Biography
Presentation
Lost Shadow is a music Swedish pop music act formed in Autumn 1999 by Johan Bengtsson (born on January 28th, 1985, in Uppsala, Sweden). At first Lost Shadow made a lot of dance music and club tracks, but over the time he turned the project’s direction toward electronic pop music, heavily influenced by the Pet Shop Boys.
In 2002 Johan Bengtsson started his own record label Phonocratic Records in an attempt to market his music in various constellation. So far this label has only released Lost Shadow material. The first release on Phonocratic Records was the double-album Lost Shadow – Relentlessly (2003), which was a collection of the best dance and pop music Lost Shadow had made so far. The same year Lost Shadow also released Lost Shadow – Earth Is Dead – New World Rising, which was a big leap towards pop music.
On November 11th, 2003 the album nu-jazz influenced Lost Shadow – …and come together tonight – It won’t be in vain was released. The follow-up, Lost Shadow – One, was released on the 28th of June 2004. This album still had a lot of nu-jazz influences, but, as Lost Shadow said; it was also inspired by Peter Gabriel – Up (2002).
After more than a year of musical absence Lost Shadow returned with the album Lost Shadow – Letters on August 15th, 2005. Lost Shadow – Letters is divided in two parts, one electronic part which sounds a lot like the older Lost Shadow-albums, and one more acoustic part, bearing influences of Leonard Cohen and Damien Rice. Lost Shadow – Letters was followed by another nu-jazz album, called Lost Shadow – Cafe Phonocratique, later in the Autumn. This album was a celebration of the cafes in Lost Shadow’s hometown, Uppsala.
In December 2005 Lost Shadow released the singles collection Lost Shadow – Single-Minded along with a collection of b-sides, Lost Shadow – Besides, and a remix collection called Lost Shadow – Deeper Longer and Recut. The latest Lost Shadow album, Intuition and Decision, was released on December the 13th 2006 and consists of 12 songs. These songs are moody and guitar or piano driven and heavily inspired by Damien Rice and Leonard Cohen.
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The Lost Shadow Time Line
1985 01 28 Johan Bengtsson is born in Uppsala, Sweden.
Autumn 1985 Johan’s father makes the first recordings of Johan screaming at night.
Autumn 1993 Johan starts taking recorder lessons.
Autumn 1994 The composition interest starts when inventing a notation system, quite similar to the normal one, but still an independent system. This Autumn Johan also join the children’s choir Vi Klararé and meets its leader Anna Marklund, who becomes a major influence to Johan’s music interest.
Winter 1994/95 Johan meets Love Rönnelid who is going to have huge inpact on Johans musical creativity later.
Spring 1995 Johan starts taking piano lessons.
Winter 1995/96 Johan and Love finds a computer notation and playback software. Love’s deep interest in classical music becomes the main influence and for two years they’re doing compositions inspired by Beethoven, Schubert and Bach.
December 1997 Johan hears “Ameno” by Era on a TV commercial. He has already been listening to “Adiemus” by Karl Jenkins, and these experiences combined starts an interest in mystical pop and new age-music.
February 1998 Johan’s little brother Anders buys Sash!’s first album “It’s My Life”. Johan at first dislikes it, but later finds it quite interesting.
June 1998 Johan is forced to stop singing in Vi Klararé because his voice was breaking.
Summer 1998 Johan starts making pop/dance songs inspired by the Sash!-album.
Autumn 1999 Johan joins Love Rönnelid in composition group on the public music school in Uppsala, taught by Radovan Hudecek.
Christmas 1999 Johan gets the new Pet Shop Boys album “Nightlife” for Christmas and immediately falls in love. From this time and on a major PSB-influence can be heard in his music, and guess what; it’s still there!
January 2000 Johan’s dad buys a CD-burner and Johan makes his first collection of songs “The Power Of Rhythms” under the name AMAZE.
Spring 2000 When trying to create a mp3.com account, Johan discovers that the name Amaze is already taken. After a long time of decision making he changes it to Lost Shadow. At this time the first Lost Shadow album “Dreams” (with mostly songs from “The Power Of Rhythms”) and the second “Taking You Back” (with almost only new songs) is made.
November 2000 The third Lost Shadow album “Fade Away” is recorded. About this time Johan is also introduced to Enigma’s music by his friend Olle Sundin.
April 2001 The fourth Lost Shadow album “Dreamworld” is recorded.
June 2001 The fifth Lost Shadow album “The Circle” is recorded.
August 2001 Johan starts upper secondary school.
September 2001 Lost Shadow’s side project “Anywhere” is recorded.
May 2002 The sixth Lost Shadow album “Club 24″ is recorded. Included on this album is the song “Göteborg”, which later becomes a smaller underground hit in Uppsala.
Summer 2002 Johan is introduced to Leonard Cohen, who’s lyrics are going to influence Lost Shadow lyrics from then on.
August 2002 Lost Shadow updates his studio equipment and is suddenly having a semi-professional studio at home. This extremly increases the quality of the recordings.
Autumn 2002 Lost Shadow comes up with the name Phonocratic Records for the label and starts this site.
2002 12 06 The first recording made in the new studio is released. This is an EP called “The Christmas EP“.
2003 08 01 The collection of re-recorded song from the first three years is released under the name “Relentlessly“.
2003 08 28 The first purely new album recorded in the new studio is released. On “Earth Is Dead – New World Rising” Lost Shadow shows his new song writing skills, as well as the development in music production.
2003 10 21 Uppsala Kommunala Musikskola’s first music festival is held. The song written by Johan Bengtsson, Love Rönnelid and Jonathan Pontén, called “American Coffee” reaches the second place, beaten by the breath-taking composition by Hedvig Nettelblad. Johan and Hedvig meets for the first time here as well.
2003 11 20 The nu-jazz influenced album “…and come together tonight – It won’t be in vain” is released.
2004 01 11 This is what “Shy” is all about.
2004 06 04 Johan leaves upper secondary school, and writes “Leaving School For Life” about it.
2004 06 14 Johan is forced into joining the Swedish military for 10 months.
2004 06 28 “One” is released.
2004 10 11 “One [Remixed]” is released.
2005 04 07 Johan leaves the military, hoping for good.
2005 04 22 Johan buys Damien Rice’s album “O”, which serves as an influence doing “Letters”.
2005 04 23 Johan breaks up with his girlfriend and records “Leaving Already?”.
2005 08 15 “Letters” is released after months of problem getting everything together.
2005 08 29 “Between The Lines” is released.
2005 09 01 Johan starts studying Musicology at Uppsala University. This inspires him once again to start writing instrumental music, this time with minimalists such as Steve Reich and John Adams as influences. He is also starting to interest himself in using systematic patterns in music and chance music.
2005 11 14 “Café Phonocratique” is released.
2005 12 05 The singles collection “Single-Minded”, the b-sides collection “Besides” and the remix collection “Deeper Longer & Recut” is released.
2006 02 02 The “History Volume One” collection in released.
2006 06 01 The remix album “E-mails from an internet café” in released.
2006 09 03 Johan and Phonocratic Records begin the move from Uppsala to Göteborg.
2006 12 13 The quite acoustic album “Intuition and Decision” is released, very influenced by Damien Rice and Leonard Cohen.
2007 05 27 “Rumours” the first single of the electronic pop album “Truths and Consequences” is released.
2007 09 18 The electronic pop album “Truths and Consequences” is releaded.