It seems as though Sweden is going through a sort of musical renaissance as of late, exemplified by bands such as Miike Snow, singers like Lykke Li and in the EDM world, the Swedish House Mafia. Thursday night however belonged to one John Dahlback, whose uplifting yet stylishly gritty brand of house flooded Ultrabar and churned a sea of humanity. With the mixer as his trident, twisting EQ knobs, controlling loops, and dropping thunderous bass lines, Dahlback was like Poseidon controlling the waves. He was a human oscillator, modulating the frequency of the crowd with every tweak of his high pass filter, defying gravity and creating tidal waves of gamboling partygoers. It was refreshing to see a DJ walk into a booth with nothing but a pair of headphones and a CD book. His work – flow is a thing of beauty. Watching John sway to and fro while hovering over the 1s and 2s, elbows out, fingers nimbly manipulating each and every sound… the entire process was a work of art.
