Overview
When you first hear DJ Seinfeld, you feel immersed in a sepia-tinged haze. His softer approach to dance music calls upon soaring chords and lo-fi fuzz to send listeners into an emotional rapture. Perhaps most notably, his music proves just as healing for the artist as it is for the listener.
Armand Jakobsson is the artist known as DJ Seinfeld. He carries other aliases (Rimbaudian and Birds of Sweden) that allow him to explore deep dips into jungle and dancefloor breaks. But with DJ Seinfeld, sweeping emotive records are the raison d’etre. Guided by authenticity in every sense, his tracks are reminiscent of early house pioneers and their raw, lo-fi fuzz. To top it off, emotionally raw voice overs are a commonly used tool in the DJ Seinfeld arsenal. They sit vulnerably over top of heart wrenching keys and resonate in the hearts of listeners worldwide.
Born in Sweden, Jakobsson took to making music at the suggestion of a friend. His time spent experimenting with music on his laptop provided a welcome relief from the monotony of his studies. A move to Barcelona and a difficult breakup resulted in binge sessions of the beloved American sitcom Seinfeld and a deep dive into cathartic music production.
Originally intended as a side-project to Rimbaudian, DJ Seinfeld began appearing anonymously on music-sharing groups online. The point of no return came when the track “U”’ was uploaded to Soundcloud. Amidst soaring chants and heart wrenching synths, Jakobsson samples a voiceover of Bob Geldoff recounting his split with his wife. The internet quickly went into overdrive. “U” appeared as the closing track on DJ Seinfeld’s debut album, Time Spent Away From U in 2017. Not all heartache, the album pulls some emotional high-points with dancefloor gospel and classic synths on “Too Late for U and M1'' and “I Hope I Sleep Tonight.”
His follow-up, 2021’s Mirrors, sees his music come fully into focus. With a sharper production style, DJ Seinfeld keeps the delicate and raw emotion for which he’s become known. On “These Things Will Come To Be,” a voice laments over a voicemail, “I want us to go back to the old days because I miss you.” After an arduous breakup and finding himself as a producer and a person, Jakobsson says this album truly is his mirror. And undoubtedly, his music serves as a mirror for others as well.
