Johan Israelson grew up in the small industrial town of Köping in the central part of Sweden. A spark ignited through punk music, fostering a sense of freedom to create his own music. In 1991, he moved to Stockholm for education in construction engineering and architecture, marking a fresh start for Johan to expand his musical horizons through various collaborations and experimentation. It was during this time that the band LoveKings formed, and after only four rehearsals and a triumphant performance in Stockholm, the band signed a contract with a major record label. With their Manchester-inspired music, LoveKings released two albums, ”Shark” and ”Deeper,” earning a reputation as Sweden’s best live act, highlighted by an iconic interview on ZTV where Johan epitomized confidence with a Västmanland accent. Interestingly, the album titles allude to Johan Israelson’s significant interest in sharks. The attitude and chaotic lifestyle led the band to be virtually blacklisted from the Swedish music scene. Johan sums it up briefly: ”I remember those years as completely insane!”

LoveKings split up in 1993, and Israelson chose to continue collaborating with the band’s producer, Carl-Mikael Herlöfsson, resulting in the electronic band AMEN. The band, or perhaps more accurately Johan Israelson’s solo project, was signed by MCA/Universal and launched prominently in the USA, Europe, and Japan. However, during the USA launch in 2000, plans for a tour with Mercury Rev were abruptly halted after a few performances in New York. Due to apparently another band with the same name, they were given an ultimatum to remove all records from shelves and leave the country, or face legal action. Nevertheless, Johan remained undeterred. ”I was actually relieved by the incident; I found myself in a situation with hired musicians and felt extremely uncomfortable,” he recounts.

After the USA adventure, Israelson gathered his favorite musicians, including Jörgen Wall, Peter Puders, Patrik Frank, Pierre Lindsjöö, and others, to begin his solo album ”Moonwalk.” It turned out to be an incredibly slow and expensive production, testing the patience of the record label. Israelson was dropped by the label and instead chose to release the album independently through Vesper Recordings in 2004 under his own name.

After years of searching and uncertainty about ever releasing music again, Israelson is now back. ”I was approached by producer Mats Landberg to make an album and got the chance to work with the musicians in Sweden who mean the most to me, and who understood the feeling I wanted to express with my music,” Johan explains. Originally, the idea was for the album to be more electronic, but it evolved during the journey into the sonic landscape represented in ”Light 3: AM CET.”

Johan Israelson now resides on Gotland and works as an architect, interior designer, designer, and artist. Music is always present and a driving force in his creativity, preferably played on a humble vinyl player spinning in the dust.