Jeff Dahlgren
Jeff Dahlgren | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Origin | USA |
| Occupation(s) | American actor, music producer, musician, singer, songwriter, guitarist |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Vocals |
| Years active | Present |
| Labels | Formerly EMI Music Independent |
Jeff Dahlgren (born in Los Angeles, California, USA) is an American actor, singer, guitarist and music producer. Dahlgren's prolific career includes, singer of legendary punk rock band Wasted Youth. Star of London-based film/mini-series Kosmos and star of the epic French film Giorgino. Dahlgren as a studio guitarist has played on the biggest selling albums in French history and as lead guitarist performed in the largest grossing tours in Europe. As a producer he has produced some twenty albums gaining top 20 in Germany, France and Italy and has received two diamond albums.
Kosmos
2015 Jeff was cast as lead actor and starred in the London-based film Kosmos as Philip Huyt. A Sci-Fi thriller released as a 5-part mini-series to phenomenal reviews.[1] Rated the #1 Sci-Fi mini-series on IMDB Jeff's performance is a brilliant use of craft as he weaved himself through remarkable writing and pulled the cast together with true leadership while bringing viewers to tears. Written and directed by award winning director Simon Horrocks of Third Contact. The shooting of Kosmos consisted of many location and streets throughout London.
Music
2015 Dahlgren is working on a new studio album his first single Ever Clear is finished but yet to be released. His release date will be made through social media expected before the end of the year. Mylene Farmer and Jeff produced two of his own albums in the past which he did not release citing interfering with the European touring schedule and album recordings with his contracted work with Farmer. She also sang backup on his recordings. Jeff created and led the band Water which went on to play The Whiskey, The Roxy, The Troubadour and The House of Blues on Sunset Blvd between European tours. Band Members included on bass, Grammy Award winning Mike Elizondo, famed French drummer Mathieu Rabate, Pete Straub.
Producing
2009-2014 Jeff became producer, guitarist and co-writer of the Texas band Katsuk. A regional giant of a band, "One of the best things about this band is their live performance. They create an atmosphere that envelops the listener like a wall of sound one does not want to escape from. They are powerful performance artists who weave smoky, woodsy vocals into elemental guitar melodies, harmonies, and percussion" ~Fort Worth Texas Magazine~.Katsuk's single Cut The Cord has caught the attention of the airwaves regionally and has been nominated along with the band for best album, live performance, best song. 2010 Dahlgren produced co-wrote and played on Katsuk's Zero Point album the most powerful album to date gaining notoriety and great reviews. He also produced Katsuk's second album Skeleton Key. Jeff produced and mixed many albums from the Denton, Texas-based band Hatch, Producing their strongest and most unusual album SoundCrack. Dahlgren's productions and guitar prowess has been extensive in Texas producing albums into the teens.
EMI Music
In 2001 he signed as a producer to EMI/Warner Music Group France and went on to produce Christia Mantzke.[2] References. Her single I'm Not a Boy gained top 20 in Germany, France and Italy. Dahlgren also produced and directed the I'm Not a Boy video for Europe. Dahlgren and Farmer also signed a co-producing deal together with EMI.
90's through the millennium. Mylene Farmer met Jeff in the early 90's in Los Angeles, California. At the time of there meeting she was working on the single Que Mon Coeur Lache. Immediately they began working together. Around the same time Jeff met producer and director of Giorgino, Laurent Boutonnat (See below) Jeff and Mylene went on to record many albums together.
Giorgino
In 1994 he was cast as lead actor and starred as Giorgino in the 40 million dollar epic French film Giorgino, directed by Laurent Boutonnat one of France's more controversial directors. Though the movie's box office success was disappointing Jeff's reviews were phenomenal. Giorgino's DVD went on to be one of the biggest sellers in Russia and the movie has gained enormous cult status.[3]
Recording in Paris
Mylene Farmer's fourth studio album marked the beginning of Dahlgren and Farmer's musical collaboration. Dahlgren had a great influence in the early composition of this album and was part of the musical team involved in preparing it. Boutonnat later came and the three finished the project. The album Anamorphosée was release and launched by the single "XXL", a rock song with the blasting electric guitars of Jeff Dahlgren, and a video directed by Marcus Nispel featuring Farmer strapped to the front of a moving train. The single became her first to debut at #1. Anamorphosée debuted at #2 in the album charts and sold half a million copies in 3 months. The album continued to sell well with the release of "L'Instant X", "California" (a jazzy-pop ballad bolstered with bass guitar featuring a highly acclaimed video directed by Abel Ferrara), "Comme j'ai mal" and "Rêver", which helped the album reach #1 in January 1997 – 16 months after its release – gaining a Diamond certification. The album is the first to contain music written by Farmer ("Tomber 7 foes..."). Dahlgren was not credited for co-writing on XXL, L'Instant X, Alice and Tomber 7 Fois. Tomber 7 Fois was originally recorded by Dahlgren on his album titled No Name in 1993 co-written and produced by Dahlgren/Farmer. Dahlgren was the original vocalist on the song before it was re-recorded for Anamorphoses. Dahlgren had no comment. XXL has been on #1 selling live albums up until 2014.
Touring
Dahlgren embarked on Farmers 1996 tour as lead guitarist, which met with huge success. The corresponding live album, Live à Bercy, is currently the best-selling French live album ever. During the tour, Farmer sang a Raï version of Michel Polnareff's La Poupée qui fait non with Khaled, which was released as a promotional single from the live album and became a Top 10 hit in France. Dahlgren's technique monster sound and stage presence skyrocketed him to rockstar status. The band was an all star lineup including, Abe Laboriel, Jr., Brian Ray, Jerry Watts and Yvan Cassar. Band members went on to perform with Paul McCartney and Celine Dion to mention a few.
Dahlgren returned to record guitars in spring 1999 with Farmers 5th studio album Innamoramento. The lead single "L'Âme-stram-gram" was a futuristic up-tempo techno-ballad. Both the single and the album went straight to #2 on the charts.[16] The album is certified Diamond in France.
In late 1999, Farmer with Dahlgren embarked on the Mylenium Tour, named by Dahlgren which set the record of the highest grossing tour by a non-English speaking artist. The stage of the show featured a huge pharaonic statue at the center of the stage from which she emerged and flew before being carried down by the hand of this very statue. Dahlgren left soon after.
Wasted Youth
From 1982-85 Jeff Dahlgren was the singer of the legendary punk rock band Wasted Youth. Sharing the stage with such acts as Bad Religion, Social Distortion, Circle Jerks, Bad Brains, The Adolescents, T.S.O.L., Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies to mention a few. It is said the California Hardcore/punk movement paved the way for such 90's alternative bands such as Nirvana, Pixies, Alice and Chains and more. Jeff was quoted as saying "We didn't pave shit, bands like Nirvana are so good they would have made it during the apocalypse, others may like the credit for it but, you can leave me out of that " Jeff and Al Stiritz (Wasted Youth drummer) met in Southern California, both having a love for alternative music, skating and surfing they attended a Black Flag concert in Santa Monica California with Wasted Youth guitarist Chett Lehrer, soon after Jeff was brought in as the frontman. They went on to a string of sold out performances. Finding recordings are difficult but exist along with video from the legendary Stardust Ballroom in Los Angeles, California. During the recording of Get Out Of My Yard their followup to the uber successful Regan's In album Jeff left the band for undisclosed reasons. Band Members went on to perform with Queens of the Stone Age, Savage Republic and Velvet Revolver.