Contained in the Lengthy-Awaited Comeback of Sprint Berlin: “It’s Been a Hell of a Trip”

Tomorrow, Dash Berlin‘s Jeffrey Sutorius walks back onto a festival stage under a name he was legally barred from using. The victory is real but so was its cost, one that went beyond money and left wounds that, by his own admission, are still healing.

The Dutch DJ spent nearly a decade tangled in a legal battle over rights to the Dash Berlin brand, a clash that kept him sidelined from the iconic trance music project he helped build. Producers Eelke Kalberg and Sebastiaan Molijn acrimoniously split from Sutorius, the frontman of the influential trio, back in 2018 before a bitter trademark battle that left Dash Berlin hanging in the balance.

Sutorius announced in March 2021 that he’d legally lost the rights to the name and was forced to perform under his own, after which Kalberg and Molijn installed a new touring frontman. Music industry outlets have since reported that Sutorius prevailed in a subsequent appeal, though the underlying court ruling has not been independently verified through Dutch judicial records.

What is not in dispute is the toll the standoff took on a fanbase that spent nearly a decade watching a beloved act’s identity deteriorate in real time. In the world of electronic dance music, few sagas have been as protracted or as personal as the one ending tomorrow when Sutorius returns to the Ultra Europe stage and launches what he’s calling his “official comeback.”

“The loss of the brand name for 5+ years definitely has left scars and there are still unresolved issues that need to be clarified,” Sutorius tells EDM.com. “But for now it’s a happy and positive approach towards a fresh future perspective for Dash Berlin. I am super thankful for everyone’s patience and support. It’s been a hell of a ride.”

Jeffrey Sutorius of Dash Berlin.Credit: Image courtesy of Press

Prior to the inception of the project, Kalberg and Molijn co-produced Alice Deejay’s 1998 classic ‘Better Off Alone,’ a generational dance anthem. They parlayed that success into Dash Berlin and produced hits like ‘Till The Sky Falls Down’ and ‘Waiting,’ which became defining trance anthems as Sutorius dropped them live on the mainstages of the world’s biggest EDM festivals including Tomorrowland, Ultra and EDC Las Vegas.

Sutorius says he expects Dash Berlin to grow into something even bigger than before.

“The win is not only for me personally, but also for the hardcore Dashers who have been there since day one and are still here,” he gushes. “And there are many! Together with new fans joining us, we will grow to new heights.”

His return to the global stage is only half the story. On July 17, less than a week after his comeback at Ultra Europe, Dash Berlin will release ‘Lonely Man,’ the group’s first original single since Sutorius exited.

The track is the first in a planned run of new Dash Berlin releases, several of which will get their live premiere during the Ultra Europe performance. Sutorius also has a packed run of “major international performances” locked in through 2026 and 2027.

“My sole focus now is new music that I am really excited about,” he tells us, “and preparing many new shows to reconnect with the fans on an even deeper level.”

Dash Berlin’s set at Ultra Europe is slated for Saturday, July 11 at 8:50pm. Fans can purchase festival passes here.