Marquis Hawkes Berlin

This is the Discography from Mr. Tophat.
It's everything from his first released work on his own imprint Junk Yard Connections to his latest works on Smalltown Supersound and Music For Freaks.

The mostly of the music were created together with his former colleague Art Alfie which they released on their mutual record label Karlovak Recordings.
They quit their collective collaboration in January 2015 and work nowadays on their own solo stuff but are still good friends.

The mostly of the music in this playlist were only released on vinyl-media in very limited editions, the list goes in chronological order (starts with the newest to the oldest).

Released music created and reworked by Mr. Tophat from 2010 (his debut) until today.

How Is Club246

Remember

Inland Bites

Slummin It

Kerri Chandler • Downtown ( Dark Mix )

Official release note:

"Though without the anxious feeling of forever loneliness I might have never approached her."

KVK300 is the third chapter of the Swedish label Karlovak and consists of Crab At The Green Hunter (A1) and I Want You To See (B1) with original production by label string pullers Mr. Tophat & Art Alfie.

RA Review:

"Mr Tophat & Art Alfie seem uninterested in taking things slowly. Across both their Karlovak and Junk Yard Connections imprints, the Swedish duo has put out four EPs in as many months in 2013, with releases as far ahead as KVK700 already in the pipeline. Despite a slight dip in form on KVK200, their third outing sees the pair back to full-fitness.

At first glance, "Kavolrak" revisits the techier terrain of "Marlboro Lights" (KVK100), albeit it with a grainier inflection. Techno, however, soon turns to house, as an unexpected outburst of summery piano yanks it in the opposite direction. "I Want To See (That You're in Love With Me)" is more upfront, marrying a pumping disco groove with rough kicks and captivating female cries. There's little else to say, other than this, and the accompanying A-side, should go down a treat with DJs and on dance floors."

RA Top 2013 tracks poll;

"It's easy to see why Ricardo Villalobos was so drawn to "I Want You To See (That You're In Love With Me)." Like the Chilean artist, Mr Tophat & Art Alfie's productions mess with dynamics. Look at the track's waveform and you'll notice that its intensity builds slowly. Each drop is bigger than the last. What initially feels like an understated, funk-tinged house track morphs into something enormous. "

Mr. Tophat & Art Alfie - I Want To See (That You're In Luv With Me) (2013)

Was originally created by Mr. Tophat & Art Alfie 2014.
Released on Howl January 2017.

Official release notes:

"Howl in full effect, timeless Various tracks from their artists, An homage to the raw original house music slamming, old school vibes"

Mr. Tophat & Art Alfie - Disco Got You (2017)

Official release note:

"He’s back in the kitchen… After a summer of endless touring, Madrid-based Garcia has returned to his flavour
lab to cook up a whole new wealth of grooves and the future is looking tasty.
Last spotted on Pets in 2013 - and since serving up styles on some of the most respected labels in techno –
Pokerflat, Freerange, Darkroom, Perspectiv and Supplement Facts - Garcia provides two quintessential winter
warmers. ‘I Never Knew’ chugs with a full bodied dynamic that’s nicely reminiscent of Yoshitoshi 15-20 years
ago as molten machines create a funk that wraps itself around the short-but-perfectly formed humanised
sample.
“Trimmer” lives up to its name with his signature Hypnotic Vibes less-is-more flow. A precision-chiselled groove
that spirals deeper and deeper into itself, it comprises nothing but a bubblesome bass lick, sturdy kicks, subtle
FX and an undulating synth line that ripples almost majestically. A serious DJ tool for those who like their
understated blends to suddenly catch you by surprise, this is the epitome of restrained.
Speaking of surprise, just on Mr Tophat’s remix of ‘I Never Knew’. Closing the show with a true switch-flipper,
the second you think you have the remix and its slinky Brett Johnson/Classis Music style groove locked down
Simon Garcia - Trimmer EP (Mr Tophat Remix)
BOOM… In come those organs and a whole heap more. Nine minutes of heaven – you won’t be trimming this
one down in a hurry. You won’t be trimming any of them. Enjoy…"

Simon Garcia - I Never Knew (Mr. Tophat Remix) (2017)

Official release note:

"It’s a match made in dancefloor heaven: Swedish house maestro Mr. Tophat and pop phenom Robyn have come together for Trust Me, a three-tracker of dark disco and luscious grooves that only an inspired pairing such as this could conceive of. With each track going well beyond the nine-minute marker, Trust Me is the artistic culmination of two artists joining together in the studio and putting pure inspiration to tape, resulting in some of the loosest and most intriguing music either has made in their careers. 

Although Robyn and Mr. Tophat have known each other personally for nearly a decade, the first time they professionally crossed paths was last year, when the latter contributed a few remixes of material from Robyn’s EP with La Bagatelle Magique, Love Is Free. “I wasn’t making my own music at the time, so he forced his way into my studio and said, ‘We’re going to make music now,’” Robyn recalls the beginnings of the pair’s creative process. “It was really nice for me to be submerged into his world and lose myself in something that wasn’t my own.”

Trust Me is certainly situated in Mr. Tophat’s world. The Stockholm-based Junk Yard Connections owner and Karlovak co-founder has spent most of this decade releasing a brilliant stretch of side-long singles with production pal Art Alfie. Those singles’ dense, lovingly handcrafted club vibes are perfectly realized on this EP, with some subtle tweaks to the winning formula—a rich intricacy embedded within a deeper-than-deep sound perfect for peak-hour dancing and 3 AM comedown communions alike. 

The EP also represents a logical progression for Robyn, calling back both to Love Is Free’s dancefloor abandon and the darkly shaded electro-pop of her 2014 collab with Röyksopp, Do It Again. The title track and “Right Time” shuffle and slither with a jet-black slickness as Robyn toasts and intones over the rhythms, while closing cut “Disco Davato” provides an effervescent finale, with zipping samples and crisp hi-hats providing plenty of upwards propulsion. 

Joining Robyn and Mr. Tophat in the studio was Abba’s original drummer, Per Lindvall, who the latter met through a friend at National Swedish Radio. Lindvall lends Trust Me’s tracks a crisp, live feel amidst its sample-based confines—as does bassist (and Per’s brother) David Lindvall, who previously contributed on sessions for Love Is Free. “He can do anything,” Robyn gushes on Lindvall’s contributions.

These contributions only serve to strengthen Trust Me’s disco bonafides, as does Robyn and Mr. Tophat’s appreciation of the genre. “House music is something I’ve been listening to since I was 14,” Mr. Tophat wistfully remembers. “The house songs I like most is house that’s clearly sample-based in disco. That’s the house music that’s really attracted me. For me, it came really natural to discover what’s behind these samples.” “You can hear disco in all club music,” Robyn continues. “It’s the base of so much music that we listen to, and it’s one of the most influential music styles ever. You can hear it everywhere. Disco’s always been in my world.”

And disco will continue to be in her world, as Trust Me far from represents the end of Robyn and Mr. Tophat’s partnership. “We both have ideas of what we can do,” Mr. Tophat says on the pair’s continued work on new material. “There’s a lot of unopened doors.” For now, we can be thankful that they’ve opened us up to their sleek, lovely world on Trust Me—a collection of pure club music, streaked equally with mystery and unbridled ecstasy."

Mr. Tophat feat. Robyn - Trust Me (Original) (2017)

Mr. Tophat - Disco Davato (Original) (2017)

*Read more: https://boltingbits.com/premiere-klubbhuset-rehearsal-lets-play-house/
*Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktGMN4BbXKM

"Rehearsal" is sustained by Klubbhusset's patented, bouncy 909 percussion, flipping a gospel-like sample that all well-educated hip-hop heads should recognize. Clever filtering and hat work serve to keep the track hustling without monotony. It's really a perfect main chop too; the vocals irresistibly soulful and catchy, with piano flutters and horn stabs from the sample accenting the experience. Though it's the first track on the release, "Rehearsal" really works best as a later night affair. Its bittersweet loop staying faithful until the end.

PREMIERE: Klubbhuset - Rehearsal

Hedonism M.C. Robyn

MR. TOPHAT

Born in Sweden in 1990, Rudolf Nordström—better known as Mr. Tophat—has long been a defining force in Stockholm’s electronic music underground. A producer, DJ, and sonic architect, his deep passion for dance music has driven him to create hypnotic, genre-blurring productions that transcend traditional club sounds.

With a history of curating unique musical experiences, Mr. Tophat co-founded the revered Karlovak label with Art Alfie in 2011, a platform for house music built for nights that defy endings. He also helms Junk Yard Connections, established in 2008, a label known for its strictly limited, no repress approach—making each release a sought-after collector’s item.

His solo work has garnered critical acclaim, with both of his solo albums receiving Grammy nominations, a testament to his ability to push the boundaries of electronic music while maintaining a deeply personal and innovative sound. Following the release of "This Is Pop" (PIAS x Twilight Enterprise), he continues to explore new sonic territories, with upcoming music on Karlovak and a highly anticipated new album with Axel Boman, blending dancefloor euphoria with avant-garde textures.

His collaborations span both the mainstream and the underground, having worked with Robyn, Kleerup, XOV, Lune, and Jelly Crystal, among others. He has been spotlighted by major global media outlets, including MTV, New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, and Pitchfork, further cementing his status as a forward-thinking artist with a broad cultural impact.

On stage, Mr. Tophat continues to appear at some of the world’s most intriguing venues and festivals—sometimes in grandiose settings, other times in shadowy, elusive late-night sanctuaries. Whether behind the decks or orchestrating immersive live performances, he remains an unpredictable and compelling force in electronic music.

Booking:
hugo@bigwednesday.se