Swedish House Mafia has big news September 23rd, but what happens December 16th?

Swedish House Mafia took to Twitter earlier this week to announce its “biggest news ever” with a link to the cryptic website, www.230911.com. In typical SHM fashion, the site is currently nothing more than the 3 SHM spotlights and the date 9 / 23 / 11. That’s was supposed to be the day of the trio’s take-over of Pete Tong’s Essential Selection, but it looks like that has been moved up to the 16th. The BBC Radio 1 DJ confirmed 9/16 on Twitter within hours of SHM’s announcement. Anyone who can put 2 and 2 together will realize that the Radio 1 takeover and big news are interrelated. Just how interrelated is the question.

We’ve been tipped on some more numbers that might somehow fit into the equation: 12.16.11, or December 16, 2011. Head over to www.161211.com, and you’ll find a countdown “to the return,” which just happens to end on December 16. We’ve confirmed with the domain’s owner that the page is being used “to promote a music event,” which makes us even more comfortable linking the separate dates. As if that weren’t enough, if you try going to www.121611.com, you’ll get a “forbidden” error, but a simple WHOIS lookup for that web address points back to EMI, Swedish House’s record label (see image below). This is pretty irrefutable evidence that there’s something in store for the 16th, and we expect some sort of teaser to go live either before or immediately following the Radio 1 broadcast. December 16th is also exactly three months after September 16th — and we know how SHM likes to do things in threes.

The significance of this new date — and what might be happening on it — is still shrouded in mystery, but you can bet we’ll try our hardest to get to the bottom of it. Could it be a new group album? Take Two? Another Masquerade Motel to top all that have come before it? We’ll let you know if we hear anything more (obviously), but for now entertain us with your conspiracy theories in the comments.