RECOMMENDED

With releases on respected labels like Dessous, Brique Rouge, Kompakt and Defected, Swedish-born Berliner John Dahlbäck is one of the most prolific producers working in dance music today. A true musical savant, Dahlbäck managed to release his first house record “Music So Sweet” at the tender age of 15, finding a home for its four tracks on Chicago’s own Deep4Life. Since then, John, along with his cousin and sometimes partner Jesper, has found his stride churning out big-room sounds, melding high-energy electro-house and nasty, blippy tech-house. Dahlbäck also formed the excellent Pickadoll imprint, which boasts releases from club luminaries like Sébastien Léger, Zoo Brazil and Style of Eye. Although his recent releases and remixes have seemingly backslid into dangerously progressive-leaning fare (a proggy club retread of Samantha Fox? Really?), it’s refreshing to see an artist not completely preoccupied in defining his sound, and willing to work out what he hears. Still, we’d prefer it if he sticks to the hypnotically trippy tech-house territory he devastated us with in last year’s “Pyramid” and “Kokohukka.” And if he does unfortunately start sailing the seas of cheese…well, we’re pretty sure he’ll be able to bring it back with a bagful of excellent Pickadoll cuts. (Duke Shin)

July 3 at Spy Bar, 646 N. Franklin, (312)337-2191