Johan Agebjörn is one of the best electronic music producers in Europe but his preference for understatement has meant he has often been overlooked by the wider public.

Best known as the sonic mastermind behind the pristine dreamy disco of Sally Shapiro, Johan Agebjörn has long maintained a parallel life in psychology while treating music making as his hobby. But that mode of operation has ensured that whether in dance, pop or ambient circles, his cinematic synthscapes and infectious rhythms remain fresh to the ears.

Coming 15 years after the Swede’s first volume of ‘Casablanca Nights’ which featured LE PRIX and QUEEN OF HEARTS among others, ‘Casablanca Nights 2: The Unveiled Chapter’ is like its predecessor, full of various vocalists from across the globe. Carrying the nostalgic charm of an obscure VHS sequel discovered in a closed video store, the record sees Agebjörn harmonising with his guests by building meticulously tailored electronic worlds around their distinct emotional tones.

The album launches with ‘Falling’, a cover of the stark Julia-Sophie number from her 2024 album ‘forgive too slow’; Agebjörn elevates the track into an uptempo atmospheric gem that highlights the warm contralto of fellow Swede Yota. Equally compelling is the LITTLE BOOTS collaboration ‘Beautiful Stranger’; seeded during Victoria Hesketh’s tenure with the ABBA Voyage band, the track delivers a gloriously bittersweet chorus reminiscent of ‘Angel Eyes’, effectively imagining what it might sound like if Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Annifrid had ventured into retrowave.

Despite there being no vocal constant, this record actually thrives on its variety like a high-tech modern day K-Tel album; New York darklings R. MISSING lend an icy enigmatic allure to the wonderful ‘Fakesnow’ that drives deeply into its hypnotic Italo-influenced loop. The duo return to close the album with ‘Nightbows’, a track complete with a swirling synth solo that is tailored for watching the aurora borealis.

Elsewhere, Agebjörn recruits true Italo disco royalty; the legendary Fred Ventura features on ‘My Only One’ where his chic vocals and vintage vocoders float over Agebjörn’s synthwave-flavoured production. Meanwhile, Tom Hooker – the true voice behind Den Harrow – delivers on an updated 2026 treatment of ‘Have You Ever Been In Love?’, pulling off that tricky balance of sounding both authentically vintage and modern. Having also originally appeared on the soundtrack to the film ‘Videoman’, the timeless ‘Love On Ice’ featuring Ryan Paris and Sally Shapiro retains its fabulous frost-dusted allure.

Norwegian jazz musician Ellen Andrea Wang adds some Nordic soul on  a breezy number co-written with Elizabeth Morphew aka QUEEN OF HEARTS while BUNNY X are as sultry as ever with ‘Filled Me Up’ and co-produced by regular collaborator Mikael Ögren, Agebjörn provides a smooth sonic palette that allows the New York duo to reveal a wispier side to their character.

As Agebjörn also embraces playful pop textures across ‘Casablanca Nights 2’, synthwave queen NINA brings warmth and wonder to the glorious ‘Hush Hush Baby’, an ode to motherhood that captures the glossy spirit of Rachel Stevens and her underrated 2005 long player ‘Come & Get It’. Dana Jean Phoenix steps out of hiatus for ‘Waiting For Magic’, a house-infused party starter also co-produced with Mikael Ögren that features a surprise rap section from the Canadian pocket rocket and a burning sax solo from Steve Moore. Phoenix later reappears on the holiday ballad ‘Will You Be Home For Christmas?’ which adds an addition to a tradition of past seasonal recordings that Agebjörn has produced with Sally Shapiro like ‘Anorak Christmas’ and ‘Christmas Escape’.

‘Casablanca Nights 2’ feels less like a simple compilation and more like an expansive celebration of sophisticated electronic pop music in its coherence. It may have taken Agebjörn 15 years to follow up the first ‘Casablanca Nights’ and while he has joked about extending this saga across decades to come, he really should bring forward ‘Casablanca Nights 3’ based on this worthy and wonderful evidence.

‘Casablanca Nights 2: The Unveiled Chapter’ is released by Blanco Y Negro Music on 30th October 2026 as a vinyl LP and download, pre-order from https://agebjorn.bandcamp.com/album/casablanca-nights-2-the-unveiled-chapter

The Bandcamp album listening party takes place on 29th October at 22:00 CET

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
27th October 2026