Dumb Dan’s debut album is here

Dumb Dan’s debut album is here

17 August, 2009 | 11.34PM

• Written by: DDanne
• Filed under: Music News : dumb dan

Dumb Dan’s debut album “It’s Funny ‘Cause It’s True” has finally hit the shelves! The album features both new tracks and classics in new wrappings, offering an eclectic insight in Dumb Dan’s magical, melodical and danceable world of earcandy.
I cornered the illusive Swede in his studio and bullied some answers out of him. Here’s how it went:

-So Dan, tell us about your debut album! What motivated you to go for an album in times where huge bands like Radiohead swear off the album form and feel like the future in music lies in single releases?

-I felt it was time to draw a line… to sum up what I’ve done the over last few years. The idea of the album is also to kind of mark out a spot when I start something new, I want the next year or so to become a new era for me, where I get into production even more and come up with fresh sounds.

-The album is a cluster of different genres and takes, but they all share one similarity: your knack for enticing melodies. Tell us how you go about catching those terrific hooks.

-I usually play the piano til something sticks – a real piano or my old trusted digital one. Then I build a quick arrangement around that hook, trying out different keys, basslines, chords etc. If it still sounds cool I’ll start building the beats.

-Other times I sing lines into my mobile phone, or try capturing a sound I heard in a club somewhere.

-Tell us a bit about the process of making the album. How did you select the tracks?

-First of all, this album is more a best-of compilation than an album as such. I’m not a big fan of dance albums to be honest, I prefer compilations and mixes, so I drew from all my aliases to put together a strong longplayer that’s inteded to sum up what I’ve been doing since around 2005. I picked a few top sellers and some of my personal favourites.

-Dumb Dan has been around for ages now, but that’s not your only moniker. Tell us about your various guises and what you like about each of them.

-Dumb Dan has become the alias I use for big room stuff, but in the future I’m likely to use DD for everything I do. My real name, Daniel Lindeberg I’ve tried associating with more proggy sounds, Sick is for my retro/proggy tunes and I have another secret alias for nu-disco.


-The Trouble was another one… that was gonna be all vocal house… and there’s a whole bunch of other ones I’ve only used once or twice. I like the idea of a tune being released on a white label, no names and nothing to associate it with, but as we all know those days are over, so I’ve tried to make up new project names all the time. But not anymore! I think it’s important to allow yourself to go in different music directions, and I think the audience is broad enough to keep up.

-Where are you heading music wise, and what influences you at the moment?

-That’s a tough one… I think both in commercial big room directions and underground prog, but I’m also looking to go down the deep, percussion driven route… as well as exploring the techy sides of dance that I’ve been neglecting for quite some time. I think the melodic bits will still be there though… we’ll see.


-As for influences… I have to say classic DJ sets by people like Danny Tenaglia and Larry Levan. Production wise I rate Eric Prydz, if I could only achieve 1/10 of his chunkiness I’m well happy.

-When listening to your music one can’t help but noticing the disco influence. Tell me about that! How much does disco influence you?

-Oh I listen to disco a lot, always have. When I was 7 my dad gave me a 7″ with Boney M, later I got into the italo scene and then the classic Salsoul stuff and all that… Disco is where it all came from. If I can touch people with my music the same way I was floored in my pre-teens by Bobby O, Pet Shop Boys, Scotch, SAW and all that then well, I’ve made it.

-You have had a busy year with releases all over the place, what has been the peak of the year so far?

-Gig wise it has to be new year’s eve in Sharm-El-Eheik in Egypt, fantastic place and a great gig. Of all the releases I’ve done this year I think I’m most proud of “Lights Are Low” out on Stonebridge’s label. It’s a special track for me, I sing on it and all.


-It was actually intended as a remix of swedish pop queen Agnes and her “Release Me” track which was a UK top 5 hit I think, but in the last minute I changed my mind, took it back and recorded my own vocal and changed some bits. In the end I submitted a completely different remix of “Release Me” which was pretty dull to be honest, but then I had worked that track for weeks… and naturally the label didn’t like it. Oh well. I ended up with a great original that was supported by big shots like Axwell and Stonebridge so it all came out great…

-What can people expect to hear from you in the near future?

-Well I’ve started a new collabortation with Martin Brodin. We released a cover of Subliminal Cuts’ “Le Voie Le Soleil” this summer that was played by all the big guns out in Ibiza, I think probably mostly due to a fantastic remix by Mark Trophy. Me and Martin are going to do a lot more in the future, that’s all I can say for now.

-As most of your fans know you’re an accomplished DJ too. Can your fans expect to see you gigging later this year?

-I sure hope so, being out in the clubs testing new tracks and meeting people means a lot to me so I really hope to see as many as possible this year!

-You have a show on Proton Radio called Twelve Bombs which has been quite successful. It’s been on holiday, but when will it be back, and if so, any new surprises?

-Twelve Bombs will be back soon, no surprises tho – I’m still gonna be playing the best new music every week, my twelve favourites.

/ Ken Cable 2009

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