entertainment – Metro

Avicii’s family have sold the majority of his master recordings to Björn Ulvaeus’ entertainment company (Picture: Getty)

The family of Swedish DJ Avicii have sold the majority rights of his master recordings and publishing to Abba star Björn Ulvaeus’ entertainment company, Pophouse.

The venture will allow the late musicians’ legacy to be continued throughout the world, as Pophouse will acquire 75% ownership while the family and estate will maintain 25%.

Avicii, whose real name is Tim Bergling, died by suicide in April 2018 in Muscat, Oman, at the age of 28, sending shockwaves across the music industry.

The deal will now allow his parents, Klas Bergling and Anki Liden, to take a step back and focus more time on the Tim Bergling Foundation, which they set up in their son’s name a year after his death to support people and organisations in the field of mental illness and suicide prevention.

Klas Bergling said of the deal: ‘Working with the Tim Bergling Foundation is a full-time commitment for us.

‘The foundation has only been running for a few years and much needs to be done for a long time to come’.

The deal will now allow his parents to take a step back and focus more time on the Tim Bergling Foundation (Picture: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Pophouse was established by Abba’s Ulvaeus in 2014, and runs the Abba Voyage show in London.

It’s not the company’s first venture with the Bergling family, having created an interactive tribute museum in Stockholm, titled the Avicii Experience, which opened in February.

And Pophouse has an even deeper history with the late musician as Pophouse’s chief executive officer, Per Sundin, first signed Avicii to Universal Sweden in 2010, when he was the chief executive of the company.

Sundin said: ‘Tim was not only one of the world’s best DJs, he was an extremely productive genius who always went his own way, mixing genres, challenging conventions and creating music history.

‘I followed his whole journey, and it is with honour and pride that I and the entire Pophouse company, together with the Bergling family, will nurture and introduce his music to new generations of listeners in all parts of the world.’

Avicii first found fame in 2011 with his Grammy-nominated single Levels and he was nominated again in 2012 for his collaboration with David Guetta on their track Sunshine.

He was further propelled into stardom with the release of his megahit Wake Me Up in 2013 as part of his debut studio album True and he released his second album, Stories, in 2015.

Bergling collaborated with an array of music stars during his career including Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Nile Rodgers, Adam Lambert and Rita Ora as well as producing for the likes of Madonna, Coldplay and Tiesto.

The artist’s third and final album, Tim, was released posthumously in 2019 with the proceeds going to the Tim Bergling Foundation.

Four years after his death, he still has 30 million listeners a month on Spotify – putting him higher than many global icons like The Beatles, Madonna and The Rolling Stones.

Pophouse Head of Investments, Johan Lagerlöf, said of the venture: ‘We are investing to build a roster of the artists that shaped the sound of modern pop music.

‘Such legacies should not just be remembered, they should be fully experienced in new and exciting ways.’

The agreement comes just months after the company also acquired the master recordings and publishing assets of the back catalogue of Swedish House.

MORE : A fitting tribute to the legendary DJ: Inside the new Avicii Experience in Stockholm

MORE : Avicii’s diary reveals heartbreaking struggle days before suicide aged 28

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