Mr. Tophat

As Mr. Tophat, Stockholm-based producer/DJ Rudolf Nordström is a prolific purveyor of loose-limbed house music, both on his own and on his frequent collaborations. In addition to numerous records with Art Alfie, he’s worked with Robyn and Kleerup, and he released the ambitious three-part album Dusk to Dawn in 2019.
Nordström founded the label Junk Yard Connections before he was 20, with 2010′s Highvalley/Feel, a split single with Adam Strömstedt, marking its debut. The following year, Mr. Tophat began another label, Karlovak, with Art Alfie, a like-minded producer Nordström met at a local nightclub. The duo blended house, disco, and techno in marathon DJ sets as well as a steady stream of singles from Karlovak’s various imprints, which included KVKR, KRLVK, Karlovak Chrome, and KVK, a vinyl-only line that issued its swan song with 2015′s KVK1000. Despite the pair’s busy schedule, Nordström found time for solo EPs, including 2016′s A Memoir from the Youth, Pt. 1 on Public Possession and From Another Dimension on Music for Freaks. Mr. Tophat also collaborated with Robyn, first on a 2016 reworking of her 1999 single “Main Thing” as part of her RMX/RBN series, and on the Trust Me EP, which Smalltown Supersound released early in 2017. A Memoir from the Youth, Pt. 2 appeared later in the year. Only One, featuring the 18-minute B-side “Legends,” was released in September of 2018. In 2019, Mr. Tophat released Dusk to Dawn, an expansive full-length split across three volumes, including guest appearances from Robyn, Kleerup, and Axel Boman. ~ Heather Phares