Hey Maayan thank you for taking the time out to speak to us today, what have you been listening to, watching or reading that has been inspiring you recently?
I just got a bunch of books from Alain De Botton whom I've been admiring for years for his ability to make philosophy connect to the simplest of people and day to day life. I've been listening to a lot of psychedelic rock (there will be a mix) and watched cooky films like ‘All that jazz’ and the disturbing Melancholia. Not bored at all these days.
Have you played any stand out events recently?
I was in Israel recently, playing two gigs in Tel-Aviv in amazing clubs. At the block, which is an excellent club with an outstanding vision, I had a trippy back to back with Guy Gerber, using my records as tools together with guy's live set.
Then the day after had a long long disco session at a small place called Deli. perfect hangover cure.
You reside in Berlin currently, although you originally hail from Tel Aviv, how does somewhere like Berlin compare to Tel Aviv, I make the comparison as I believe there is a very vibrant alternative music scene there?
Extremely vibrant. There are so many different concepts for the clubs & bars which makes it a boutique like scene. Berlin, as well, is not a boring city and it doesn't go to sleep. Many people know the big clubs that more or less offer the same experience or same music but there's also a cool underground scene of creative people that take things to the next level when it comes to creating an atmosphere and giving more dimensions to a party.
Has there been a kind of exodus from the city since recently since the zeitgeist shifted and are you happy to keep you Berlin base for the time being?
The boats keep on dropping new immigrants on the shores of berlin. The city is changing rapidly and it's becoming harder and harder to say what how even the nearer future in this city will look like. As for me, I planted my roots with two fat cats and a heavy piano and now it's a home and I intend to enjoy this feeling for a long while.
I read an answer you gave on being asked about your dj sets "How would you describe the mood your music aims to evoke?"
"It’s sort of an experience, something that actually happened, and provokes a certain feeling that everyone can share. It can be small stuff that happened to you in day-to-day with people. It’s romance, it’s breakup, it’s trying to figure out life. Basically, each track is a week or a month that I’ve been going through. And later on, if you really listen to it, you will understand that the words, the sounds, and the arrangements come together for the same idea."
So firstly I'd like to commend you on one of the best answers I have read to that question and secondly I'd like to ask you… really? There are quite a lot of phycological processes going on there and while I'm aware of the fact you spend a lot of time in contemplation this seems like an excessively involved process for a DJ set.
It's no effort at all. The magic of playing vinyl records is the memories that are attached to the object. I can remember when I listened to them and how I felt at that time. it's not unusual for people to connect certain tracks with certain people or pin down a song to some epic moment in a festival or a lonely moment at home looking at the phone. What I do is very intuitive and driven more by gut feeling than brainy contemplation. The meditative process is fitting before & after.
Many of your label signings came about after spending time with the people behind the labels ie Wolf + Lamb and Cadenza, is it important to have that personal interaction with the people releasing your music and why?
So important. I need to feel the comfort of working with friends that I love and trust and appreciate their music orientation. I even remember once or twice being befriended by label owners that at the end only wanted to release my music. I felt so cheap...
Is it different working with Cadenza to say, labels you have worked with in the past - how?
It is different and I'm still adjusting to working with a big label/agency like cadenza. There are just so many people involved as oppose to working or talking with just one person that does it all. On the bright side, I get to be in contact with a lot of my closest friends that work in the label and agency and tour around with buddies, which makes the travel a lot more fun.
Lets talk about your new album, "New Moon". What was your motivation behind this Album?
New Moon is a compilation of some of the music I've been creating for the past two years or so. All the tracks I decided to include in the album fitted the concept of letting go of the past and giving in to a new change.
We have already established that there is a lot of emotional processes behind your DJ sets, by that logic there must be some very profound messages in your album… what story we you trying to tell with new moon?
Actually the description in my answer from the other interview fits better to my production style in that my productions are conceptual and when you hear a track the sounds and beats and voices as vocals will fit the idea of the track.
New Moon is a compilation of different moments that are profound and yet common to anyone. All these moments are telling a story of bones that life throws to you and at times throws at you and the way you handle those different situations can bring you closer to seeing the bigger picture and open to a better understanding, hence - new moon.
Where did you envision people listening to the album when you were making it?
In their own minds, eyes shut. Not trying to be tacky here, this is my honest answer.
Your album is unsurprisingly eclectic, there are warm soothing moments there but there are also moments of tension and almost deliberate unease, was your aim to challenge the listener rather than serenade them?
I didn't mean to cause any discomfort, you can have your money back. I can tell you though that the deeper moments are very personal and might not be 'dinner music' like my first album.
So I imagine there is a lot of interviews and touring on the horizon with the forthcoming release of your album, is that part of the game as much fun as the inception / fruition / realization?
Touring is great! It's all those interviews that are giving me finger cramps. And although it's nice to share my thoughts with the readers there are a lot of no-brainer questions that are left unanswered. Seems like a lot of music magazines are being printed just for the pictures.
Where can we see you performing int he coming weeks?
Next week, on may 19 , I will have the release party for new moon at Wilde Renate in berlin with a lot of good friends like vera, Cesar merveille, eddie c, Julien Chaptal, katou and many more. Hopefully the Sunday after will be sunny and we can go to the renate's back yard for some couch spinning.