Phonocratic Records

I would like to wish everybody who have been following, listening and supporting Lost Shadow and my music during the passed year a very happy new year!

I have spent the first day of the new year finishing a remix of Full-Source’s song Island of the Sun. This was a nice break from the work with my latest record Quandaries and Panaceas, which was released in November. During January, I will work on my next release, which will be an EP based around one of the songs on the recently released album.

Once again, happy new year! I think 2011 will bring lots of great music and fun stuff!

Peter Gabriel’s cover of David Bowie’s song Heroes may feature one of the best string arrangements I have ever heard. A combination of all the things I like, raising string lines, low bass lines and a minimalistic pattern a la Steve Reich – perfect. You can listen to it at Peter Gabriel’s web site.

Also, in a brief note, the voting for the Laurie Anderson remix contest has ended. I ended up on a 123rd place, which probably is what to expect from such an alternative mix. Now all hope is for the jury to appreciate it. Their picks will be announced on the 17th of June.

It’s been a while, and I have been working with some old stuff and some new stuff. I found some old unreleased tracks that I will put online within the next weeks. And the work I am doing will also surface here during the earlier Autumn (I hope).

Anyway, I came across this beautiful re-work of Sigur Rós Hoppípolla track by Chicane (intelligently called Poppíholla as it is a pop track, not a hop track I guess). The beauty from the Sigur Rós melody and chords, is mixed with the housey pop knowledge and feel-good atmosphere surrounding the best Chicane tracks. I am a bit jealous he got the idea first, and impressed by how much he achieves with small means (i.e. changes to the original track). Another well-done victory for modern electronic music, I think. Watch the video (not as good) below.

Link to YouTube video

I learned this night that Michael Jackson has suffered heart failure. Though I have never been a huge Jackson-fan myself, I am still touched by the news. Knowing nothing about his real personal life (who was this man of mystery?), the man was a pop music and pop culture genius. We’re talking about a person that changed what pop music was, and set the course for how pop music sounds today. He now joins Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Kurt Cobain in the group of people who changed pop music and passed away too early. We are deeply in dept to Michael Jackson and his work, and I sincerely hope that he will rest in peace.

Janne Bengtsson (my father, for those of you wondering about us being related or not), has put his latest work with Jonas Palm, “Wild Boars in Barbed Wire” online at last.fm. I highly recommend this record for those of you interested in experimental electronic music. I especially love the first track, “24 OCT 2007″. I can also recommend Jonas Palm’s album “Urdu Love And Other Global Love Themes“.