April « 2008 «

Monday, April 28, 2008

My contribution to the birtday dinner

We had a all-men-day saturday on my birthday, which included brunch, poker, sauna and finally dinner (with some great polish vodka and mojitos). Inspired by some Gordon Ramsay techniques this was my contribution;

A parmaham and watermelon salad
with feta cheese and maché leafs
topped with a basil and blueberry vinaegrette.

My beloved friends around my beloved dinner table.

Posted by Jonatan at 10:02:33 | Permalink | No Comments »

Sunday, April 27, 2008

The Death Penalty

Everytime someone writes about philosophical questions it have to be at length, volumes upon volumes, thought I’d just break with that idea right now. I just wanted to drop a thought that is seldom discussed in the debate regarding the death penalty. I would like to claim that the death penalty is both philosophically and empirically unsound. Why? We need to consider the idea of punishment. Should we penalize people? How and why?

My question is simply this; As long as we don’t know what happens when we died - how can death be used as a penalty? This is an aspect I’ve never heard being discussed in this debate. We all think that our belief about life-after-death or no-life-after-death is right, but as long as we can’t prove this, the death penalty seems utterly unsound to use as penalty. Hypothetically it could just as well be rewarding the judged person.

Posted by Jonatan at 22:55:53 | Permalink | No Comments »

The good thing about being a hypocrite

Today I’ve been taking it easy, mainly saying a few good byes on myspace and watching Weeds. For those of you unaquainted with Weeds it’s a series about a white suburbian mom who deals to provide for her family. It’s both glamourizing the dealing and showing its downsides, which doesn’t seem to be too many in the beginning but rapidly build up. What I like is that she is an american mom, typically, but also does this thing which she on the one hand thinks lowly of herself. I like the series because it does in a way encourage hypocrisy.
What? Am I endoursing pushing dope? Well, that’s not what I’m saying. I simply think that we ought to allow a bit more hipocrisy in our lives. Why? Because although you realize that there are different sides to you that doesn’t match, living in the duality (which hypocrisy calls for) makes you embrace both sides. Admitting the problem is the first step in all the 12-step programs, right? But even if it’s not a problem - or if you don’t have an especially good and a bad side to you, living with these feats at the same time to me sounds like a good idea.
CG Jung talked about the persona, the person you project and present to the world, which is a polished (shallow) version of yourself. Dear uncle Freud wrote a book about our uneasyness in relation whichever culture we belong to. Maybe you can’t get your sides, interests and feats to co-exist within your persona, and that makes you - in other peoples’ eyes - a hypocrite. But I think we should hail our hypocrisy as a reminder that we are more than what other people think about us. Hypocrisy is most likely them not understanding our being fully, most of the time. Thanks Nancy for that insight.

Posted by Jonatan at 16:13:46 | Permalink | No Comments »

Thursday, April 24, 2008

I hope I never grow old …

… enough to become like the lady I met in the common washing room of my apartment building this morning. I realized far too late, when crashing at Andreas’ (Swell Session’s) place, that I had laundry hanging to dry that I needed to collect before eight in the morning. Not very happy I went up too early and rode the tram across town, only to get a lecture from an old woman who you would think was working for Mr Muscle on provision base, given how important cleanliness (which we all know is next to godlyness) is.
What is it with ladies of a certain age, is there really nothing more important in their life than to impose their small reality on other people? Is there a gene that develop with time and will one day consume the Jonatan I know now? The questions are so many, but instead of grappling with them, I’ll get some sleep before my proper (history of religion) lecture today.

/Jonatan, 125 days to being a (aparently sloppy) father.

Posted by Jonatan at 07:24:21 | Permalink | No Comments »

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Motto breakdown

Thought I’d share a little philosophy of life with you.
I have a way of putting it, but within this clip I think that mr Rock says it very eloquently.

The quote I’m after is (at aprox 2.55 in the video) “Anyone who makes up their mind, before they hear the question - is a fucking fool!”. My motto is worded slightly differently, but definitely related;

There are 6 billion people in the world.
Someone is bound to have a better idea than you.
Always be prepared to reavaluate your position.

Yes, I have yet to discover a better system of social security than Sweden’s, no, I have still not found a Riesling that I enjoyed, yes, my experiences tell me that God is indeed very real, and yes, I do belive that there is a progressive trance track out there that I could really dig. Just because it hasn’t quite happened yet, it doesn’t mean that it never will.

/Jonatan, 126 days to go.

Posted by Jonatan at 15:23:20 | Permalink | No Comments »

Request it!

Like I’ve already written, the growth of this blogg is likely to be more like a living organism rather than something in static columns and rows - so in short, is there something you need to see, hear, feel and urgently ? - then write me and leave a comment!
I’ll try as best I can to accomodate your needs and wishes.

Yours truly
/Jonatan

Posted by Jonatan at 13:43:14 | Permalink | No Comments »

Monday, April 21, 2008

A selected discography

Here is my latest business card, which also happens to be a good representation of my discography. It’s not all released, but the main bulk. Below are some short discriptions. I will re-update this at times until it’s complete.

From the top, left to right;

1 ERNESTO: ALBUM
My debut album, with personal favourites like Tip Toe, Soul Creation & …And Listen Love… + a never before released Beanfield Remix of Can’t Live Without God.
Go to album on iTunes.
Currently only available digitally in Europe.

2 ERNESTO: A NEW BLUES
Available both digitally and physicaly, through Columbia in Japan & Exceptional Records world wide.
A NEW BLUES on iTunes.

3 ERNESTO SINGS
Japanese only compilation (on Village Again) of various collaborations. No current plans to make a world wide version.

4 ERNESTO: FIND THE FORM
Japanese Edition, released on Columbia, April 2006.

5 ERNESTO: FIND THE FORM
Digital world wide release + Physical in Scandinavia (on own label Horse von Linné), May 2007.
FIND THE FORM on iTunes.

6 SWELL SESSION: SWELL COMMUNICATIONS SAMPLER, VOL 1
Released on Freerange Records. I’m featured on the track “Prepared to Go” with Swell Session + Seiji.
SwellCom sampler on iTunes.

7 QUANT: GETTING OUT
Jonas Quant’s second album, where I’m featured on “Tryin’”, “Self Control”, “Miracle Man” & “Getting Up”
GETTING OUT on iTunes.

8 ARVID FT ERNESTO: TRY
Arvid Niklasson from Plej and me, released on Naked Music NYC. Featuring Landshark, Andy Caldwell & Fenomenon Remixes.
TRY on iTunes.

9 SWELL SESSION VS ERNESTO: LET ME DECIDE
Counted as the first broken beat track to emerge out of Sweden. This is available on my “Album” but also in a longer version;
Let Me Decide 12″ version on iTunes.

More to follow another day.
As you can see, my email address is also on the card, should you have the need to get in touch!

Bye for now.
/Jonatan

Posted by Jonatan at 07:32:51 | Permalink | No Comments »

How did we end up this way?

It seems to be a classical existensial question. So how did I end up having a jonatan.blog.com? In fact, the answer is kind of existential. I’ve had several myspace profiles, which felt a bit off but it wasn’t until I read fellow Kortedala resident Jens Lekman’s thoughts on how myspace (et al) devalue music through the use of its immense floodgates, that I could put my own feelings into words - and action.

I don’t want to be a collectibe or disposable - a virtual pokémon card amongst thousands. And I really do want to hear what people think about my music, performances and blog posts - but not in a generically molded setting where the main bulk of “conversation” is flyers for gigs in cities I’ve never visited.

Everytime you create a webpage, a forum or community profile, you think long and hard about how to organize things; how to present them nicely and neatly? Usually with time, however, your elegant interface turns out a royal mess. So instead of reworking an old interface in need of an overhaul all too soon, I will provide bits and pieces along the way and hope that they contribute to a meaningfull(er) whole.
Instead of judging what is uninteresting and extra-interesting, and making the priorities for you, the chaotics bits will hopefully assemble to a representation of my life more in keeping with “reality”.

It’s my hope that attempt to reach out as an artist, fellow human being and whatnot will be of more interest, than a polished or generic version of life. This is my way of reaching out to you, without spamming your inbox or your comment window. You know where to find me, and I invite you to share this with me.

Yours Sincerely
/Jonatan, 128 days from being a dad.

Posted by Jonatan at 06:12:02 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Sunday, April 20, 2008

I believe that introductions are in order

Welcome. For those of you who have made your way here, you may already know what you’re looking for. My name is Jonatan Bäckelie, also going under the name Ernesto when making music (some friends however call me Loch Nessto and Love Nesto). Apart from this, I do put a lot of love into cooking, eating and drinking, and a lot of thought and deep consideration into the Science of Religion and Theology which I study at Göteborgs Universitet. I am also going to be a father August 27th, so a lot of things is definitely under way.

Best
/Jonatan, 129 days from arrival.

The clip is from my performance at Festival Re:Publik in Stockholm, June 2007.

Buy original song on iTunes.

Posted by Jonatan at 18:15:14 | Permalink | Comments (1) »