At Nicky Romero’s Protocol Recordings, the ethos is quality, not quantity. Though only seven songs have been released since “WTF!?” launched the label, Romero has stacked his deck with such releases as “Like Home,” “Pandor” and “Iron.” John Dahlback is the latest to join the Protocol family, making his force heard with “Nuke.” A pounding progressive house tune with a drop that goes subatomic, “Nuke” keeps a touch of electro and a melodic quality that shows Dahlback at his nuanced best – setting off Geiger counters and car alarms the world over.
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One to never give himself a rest from the studio, John Dahlback is already sharing a sneak peek of his follow up to this month’s “Don’t Stop.” Moving away from his own camp, the Swede turns to Nicky Romero’s imprint to host “Nuke,” a figurative bomb that fits the mold set by its electro predecessors at Protocol Recordings. Dahlback’s deep, grinding production stylings embody his past while stepping out of the box with festival fever. Due to kick off a string of summer releases, “Nuke” will come first on May 6th.
Dexterous Swedish house master John Dahlback is back with another finely tuned offering for his homegrown Mutants imprint. In the wake of last months remix duties for Lazy Rich, “Don’t Stop” is exemplary of John’s consistent balance of melodic stamina and low-end electro house. Back with eclectic force, the long serving maestro sails into his North American tour armed with another pristine example of cutting-edge club fuel.
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John Dahlback’s 2010 release of “Olympia” remains one of his most catchy and well-developed tracks to date. The song was the forth release on his newly founded Mutants imprint, and set the standard for what to expect from his label. This track is a proper progressive house cut — featuring catchy riff work that are teased in the beginning before being drawn back in for another colossal breakdown. When the drop finally hits, you feel as if you’ve been rewarded. A track of this caliber can still be dropped in a present day DJ set and have the same intended reaction from the crowd as it did three years ago.
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John Dahlback‘s latest original, “Life (Diamonds in the Dark)” has just been given the music video treatment. Focusing nearly entirely on Agnes and her siren-like vocal lines, the music video juxtaposes the track’s larger than life melodies with simple visuals and artistic cinematography.
Purchase the “Life (Diamonds in the Dark)” remix package via iTunes.
Lazy Rich received the Pete Tong treatment this past weekend when his latest offering, “Insomnia,” was played among the best on this week’s Essential Selections. The Vancouver native shows off his versatile talent by bending his usual electro-heavy style to a slightly more progressive feel. Its top ranking status will become apparent when listening to a sultry vocal and addictive hook delivered by Chris Lake’s wife, Gita Lake.
John Dahlback brings back the grinding electro-bass in his take on the single, adding a rush of energy to the piano-latent melody. The two producers complement each other nicely for Lazy Rich was featured on Dahlback’s “Life (Diamond’s in the Dark)” remix package last week.
Still on a high from his “Life (Diamonds in the Dark)” release last week, John Dahlback surprises us with a free download of “Hunterfield.” The Mutants Records offering will commemorate his headlining spot at the Ministry of Sound in London this Saturday, where he will be playing along with Michael Woods, Swanky Tunes and Lunde Bros. The electro-heavy progression adds an energetic kick drum synonymous with the Swede’s revamped sound, building upon JD’s strong 2013 campaign.
No Sugar Added will once again land in Miami for a weekend of day-long partying and dance music excellence at Nikki Beach. Stage sponsors have recently been announced and Musical Freedom, Ministry of Sound, Defected, Music On, and Dancing Astronaut will each host staged teeming with talented producers. The full lineup, which spans across two days and six stages includes headliners such as Dennis Ferrer, Marco Carola, Arty, and Michael Woods, among others. Jump below the break for the lineup in full and don’t forget to purchase tickets here.
A year after “Life” was first introduced to via Tiësto’s Club Life Volume 2, Dahlback provides us with his revamped vocal version, “Diamonds in the Dark,” which spins new energy into the already blissful track. The Swede shows off his home country’s never-ending pool of talent by asking one of Sweden’s biggest pop stars, Agnes Carlsson, to deliver the lush lyrics. The original instrumental was declared Pete Tong’s Essential New Tune, which naturally made it an easily recognizable set favorite across the board, and was even included in our Top 50 Tracks of 2012.
The Big Beat Records release comes with three remixes from the likes of Australian newcomers Feenixpawl, Canadian electro-stars Lazy Rich and fellow Swede’s Lunde Bros. Feenixpawl brings the glitchy rendition, Lazy Rich offers the big room electro house, and Lunde Bros switch things minimal. Dahlback wanted to showcase up-and-coming talent rather than go with the most well-known artists – a fantastic decision on his part judging by the depth of the remixes below.
Let’s flash back to 2011, when Tomorrowland decided to capture the magic of its world-class festival by putting together an ingenious after-video, one that would make a lasting impression on the global dance music community. The video reached 30x the scope of the 2010 video – maybe a sign of the times, or maybe a reflection of the wondrous acts it seized. One of the festival’s memorable sets comes from John Dahlback, who continually delivers divine electro-sets encompassing catchy progressive with big room power. We’ve seen the eclectic Swede experiment with differing sounds throughout his career, but the set below draws testament to his true ability. Tracklist after the break.
