Jeffrey Sutorius has always been the face of dance music festival favorite Dash Berlin. Formed 11 years ago in the Netherlands, Dash was actually a trio of DJs and producers including Eelke Kalberg and Sebastiaan Molijn, but Sutorius was the one behind the decks at all those festivals and club residencies like the one at the Cosmopolitan’s Marquee Nightclub and Dayclub. He maintained a hectic tour schedule while his bandmates focused on music production; many casual fans might not have noticed that Dash Berlin was never one guy.
Now it’s down to two guys. Sutorius announced that he’d left the group over the summer, citing mismanagement of money and bookings. The dispute has already landed in court and doesn’t seem fully resolved.
“I am determined to continue my journey on my own as Jeffrey Sutorius. After all, that is who I am, and who I always will be. I miss my fans, and I want to return to the stage,” he told DJ Mag last month in his second statement on the matter. “The court said that we have to fight out who can use the Dash Berlin name in further proceedings, so using my own name was my only option basically. On the other hand, all the fans are behind me being Dash Berlin. I find this is something worth fighting for. I will continue this as long as I possibly can to maybe, eventually claim the stage again as Dash Berlin.”
Sutorius isn’t sitting around waiting. After recovering from some health issues in the springtime and getting married, he’s moving on under his own name and recently teased a new single, “Bad Days,” during a set for a Dutch radio station. Anthemic synths blast out from under vocals by Jake Reese, keeping in line with the energized progressive sound that has made Sutorius’ festival sets so memorable.
He’s back on the Strip at Marquee on December 8 and January 12 and 14, and he’ll be playing at Lavo in New York and Philadelphia’s Noto before Christmas.
JEFFREY SUTORIUS December 8, 10:30 p.m., $20-$30. Marquee, 702-333-9000.
