Galantis returns with a new six-track EP, The Devil’s Tax Return, Volume 1, released October 16 through Counter Records, an imprint of Ninja Tune. Led by Swedish producer and songwriter Christian Karlsson, the project takes a different approach to electronic music, revisiting songs that have shaped his life and transforming them through his own production style. Rather than creating conventional remixes or covers, Galantis set out to find new creative directions for familiar recordings while preserving the qualities that made them memorable.
The EP’s lead single is a reimagining of The Killers’ 2006 anthem “When You Were Young.” Retaining the original’s sweeping melody and emotional weight, Karlsson introduces garage-influenced bass and percussion, giving the indie-rock classic a fresh electronic identity. The result bridges the song’s arena-sized sound with the rhythms of modern dance music.
“It’s wild to think it’s been 20 years since I first heard this tune. I’ve always been obsessed with the big arena melody and how The Killers lace that gritty Springsteen DNA into an indie masterpiece,” Galantis shares. “I wanted to celebrate this by looping my favorite parts while injecting it with a bit of garage-born bass and beat.”
The six-track collection brings together music from across different genres and generations. Alongside “When You Were Young,” The Devil’s Tax Return, Volume 1 features Feist’s “1234,” Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” José González’s “Stay Alive,” Paleface and Kyla’s UK bassline and R&B classic “Do You Mind,” and The War on Drugs’ indie-rock track “Red Eyes.” Each selection offers a different starting point for Karlsson to explore, with the finished collection spanning everything from melancholic reinterpretations to bass-driven reworks.
The songs were chosen from nearly 100 tracks Karlsson explored during the creative process. Most also carry personal significance, reflecting a period when he stepped away from writing and producing for other artists to focus on his own music around the time he began Miike Snow. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” is the exception, but the broader collection remains rooted in the songs and sounds that stayed with him over the years.
Bringing the project together took considerably longer than a typical release. Karlsson spent years developing the idea, confronting the challenge of reworking music that already held a strong identity and a devoted audience.
“I’d been cooking The Devil’s Tax Return for years before it really took shape,” Karlsson explains. “The biggest challenge was reworking someone else’s work. I’m a songwriter and producer, and I’d never really done this before. It’s difficult because you either have to beat the original or find a completely new angle that brings something to the song you haven’t heard before.”
That challenge also inspired the project’s unusual title. Karlsson initially felt that reworking established classics carried a certain stigma, particularly when the originals were songs he deeply admired. Rather than shy away from that pressure, he embraced it as part of the creative process.
“I always called it The Devil’s Tax Return because, in a way, I’m the devil for messing with a classic,” he says. “The ‘return’ is what you get back from me loving the song enough to take that risk. So I judged myself before anyone else could.”
Taking creative risks has been a recurring theme throughout Karlsson’s career. Under the Bloodshy moniker, alongside production partner Avant, also known as Pontus Winnberg, he co-wrote and produced Britney Spears’ GRAMMY Award-winning “Toxic,” which received the award for Best Dance Recording. His credits also include “Piece of Me” and “Radar,” along with work for artists such as Madonna and Katy Perry.
He later co-founded indie-dance trio Miike Snow, whose platinum-certified singles “Animal” and “Genghis Khan” helped establish the group’s blend of alternative songwriting and electronic production. With Galantis, Karlsson now approaches the creative process from a different direction, beginning with songs that already have a distinct sound and history rather than building something entirely new from the ground up.
That shift encouraged experimentation and repeated revisions, with “When You Were Young” proving especially rewarding after numerous attempts to find the right balance between the original’s character and his own production instincts.
Beyond the studio, The Devil’s Tax Return, Volume 1 reflects Karlsson’s belief that music does not need to be new to remain meaningful. With new releases arriving constantly, revisiting established songs offers another way to keep them moving between generations and introduce them to listeners who may not know the originals.
“There’s such an ocean of new music coming out every day, and I don’t think everything we listen to has to be new,” he explains. “There’s so much beautiful music already here that deserves to keep traveling through generations.”
With The Devil’s Tax Return, Volume 1, Galantis brings a personal perspective to six recognizable songs, balancing respect for their original identities with a willingness to take them somewhere unexpected. The result is a project built around nostalgia, experimentation, and the possibilities that emerge when an experienced songwriter steps outside his usual creative boundaries.
Galantis: Spotify | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube