8. Dash Berlin

Dash Berlin

While the past few years have seen the polished productions of Dash Berlin take centre stage after the release of 'The New Daylight' album, the past 12 months have seen DJing become the f...

Style: Trance, in the broadest sense of the word.

Best known for: Global anthems like 'Till The Sky Falls Down', 'Man On The Run', 'Disarm Yourself', 'Waiting', 'Better Half Of Me' and many more.

Tune of 2011: Above & Beyond feat Richard Bedford 'Sun & Moon (Club Mix)

Breakthrough DJ/Producer of 2011: Rave Channel.

What's the future of DJing? As long as there is music to dance to, there will be DJs to select the best tunes, no matter the technology at hand.

Favourite app? I like the Spotify app a lot for checking out new music.

Discovery of the year? Turning on the chat function every now and then on dashberlinworld.com has been a lot of fun. It's a great way for me to directly connect with the people.

Rediscovery of the year? I like dusting off classics, I have a huge vinyl collection. I've unofficially remixed quite a few as DJ tools for my sets, some becoming crowd favourites all over again, which proves that 'once a classic, always a classic' still stands.

Awkward Moment? Most DJs have been there, this awkward moment that suddenly the music stops due to technical difficulties or human error. I've had my share this year, but luckily, as they say, drama + time becomes comedy.

Style or substance? Substance comes first, because that is the foundation of what you're about, everything else comes secondary. But you got to deliver it with style, otherwise no-one's gonna pay attention.

Pet Hate? I've always dreamed of being a DJ that travels the world, I'm a lucky man; you won't catch me complaining any time soon!

While the past few years have seen the polished productions of Dash Berlin take centre stage after the release of 'The New Daylight' album, the past 12 months have seen DJing become the focus. The 'United Destination' compilation saw release in April (set to become an annual concept), with DJ frontman Jeffrey Sutorius performing far and wide around the world.
“It takes me back to my record shop days,” he says. “Endlessly searching for those extra special records. I'm still a real music junkie in that sense.”
A busier-than-ever DJ schedule has meant there's barely been time for Dash Berlin to take a breath in 2011. “It has been an epic year; a roller-coaster ride without breaks at times. I think I saw every corner of the world twice while touring,” Sutorius says with a smile. “Raising the roof together with the big crowds at major festivals like EDC, Mayday, Eurofest and of course the legendary ASOT500 celebration with Armin, they've all been unforgettable moments.”

A weekly residency in Ibiza with Paul Oakenfold at the sprawling Privilege also meant Dash Berlin's distinctive vocal trance was transported to more ears than ever before, and this was consolidated with the first big push into the US, on a sold-out tour that stretched from New York to Las Vegas.
“A spontaneous collaboration with ATB has also been a real highlight this year, melting our sounds together in the track 'Apollo Road', which we performed together for an exploding crowd in Poland as an exclusive surprise act at his solo concert,” says Sutorius. “It's simply been an amazing year and it isn't even over yet.”
Working alongside Sutorius are production specialists Eelke Kalberg and Sebastiaan Molijn, with the trio insisting the different elements are all closely related and influence each other. “I toured a lot this year, which made it challenging sometimes,” says Sutorius. “Nevertheless I'm very excited about the brand-new album, which is on its way! I think it's important to keep putting out new music on a regular basis.”
Whatever eventually reaches us from their current studio sessions, you can be assured there'll be more of those sumptuous vocals that we've come to expect from Dash Berlin. Instantly recognisable performers like Emma Hewitt, Sarah Howells and Susana have helped Dash Berlin craft their memorable anthems in the past, and this year they drafted Jonathan Mendelsohn to help them do the same on 'Better Half Of Me'.
“I have a weak spot for vocals, because of the story-telling element, which can literally move people to tears. The way a crowd responds to different sounds or a certain type of arrangement is essential information to me. Capturing that dancefloor vibe in the music is key in the constant development of my signature sound.”