Having struggled with life in the spotlight, Bergling died in April 2018 of an apparent suicide. Perhaps his restlessness behind the boards was a way of trying to encompass a broader range of emotions than is common in dance music. Two years later, Stories continued to play fast and loose with Bergling’s inspirations, dipping into disco (“Talk to Myself”), ’70s rock (“Ten More Days”), and even acoustic reggae (“Can’t Catch Me”), tapping guests like Wyclef Jean and Chris Martin along the way. With his debut album, 2013’s True, he veered unexpectedly into a jubilant fusion of house music, soul, and bluegrass, and if songs like “Wake Me Up” and “Hey Brother” initially puzzled fans, they quickly reset the terms of what was possible in dance music-and pop. But Bergling had his eye on something bigger than even rave culture.
In 2011, “Levels” caught the world’s ear with a clever Etta James sample-flip and an unforgettable chord progression no song better captures dance music’s optimism at the dawn of the decade.
Early singles-2009’s “Alcoholic,” 2010’s “My Feelings for You”-juggled melodic sparks with an upstart’s swagger, and it didn’t take him long to hit his stride. From the moment that Tim Bergling first appeared on the EDM scene, it was clear that the young Swedish producer stood out even among so many talented countrymen.
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