Stockholm, Sweden is the home of Jesper Dahlback, one of the most important figures in house production to emerge since Derrick Carter reared his funky head. Dahlback records under a number of different pseudonyms as Pepp, Lenk, The Persuader and in groups as Adam Beyer & Lenk, Birdy, Brommage Dub, Dahlbäck & Dahlbäck, DK, DK7, Drumtravellers, Hugg & Pepp, Kebacid, Mooses On Acid…

Dahlback was first introduced to the world of electronic music production thanks to fellow Swede Adam Beyer, owner of two of the world’s most respected techno labels, Drumcode and Code Red. They met on a train traveling to the Berlin Love Parade in ‘93, and less than a year later they opened up Globe Studios together. Dahlback’s career really took off when he met up with house producer Stephan Grieder.

Jesper was the co-producer of two Tiga albums, and he’s remixed Rex the Dog, Zoo Brazil, Arnaud Rebotini of Black Strobe, Robyn, The Knife, and Depeche Mode. Recently, he has been collaborating with younger cousin John Dahlback (as Hugg & Pepp and Dahlback & Dahlback), and with Mark Sullivan as DK7. His Hugg and Pepp project with cousin John Dahlback has just released the amazing new “Maximus” EP on Turbo, and his part in the duo DK7 helped make that band one of the most innovative acts in the already innovative Output Recordings stable.

This month, for the first time, he’ll play one of the main acts at Fabric’s huge new sister club matter for its veryverywrongindeed night, alongside VVWI founder Tim Sheridan playing back to back with Spektre, and an appearance by matter’s resident (and Space resident) Paul Woolford. As he gets ready for the gig, we asked Jesper six questions - not really about his music, but about where he’s coming from…

What are you busy with before the matter gig?
I’m working on a secret album. My remix of Rebotini’s “decade of agression” is getting great reactions. I’m about to release Adam Beyer & Jesper Dahlbäck - Remainings iii remixes 2009 and my own track “röda rummet” on Afu Ltd.

I’m warming up for Kraftwerk with the acid symphonic orchestra in Helsinki at flow festival 13th of august http://www.myspace.com/acidsymphonyorchestra. And I’m going on tour with the Turbo Records idiots this summer, mostly to get some well deserved laughs!

What where the first three records you bought, and why?
My first encounter with buying records was ordering hard-to-get techno vinyls from a mail order service here in sweden. I had to call every monday afternoon and try and get the newest records played for me over the phone. It all sounded great. So I ordered everything that was played to me basically, with varying results.That was almost the only way to find and get the good records back in 1990-1992. Either that or buy a dj mix tape!

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I dreamed of beeing a electrical engineer driving around in a Volvo 240 station wagon, where I would keep all my handy tools. Probably around the end of the 80’s I realized the new music was beeing made by complicated machines. Then my interrest turned to music and technology and luckily later I made the leap to just doing music (sigh).

Who is your all time hero?
There are many heroes whose names will never be mentioned, I guess. How about that radio dude who stubbornly tried to squeeze in some house music in the grey public-service corridors back in the days. Or what about that guy who was running the mail order service who with persistant patience sat down and played records thru atelephone to some 17 year old kid with no cash?

Which track of yours are you most proud of and why?
I’m the kind of guy who never gets satisfied. If I was, I would probably had stopped making music long time ago. The search goes on for that perfect beat. If I ever have a mega selling hit, I would probably just take all the money and spend it all on a project recording sounds from exotic frogs in the rain forest - and then come home and moan over the sound quality.
You’ve worked with Tiga and been part of DK7 - do you prefer to collaborate or work alone?
Doing collaborations is a nice and important vitamin injection for me. Currently, I enjoy just working alone with my crazy synth sounds. I’m not sure if anyone is too keen to work with me at the moment because every time I play my friends new stuff they just tend to give me that worrying eyebrow. I just finished working on a remix with Adam Beyer which was a two week journey of arguing, crying and laughing. Kind of exhausting but in the end good times!

What is Stockholm really like? Will you live there forever?
Stockholm is and will forever be a small duck pond in a remote corner of Europe. The club scene will always suffer from lack of enough crazy souls. Most of them take their bags and move somewhere else warmer and live the dream, or fantasy depending on how you look at it. Personally, I’m to much of a home sick person. I guess I will stay here and just
complain about the weather instead.

If you were trying to seduce someone, what three songs would you put on a tape?
Some nice Lonnie Liston Smith, a Bach piece and some of the worst songs I’ve ever done. That generates some guaranteed easy laughs! How about “mc202 bpm”, a crazy ass acid track at 202 bpm made with a roland mc202 sometime
around 1991…

If you could time travel to the past to correct any mistakes you feel you’ve made would you?
I’m almost thru the last season of “Lost”. So at the moment I’m a bit confused regarding time travel. It all seems a bit complicated. Probably, mistakes are the most important variables of life. Perhaps if I could, I would wipe out a large number of sundays out of my past by putting less money in my wallet the night before.

What are the top five most listened to tracks/songs on your iPod?

Anything by Tony Allen, La Düsseldorf, Ostgut Ton, Radio Slave and anything Roland sh101 related.

Jesper Dahlbäck will play at matter June 27 for Veryverywrongindeed with Tim Sheridan back-to-back with Spektre, Paul Woolford, Shane Watcha, Biased Guy and Schaudenfraude. As part of the gig, Veryverywrongindeed is running a competition for budding producers to win the chance to have their remix of Tim Sheridan’s Villain played out peaktime at the gig.
www.veryverywrongindeed.com/matter

Download Jesper Dahlback Releases Here!!!