* En anglais uniquement
A guiding force in helping Swedish music gain attention in the world at large, perhaps no one since
Björn Ulvaeus and
Benny Andersson of
ABBA was as influential to Swedish acts as producer
Denniz Pop. Beginning as a DJ in the mid-'80s,
Pop (
B. Dag Volle) organized and arranged dance concerts, eventually forming the Swedish dance label Swemix as an outgrowth of his club work. Wanting to work with more mainstream pop acts, the producer left Swemix in 1992 to form another imprint, Cheiron.
Pop then began working alongside Tom Tolomon, producing such acts as
Doctor Alban and
Leila K. Around this time,
Pop also began working with the group
Ace of Base. Their single "All That She Wants" proved to be an international hit and subsequently thrust Swedish pop music to the forefront of the charts. The exposure allowed
Pop the opportunity to produce multi-platinum acts such as
Michael Jackson and
the Backstreet Boys. The runaway success of
Ace of Base's first album also helped pave the way for other
Pop-produced international acts such as
the Rednex and teen sensation
Robyn. Sadly,
Pop died in August of 1998 after a long battle with cancer. ~ Steve Kurutz