Being John Dahlbäck

Barely legal Swede electronic music prodigy John Dahlbäck is already barreling down the techno highway at breakneck speed. In fact, few producers have ever managed to impose their sound so rapidly.


I had the chance to ask the man behind HUG, Huggotron and the Pickadoll imprint a few questions, so that we Montréalers could get to know him a little better before his September 15th gig at Fonderie Darling.

It seems there is a new John Dahlbäck record out every 3 weeks. How do you manage to keep on releasing quality music at such a pace?

It's not really that I'm sitting 24/7. I know my way around in the studio, I know how I want it to sound and there are some tracks I want to finish while I still got the vibe.


HUG & Huggotron tracks get a lot of play in Montréal. How do you approach each of your solo projects? Does each one have an intended "feel" to it?

Yes of course! The only name that hasn't got a special sound is actually John Dahlbäck. Under my real name, I have a more exploring touch. One day I can do a really acid-ish remix and the other more of a minimal 12". My name isn't stuck to any particular style, while HUG & Huggotron are more specialized. HUG is my definition of minimal and Huggotron is the darker and harder pseudonym.


We keep reading that Jesper is alternatively your father, brother, uncle or cousin. For the record, would clear up this mess for our readers?

He's my lovely cousin.


It was to be anticipated that you would eventually team up with Jesper. So, how did Hugg & Pepp happen?

The Hugg & Pepp story isn't actually that fun or interesting haha. Me and Jesper decided to do some stuff together in the studio one day and for a short time we did a lot of tracks. And thought it would be for the best if we started our own imprint where we release everything. And the collaboration is really good, we have a lot of similar thoughts but still totally different.


You have other projects with David Ekenbäck and another one with Mark O'Sullivan. How did you hook up with these guys? What made you want to work with them?

Me and David are close friends, so it's not very odd that we're working together. Me and Mark met at a gig in Vienna and thought that maybe we should try something out in the studio. Both are really cool working with.



Your album "Man from the Fall" is relatively accessible in comparison to your club tracks. How do you approach songwriting differently when it comes time to prepare a full-length?

"Man From The Fall" is all about the blend. It's a mixture of listening and club tracks. It's so fun working on an album because when you're working on just a 12" you're thinking all about making people dance. But when you're making an album, you want people to be interested in listening through the whole 70 minutes and you want to "reach" people in another way.



One of your record companies, Pickadoll, has a very intriguing logo. Would you care to elaborate?

The logo for Pickadoll is so right. It says everything: it's dirty, dark, intriguing and it's going straight to your memory.


Where do you see dance music going in the next few years, and how do you see your sound evolving?

Oh, it's really hard to predict dance music. Anything could happen: old styles could be popular again and so on. I don't think it's going to be MORE minimal than it is today. I believe it will be the opposite. When it comes to my sound, I have no idea as well (haha). I will always do things that feel right, and when it comes to music I will always do the tracks that I like.


You've got a new album coming out soon. Can you tell us a little more about it?

Yes, there's a new album coming soon which is called "At The Gunshow". It's going to be released on Pickadoll and will be out this winter. It's quite darker than "Man from the fall", it's got that edgy Pickadoll sound and the whole album is packed with emotions in quite an un-obvious way. Just as Pickadoll is my little baby, this album is too.


What's next for John Dahlbäck?

Next thing? I don't know. I have signed a lot of good stuff for Pickadoll from other artists, so you should look out for that, and I'm working more with Kompakt, so watch out for HUG!


And a last one for the fans… Which of the following would win in a down & dirty no-DQ Chicago street fight: A) An Angry Ghost, B) A Happy Monster

Happy Monster of course.

Diskho is bringing John Dahlbäck to us for their Clinik night. It's happening on September 15th at Fonderie Darling, where John Dahlbäck will share the bill with Mateo Murphy, Sad Mafioso, Bender & Jeff Grosse.