The story behind ‘TIM’ as Avicii cube comes to Sydney

Sydney is one of six countries around the world to host full Avicci Cube installations.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 1-2, fans are invited to come together – to remember how the late EDM star wanted to bring people together through his music.

The Sydney cube will open at Martin Place between noon and 9pm on both days, to hear previews of his upcoming TIM album.

Large installations are also set up in Tokyo, Stockholm, London, New York City and Sao Paulo.

Smaller cubes are active during the weekend in Oslo, Paris, Berlin, Salzburg, Bucharest, Brussels, Zürich, Taipei, Auckland and Toronto – making in total 16 cities where previews/ celebrations are held.

When a fan steps inside and puts their hand on the illuminated screen, the Cube is activated and searches for another active Cube somewhere in the world.

When that connection is made, both fans will listen to the same clip from the album.

TIM features some of the last music Tim Bergling was working on when he took his ill-fated holiday to Oman in April 2018.

On the night he arrived there, he had a telephone conference with his record company Universal Music and played them the 16 tracks he had on the shortlist for the record.

He took his own life on April 20.

Two months after his colleagues got over the shock of his passing, they started work on the best way to honour his memory.

Per Sundin, president of Universal Music Nordic Region recalls how it was the most difficult project to work on.

The Bergling family had already given permission for the tracks to be released as a farewell present for fans.

Sundin recounts, “The quest was, How do we finish this now, how do we fulfil the path that Tim has set out.”

The best strategy was to go back to the songwriters and producers that Avicci had worked with on the final sessions.

“Everyone said, as long as the family wanted to do this, we’re willing to try.” Sundin says. “No one said, I know exactly what to do. It was more like Let’s see how it goes.”

The first single ‘SOS’ saw collaborators Kristoffer Fogelmark & Albin Nedler used the Fruity Loops program to recreate Avicii’s keystrokes.

Fogelmark & Nedler also worked on ‘Freak’ (feat. Bonn) and ‘Never Leave Me’ (feat. Joe Janiak)

Janiak is also on ‘Bad Reputation’ while the Vargas & Lagola team feature on, and help produce, ‘Peace Of Mind’, ‘Excuse Me Mr Sir’ and ‘Tough Love’.

‘Fades Away’ features Noonie Bao while ‘ A.R.I.Z.O.N.A. is on ‘Hold The Line’.

Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Avicii co-wrote ‘Heaven’, which Berglin produced himself, and Imagine Dragons’ are on ‘Heart Upon My Sleeve’.

While his collaborators and record company kept his final music alive on TIM, the Bergling family has set up the Tim Bergling Foundation.