John Dahlback at Vessel San Francisco: 5 tracks you need to know
Professionalism for a top notch DJ is very important for his/her reputation, not only do they have to bring it on a gig by gig basis, but they must be energetic even if energy is hard to muster. Let us begin by saying that Vessel is arguably the best place to see a DJ Live in the city of San Francisco. Yes, we do have Ruby Skye which books an insane amount of talent, but from an intimacy perspective nothing tops the elegance and close up view of the tiny ‘underground’ club that Vessel is.
John Dahlback is the definition of professional – Vessel at its peak was at approximately one fourth capacity. That makes it seem like a ghost town in a tiny club, however, have no fear John Dahlback threw it down with one of the cleanest sets we’ve heard in sometime. Dancing Astronaut tried to make up for the lack of energy by adding a little extra of our own.
Jared F & Nima G
The night started out with our very own Nima G and Jared F taking the reigns and opening the party up – here are a few tracks you need to know:
1. Alex Sayz ft. Nadia Ali – Free To Go (Alex Lamb Remix)
This tune is sneaky, the tech vibes put you in a good mood, but Nadia Ali’s voice just pours out of the speakers. Great choice from Jared and Nima, because it truly wakes the crowd right up.
2. Starkillers & Dmitry KO – Do You Love (Original Mix)
“Do You Love” hits hard, when you play this during an opening set it really grasps your attention and reassures you that this night is going to be effing grand.
3. TV Rock ft. Rudy – Diamonds In The Sky (Original Mix)
You forgot about this tune didn’t you? It came out earlier in the year, but with all the big releases that were succeeding TV Rock’s production it may have been lost in the depth of your iTunes. Sneaky good progressive hit that deserved more airplay than it got.
John Dahlback
Upon John Dahlback’s arrival we would love to say that the crowd was pushing and shoving to get to the front, but there was enough room to house everyone comfortably. Most of the city of San Francisco should be ashamed for missing a quality liveset from a great performer for free (Dim Mak Records opened up a free guestlist till 12 AM). That being said, John Dahlback brought the energy himself by using his impeccable mixing and song selecting skills. Even Jared F stood aback and said (you can quote him on this) “damn this guy is good.” Enough said, here are the top 5 tracks you need to know in order from how ‘big’ it was during the set.
1. Sneaky Sound System – Big (John Dahlback Remix)
We loved this song when it was first available for a free download, however, our judgement got a little clouded with the release of Oliver’s remix as to which tune was actually better. Well, we are glad John put that question to rest — the vocals really carry through in a club setting and Dahlback’s playful twist just makes this flat out fun.
2. John Dahlback – Overdose (Original Mix)
Is it the lyrics that really make this track stand out? Or is it the unbelievably deep bassline combined with the funky drop? Either way, this was the last track of his own that John played and we were waiting patiently (impatiently?) for this to drop so we could chant “overda-overda-overdosa.”
3. John Dahlback ft. Erik Hassle – One Last Ride (Tommy Trash Remix)
Dancing Astronaut only gets man crushes for a select few DJs, and Tommy Trash definitely fits that bill. To top it all, off this remix goes hard. When a DJ who originally produced a song decides to drop your remix over his own original, you know you’re doing something right.
4. Gregori Klosman & Tristan Garner – Bounce (Original Mix)
This was one of the first tunes played by John, and this really does make you bounce. Our heads were bobbing uncontrollably just like their heads in the teaser video Klosman and Garner released. When this was played, we knew Dahlback meant business.
5. Bootleg Bonus: Tommy Trash vs. Tommy Trash – The End Future Folk (John Dalhback Mash Up)
Sorry folks — we don’t have a copy of this booty to give to you, but we can assure you that this is a massive mix. Maybe John created this on the spot? Maybe he made it before his arrival to San Francisco? All we know is that it was brand new and it sounded brilliant.
Needless to say, it was a great night out at Vessel Ultralounge. It was our first time seeing John since his set during Miami Music Week at Sydney Blu’s party. The man has been on fire with his track releases, but he is even more of a stud behind the decks.
NOTE: San Francisco party folk: next time get your asses out on a Wednesday night, having ‘work’ is not an excuse to miss a DJ of this caliber. Just go hungover and tired, because it was damn well worth it.
Categories: Music