A guiding force in helping Swedish music gain attention in the world at large, perhaps no one since Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA was as influential to Swedish acts as producer Denniz Pop. Beginning as a DJ in the mid-'80s, Pop (B. Dag Volle) organized and arranged dance concerts, eventually forming the Swedish dance label Swemix as an outgrowth of his club work. Wanting to work with more mainstream pop acts, the producer left Swemix in 1992 to form another imprint, Cheiron. Pop then began working alongside Tom Tolomon, producing such acts as Doctor Alban and Leila K. Around this time, Pop also began working with the group Ace of Base. Their single All That She Wants proved to be an international hit and subsequently thrust Swedish pop music to the forefront of the charts. The exposure allowed Pop the opportunity to produce multi-platinum acts such as Michael Jackson and the Backstreet Boys. The runaway success of Ace of Base's first album also helped pave the way for other Pop-produced international acts such as the Rednex and teen sensation Robyn. Sadly, Pop died in August of 1998 after a long battle with cancer. ~ Steve Kurutz, Rovi