Written by Bianca Tavitian​

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With what started out as a Dutch trio in 2007, the name Dash Berlin went on one hell of a rollercoaster; between 2018 - 2020, the name went through some of the biggest, and most public changes an EDM name has ever gone through in an artists career, and Jeffrey Sutorius was thrown into the spotlight, and not just to play frontman to the brand.

A name that many of us have grown up dancing to over the past decade, Dash Berlin has been gracing our speakers for quite some time, with a discography full of iconic Trance-inspired songs, the music in itself speaks volumes as to how and why Dash Berlin has remained on top of their game and pleased their fans for all these years.

Since Ultra Japan 2019, Jeffrey Sutorius has reacquainted his frontman position, as he takes on Dash Berlin as a solo artist ready to take on the world again.

With over 1.5million monthly Spotify listens, and the same number of YouTube views, Jeffrey takes on the globe as he debuts The Return of Dash Berlin, taking it worldwide with Ultra, and Australia is next stop of the tour.

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Come with me as we step Behind The Decks with Dash Berlin.

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You have played as the frontman for Dash Berlin for a number of years, where the name and sound are set and distinct. Will the Return of Dash Berlin remain true to past Dash sounds? Or are you looking to reinvent and adapt the Dash-image with the way the scene has evolved in 2020?

Ah I like the question, it’s an interesting question! I get the topic quite often, “What is the old sound of Dash Berlin”? When we first started, we weren’t considered to be making music in the Trance genre, and over time, eventually when dropped the first album, which was then considered more Trance-like, with also some progressive influences, some experimental work, and I remember a little bit of Tech-House with DJ Remy, it was deliberately varied, meaning I could go on a wide spectrum of genres when I do my shows, pushing our sounder further into the Trance corner over time.

Nowadays, what does Dash Berlin represent?

It represents Main Stages worldwide, Main stage music, I never lost my old roots. Old fans would know I make shows up in a hybrid; sometimes I do classic sets, and sometimes I am just more Main Stage orientated, with really, a very huge Big Room sound, and a lot of remixes reworked with that. Actually, to be honest, that’s where Dash Berlin is going to continue, you know, to be progressive, to be forward-thinking.

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Originally, Dash Berlin consisted of 3 members, but only yourself played live sets. We have seen in the likes of Vini Vici split the duo to increase their touring capabilities, but that was never the case with you guys. What was the decision behind keeping yourself as the solo frontman?

We made the decision that it was best to operate this way. On one hand, it was to continue the music more, cause my tour schedule was way more hectic back then, which made it virtually impossible to go to the studio in and out, in and out, and pay that much attention to the production side, so it was better to split that up.

With one frontman I think that’s a little easier to grasp and follow than if you were to have split the touring schedule equally. I get why artists do it, but what if one artist is more popular than the other, and people want to see the other? It just creates a weird situation with the crowd, and I think with Dash Berlin we prevented that.

What I completely overlooked saying, which is so important, is the damage to your ears. You’re doing both show AND studio time making music. My old friends wanted to protect their ears as well by only being in the studio. You don’t want to overwork your eardrums too much, you won't be able to hear your kids anymore. 

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I'm glad you mentioned your tour schedule, as this goes into my next question. Prior to your departure from the group back in 2018, you mentioned you had been on a demanding tour schedule since mid-June 2017, and you had burnt out, and no one in the industry mentioned back then the importance of mental and physical health. Do you feel that this stigma is increasingly broken through, with DJ’s putting their health first and foremost, over touring, studio and writing time?

True! Definitely! And if you are really true to yourself and listen to your family members and people that truly know and love you, they take care of you. They know what you do is, what I say, is beyond top sports. 

I always make the comparison to when you have a soccer team. That soccer team has to play 2 championship league games in 1 week. If that were to happen to the soccer team, with the pressure and the stakes being so high - with travel, with preparing, the media and to the world, that would be too small. It would be a huge scandal, like “Oh my god, there’s a soccer team playing 2 championship league games in 1 week, that's insane!”

But, if you compare it to the majority of what the artists are doing, we’re doing it heavier. People don't realise that.

So a lot of artists are speaking up now, saying “Hey, it’s not going too well, I’m going to take care of myself, I’m going to put myself first, and then I’m going back to basics to make the step forward” or, they just continue what they are doing, and not mention anything, and maybe they will get a burnout or something worse could happen. There is a lot of thing going on at the moment in the industry, everyone is looking around at each other asking “Hey, how are you feeling? How’s everyone doing”. This is where you create that bonding again between artists, a form of togetherness; it’s where you care for your colleagues. It’s a very serious, and underestimated topic.

 

I think so, and if we bring it back a little bit to Avicii’s passing, that shook the internal of the industry, but the fans as well. I think fans are slowly understanding, with the likes of Hardwell stepping back, and other artists such as Alison Wonderland being quite vocal on their social media, saying they’re not coping and they need to take these steps back. I think it’s fantastic that the fans get to see a new side of their world and learn to be a lot more accepting of these circumstances and realising that you guys aren’t immortal, you guys are humans just like us fans are as well. 

Exactly, yes! And that makes it beautiful in a way because we’re not any more special than the people coming to our shows. We might be on a different stage, and see a different view, but in the end, we are the same. That's what people need to realise, and that's what's happening and that's good because, in the end, it also helps with the appreciation of what people are trying to do in the industry. Not just the artists, but management, booking agencies, promoters, everyone's a little bit more aware now of what’s going on.

 

During your recovery and break from the spotlight, did music play a role in your mental recovery? Or did you find yourself shying away from it to heal properly so you could return to performing again?

Nice question! Nope! No definitely, it connected me again with music, in how much it can touch me. One of my first releases under my own name was “Bad Days” and this is where I tried to translate what I felt, and a lot of people actually understand what I was feeling with that song. “Nothing Hurts Like Love” with Jonathan Mendelsohn is the same story, and that's what I had with Dash Berlin all of my career, was the connection with not only the music but also with the vocals which tell a story that I can relate to. 

Music definitely helped me get back on my feet; sometimes on stage, I'm emotional as well; I have tears in my eyes because I am thinking of a special moment or something that happened and that kind of strikes me at the time. As for the music of Dash Berlin, I have heard multiple stories, and actually, I still get theme every once in a while, about how Dash music has helped people; coping with stress, coping with diseases even, the music goes a long way. 

 

So, let’s go into the new Dash so to say! ‘The Return of Dash Berlin’ is on a global tour with the Ultra brand, having your debut show returning as Dash Berlin at Ultra Japan last year. Can you recount the energy of reconnecting and performing as Dash Berlin for the first time in close to 2 years? 

It was umm, you know what, I actually get goosebumps while you ask me that question.

Aww that’s so heartwarming!

It was, ummm, it was a form of duality; it was a double feeling. It was definitely a new start, but it was also a goodbye of things that were. That made it kind of strange when I got off stage, but I was happy too, I was feeling proud, and I saw everybody smiling and I thought to myself “Hey, I can do this!” Not that I really doubted that at the beginning, but there is so much pressure sitting on your shoulders, so much you have to look back on that recently happened, that all runs through your bones and to your head when you do something like performing as your old self again for the first time in a while. That was the first, big presentation of The Return of Dash Berlin and that's something I will not forget.

 

Did the crowd react differently? You’ve been in the business for so long, did you find with the Return show, that very first one, that the crowd was giving it more energy, was there a noticeable difference between past crowds and that crowd?

No, not specifically, until the end of the set, because I came to Japan specially prepared with an old Japanese Electronic Dance Music song “Niji” - Denki Groove, and people were really surprised that I showed up, bringing a Japanese production to the Main Stage of Ultra in Japan. They were confused, happy, and ecstatic all at the same time; it was a very unique moment! That is something that I really never did before in the old sets, and I think that it brings a unique moment into the show, it definitely topped the atmosphere that was high already!

 

You are playing Tomorrowland for the first time in 2020, do you think that since re-emerging as a solo artist, that you have had new opportunities presented to you, or able to take on new opportunities as you don't have others weighing in on the image of your brand?

No absolutely the first! Absolutely the first, all these new opportunities!

Wow! I am someone who has done Tomorrowland for the last 3 years, and it still surprises me that Dash Berlin has never played Tomorrowland.

I have been to so many shows in the world where sometimes you meet people and they will tell me “I saw you at Tomorrowland!” or “I’m going to see you at Tomorrowland!” or “I loved your show at Tomorrowland!” and… I’ve never been! So the nice thing about touring is, you haven't seen it all; there are always new festivals on the calendar, and that makes it special. And with such a huge event such as Tomorrowland, yeah I am so happy to be a part of it and I hope that people enjoy the show over there, because I am going to give it 100% of course!

Haha wow, I better get a ticket then! What is your ultimate then?! Is there a festival/venue/place in the world you would love to play?

Definitely, I would love to do a solo show in Antarctica! 

Oh my gosh YES! How amazing would that be!!

Yeah! With all the Penguins, it would be amazing! HAHA, Could you imagine?! I always said the world is just small with all of the places you have to organise Electronic Dance events, and you know, you see it already happening with Tomorrowland Winter, you know maybe it will happen in a few years, North or South Pole!

 

Let’s move on to your discography. The breakthrough track for Dash Berlin "Till the Sky Falls Down '' is still renowned as one of the best songs to hit the Trance music charts. Armin van Burren thought so too, having picked the song up, and signed Dash to Armada. How did it feel having someone iconic as Armin appreciate and enjoy using your music? Is this still a “pinch me” kind of feeling?

It’s a form of respect and thankfulness. Why? Because it doesn't matter what level you are on or what kind of business or industry you are in, you always need a push from somebody who believes in you, or in what you are doing, and this was the case for Dash Berlin. Where would Dash Berlin be without the support of Armin van Burren at the beginning? That’s an interesting thing to think about because I don't know the answer to that. To be honest, if I look back over 10+ years, Dash Berlin didn't get that much support. So I am eternally grateful to Armin that he did, for him being on top of the music game for such a long time, picking out Dash Berlin as some unique at the time, and actually helping with the birth of Dash Berlin in that sense.

Oh, definitely, and to the point where Armin put “Till The Sky Falls Down” on one of his own personal albums as well, it must feel like such an honour having your name alongside someone that I would call a god of the industry.

Yeah, he’s one of the long time legends, without a doubt! What he has reached, and is still reaching, the urge and the strive for the higher level and perfection, yeah that is rarely seen within the industry. He sees determination, and he tries to mentor and brings over his experience to guide new talent into the industry, and that's a fantastic thing he's been doing over the years. He’s one of a kind.

 

Man on the Run was arguably one of your biggest hits and personally my favourite Dash song of all time. What were the feelings of seeing one of your tracks amassing tens of millions of views across the internet, and of course, it’s widespread reception?

Wow, thank you! You know what's funny about “Till The Sky Falls Down” and “Man On The Run”, but also like “Waiting”, is that they became hits within the Electronic Dance industry within its own form. They don’t have Pop or that Mainstream appeal, but they do have a distinct vibe on it. It’s really difficult to explain how “Man On The Run” is so captivating to many people.

 

You’ve worked with Emma Hewitt in the past, one of our very own Aussies! What were the ideas behind the writing of “Waiting”?

We actually had a different track in mind, and actually finished as well before we had “Waiting”. The base of that track became the guide for Emma and her brother Anthony when they came into the studio to see what we could squeeze out when she wrote “Waiting”.

At the time when we discovered the “hoover” sound, which is a production trick that wasn’t so common back then. That combination of syncing with the synthesizer strings and with Emma’s voice on it, that made a unique combination together at the time. Time and time again, Emma hit those very high notes, it’s just amazing work what she and Anthony did together. Emma’s voice goes deep, it hits where the feels are.

 

Also! I remember quite vividly at that time everybody was around 138-140BPM, “Waiting” was around 136BPM, and again, just like we were with “Till The Sky Falls Down”, we were slower in tempo and tried to build a fuller spectrum of sound, which could be appealing to people. And if I look back at it now, it definitely worked!

 

2019 saw you release “Cold Summer”, your first remix since returning as Dash Berlin, followed by another 2 tracks in December, all of which we absolutely loved! What can we expect to see from you in 2020? 

Oh yes! Yeah, yeah, yeah! I have been working, almost full time at home in the studio on new material and I hope the Aussies are ready! I’m bringing a lot of new material! Like I just said at the beginning of the interview already, I won't forget my roots, and that is something I always keep in the back of my mind when I have been working on new single material.

One of those new singles is “Wild At Heart”* - we’re trying to release it as soon as possible! We released “Cold Summer” as the first new remix of Dash Berlin 2.0, and shortly after that “Come Back Home” - Marco V, and “We’re Forever” - Laidback Luke and Marc Benjamin, they are doing really well in the shows, people are really liking it! I tried out some new music as well in Argentina, which did absolutely, very, very well. So a little bit of road testing here and here, but definitely showcasing a lot of new material in Australia for Ultra, 100%, it’s what I can guarantee! 

**Wild At Heart features on Jeffery's debut show as Dash Berlin at Ultra Japan from 21mins16sec, see video below**

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Oh I cannot wait! You just mentioned something then, referring to yourself as Dash 2.0, are you going to market yourself as Dash 2.0 moving forward, or are you going to return to just Dash Berlin once the return shows have finished?

Umm, well, a little bit yes and no. I mean, the example you gave of “Cold Summer”, it’s an approach we have never really done before, it’s a combination of techno combined with a 4EM style sound. The vocals of Alissa Feudo (ICON) are amazing, but the production is definitely different from what it used to be. That’s why it's 2.0; it’s progressive, it’s new, it’s an open-source to what I believe to be effective. “We’re Forever”, for instance, is more Big Room, almost Trance/Progressive style, and the funny thing is, now that I think about it, people labelled the “Cold Summer” remix as Electro/Prog/Pop, that’s a term I have never heard before! You can definitely use that to label something on 2.0!

And besides the difference in sounds released under 2.0, you can also see the logo of Dash Berlin SLIGHTLY changed a little bit, and that's a dash of that 2.0 marketing. 

It's a huge challenge, but I am really excited about it. I am a little bit more scared than I used to be because I used to work with a fantastic and solid team, and now that's a different approach, and I have to see where we can bring it. But, I’m going to give it my all, and see exactly where we can bring it!

 

Speaking of new chapters, congratulations on the announcement of Dash-Daddy! 

Hahahaha! Thank you so much!

Does this mean you’re off maternity leave now, or slowly working your way back into it?

I am back! My maternity leave started about 5 weeks ago, and 2 weeks ago I began touring again.

Does becoming a father during the return of your brand reemphasize you made the right decision to have a less-aggressive tour schedule?

Umm, that’s an interesting question… I still want to show the people what I’m made of, as far as I can do that, both physically and mentally. We have to be a little bit more careful now though, I also have my responsibilities at home now and I take that very seriously. We have to find the middle ground in that, so that’s going to be a bit of weighing up and searching for what is the best thing to do. It’s a new chapter for me. I am super proud of my wife. I am madly in love with our new child. It's going to be hard to stay away for a long time now!

 

I won’t keep you much longer, and we’re up to our closing question! We ask the same question to all of our guests we interview, what is the craziest thing you have seen from Behind the Decks?

OKAY! SO! I’m playing a show in Mexico, I think it was Queretaro, when all of a sudden a girl pops up in the middle of the crowd on somebody’s shoulders, takes off her shirt, takes off her bra, throws the bra, and throws the bra in my direction. In a fluke shot, the bra landed around my head, so I couldn't see anymore, it crossed around my head! So yeah, I was djing with a bra in front of my eyes! It was a really funny and unique moment, I have never had such a moment before, or even after that haha! It was definitely something else, one of those moments you will never forget! Oh, and how could I forget! After that, The Dash BAR-lin was introduced, I’m serious! And people began putting Dash Berlin artwork and designs on their bras and it became like a small cult for a short while, for real!

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It's lengthy - we know. But this is the least we could cull from one amazing conversation we had with Jeffrey. You can hear the excitement in his words that he is back, and honestly, it has made me THAT much more excited for Ultra next weekend!

Don't forget, Behind The Decks has a discount code to get a small price off ticket sales, use AUSTML at checkout, see you all there!

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Before we sign off, we have this special message from Jeffrey himself to all his Aussie fans: