Johan Agebjörn

Like the Italo disco forefathers he strives to emulate, Gothenburg, Sweden producer Johan Agebjörn works best as the man behind the curtain, mainly acting as writer/producer for diminutive Eurobeat revivalist Sally Shapiro. Branching out on Casablanca Nights, his second LP, Agebjörn applies a similar songwriting method, utilizing a dozen guest vocalists to help fill out his signature sound. Songs like "Casablanca Nights" and "Alice" help give Shapiro some weighty scope, as Lovelock (aka Steve Moore of Zombi) and first wave Italo vocalist Fred Ventura complement Agebjörn's highly conceptual beats and grooves. It's apparent on the vocoder-assisted "So Fine All the Time" (featuring Legowelt and Wolfram) and the glitch-pop-y "Stranger (Chill Remix)" that Agebjörn has a meticulous way of writing throwback music. But it's the dream-stately "Memories of Satie," co-written, co-produced and co-sung with Montreal's CFCF, that fully demonstrates Agebjörn's potential. Casablanca Nights proves that Johan Agebjörn works well with others, a notion he will hopefully explore more in the future.