Tools of the Trade: John Dahlbäck

Tools of the Trade: John Dahlbäck

27 January, 2012 | 9.03AM

• Written by: Caleb Rakes
• Filed under: Music News: john dahlback, toolroom knights, toolroom records, tools of the trade

John Dählback joins the line of commercially successful house/pop crossover producers currently emerging from Sweden, along with Steve Angello, Avicii, and their peers.

With his sound mutating along from club anthems to huge pop hits, Dählback has been on the forefront of club music for a while, with 2012 promising to be one his biggest years yet.

In light of this, the folks at Toolroom Records have asked him to compile the latest in their Toolroom Knightsseries. Just in time for the Winter Music Conference and Miami Music Week, the compilation is a mixture of current favorites, future classics and some new, exclusive material from Dählback himself.

We caught up with him to discover some of his DJ tips and secrets.

To begin with, tell us a little about your DJ setup. What kind of system do you use—Traktor, Ableton, CDJs, vinyl, a mixture of all of them?

I’m pretty basic—I use two USB sticks with a bunch of tracks, edits and acapellas. I love the Rekordbox to organize sets depending on which type of club I’m playing in. Besides that, just the normal three CDJ-2000s and a DJM800.

How do you organize your music?

Well, I organize everything in Rekordbox. I have many different playlists depending on the show. Normally I take it from experience when I DJ, I remember most great mixes I’ve done, so I know what goes hand in hand with the track I’m playing at the time. I don’t organize it by style or BPM, but for some sets I organize the tracks by the time I would play them—starters, mids, end tracks.

How many hours do you spend preparing music for an average gig?

I usually spend a few hours on the day of the show when I know more about the club, etc. Usually make a few edits here and there.

Do you make edits of commercially released tracks to play out, or do you pretty much play tunes “as is”?

It depends. I edit tracks I feel should be arranged in a different way, shorter or longer intros and outros, etc. And sometimes I take a break from a more well-known track and insert another track when it kicks in.

How many styles of music do you usually bring to your gigs?

I like to surprise people with one or two songs. If I’m playing an electrohouse set and people like it, I can sometimes play something completely different just to see the reaction. But I also think sort of like a journey when I DJ. To start softer and end in a different way.

How much does your set vary in tempo over the course of the night?

Not at all, I’m 128 from beginning to end.

Do you use loops, FX, etc.? Which ones? How often? How do you control them?

I can use acapellas sometimes, but most of the time, the tracks I play are pretty full-on anyway. If I do, I just play it on the CD player and do FX with the mixer. Nothing special there.

Do you generally record your sets?

Sometimes when my manager is there with me, he likes to record the set. He’s a DJ from the beginning, so it’s important to him that I always do my best—ha ha. Plus it is really cool to hear it afterwards. Usually, after a bad set was recorded, I go, “Wow, I was really tight,” even when at the time I didn’t think so at all.

Do you have anything you absolutely won’t do when you play?

Well, I’m not the best showman around. I dance a bit, throw my hands up, clap them and the other typical DJ poses, ha ha. But I don’t think I will ever stage-dive or go to the extremes. It’s fine for other people, I just want to focus as much as possible on the DJing and the music itself.

When you’re headlining, what would you like to hear from the opening DJ?

I love just deep, tech and groovy house. There aren’t many, however, that play that, because most of the time the opening DJ play all the hits already at 10pm. So then I have to take it down a bit and start building all over again.

What technological innovation would you most like to have, as a DJ?

I know I’m already spoiled by just bringing my USB sticks. But it would be really cool if it would work wireless in some way. If I type in my ID of some sort and it would download my musicfolder from somewhere. I don’t know, it may sound ridiculous, and it’s not that much pain in the ass to bring two USB sticks.

What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage (technologically… or otherwise)?

Technical faults are always rubbish. It was one gig I did where all three CD players were broken, and the sound made the bass disappear the whole time. I don’t think I’ve ever been so upset at a gig before that.

What is your ultimate closing track?

Nick Holder – ”Summerdaze."

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