Updated 2 years ago
meets Astral Projection
November 2003
by Anthony Failla
Now the two of you have been making electronic music for about 15 years, how did the two of you actually meet?
Avi : Lior & me first got into dance music around 1988 when acid house got started in U.K. We`d already been making music for a few years, but our biggest influence around then was the first acid tracks compilation. Until that, we were both into heavier post-industrial electronic music-anything from Neon judgement to Spk, from Kraftwerk to psychic tv to skinny puppy.
You started to create and produce music together as the group “SFX” back in 1988… How do you feel your music has progressed since the days of acid house?
Avi :The concept of Astral Projection from the beginning, since the days of SFX in 1988, was first of all music, regardless of fashions coming and going.
All along the way we’re trying to preserve the concept of very high standards. Production, musical ideas, reach imagination, and very pedantic control without compromise. We spend many hours in the studio, about 10 hours a day, and work on an album about 9 months (just like pregnancy).
We don’t allow ourselves to release a product that we are no satisfied with. If you browse through our computer, you’ll find enough material to more than 100 albums, that might have make others content, but that were not good enough for us. You can play, for example, a track we made in 1993, and you’ll see people are still enjoying themselves and dance to it madly, like it was made today, in the year 2004( all ready ). And this is actually the main idea, regardless of time and fashion, keeping the quality without compromising.
Of course, with the passing of time, experience and knowledge accumulated from album to album, we added more equipment, in order to be able to make without borders and obstacles, whatever is on our minds, no encountering technical limitations.
You have your own record label, “Trust in Trance”…. How many artists are currently produced under your label?
Avi: we produced till today in our record label, “Trust in Trance” 36 albums
What instruments and software are you currently using in the studio to create your music?
Avi: we are using lots of instruments and softwares, anything goes … cu base sx … logic , analog & digital machines… lots of real analog synthesizers ,,, lots of midi work … lots of audio work … we are working also with IBM computer & also with APPLE power book G4 . we are about to buy the new G5 .soon 😉
Track is made by hard work. There’s no such thing as wham bam thank you ma’am, and here we have a track. It’s a hard work. We are starting with the sound programming, & a lot of time sitting in front of the computer.
Starting from a certain base line that’s on, adding many layers of different roles that all along the creation keep on changing. Sometimes a certain role that is created inspires the next role and the evolving of the track.
First of all we create some raw material that is on the computer way before the editing. Even in the editing stage we keep changing things, adding or changing roles according to changes created while editing, every role waits for the right time and the right entrance, and every role gets the respect it deserves, that’s why our tracks are long.
When we enter the studio to work on an album, there is no chance we will release something that we don’t love or not content with. Every time we enter the studio to work on an album we are very excited and without this excitement there is no point for the whole thing.
The mix stage, which is the final and last one, closes the process of making the track. This process usually takes us about a month. But for us a track is perfect only after we checked it in a party and we saw the audience respond, the audience is for us an active partner in all we have released so far. We write, arrange, and do sound programming all together.
There’s no single formula for the duo to put a track together though. We start a track off with a sampler, a melody line, a groove, a TB 303 sequence. Then we quickly start work on the bass and drums and build it up from there. The sounds and the mixing are worked on as we compose. It can take us from two weeks to a month to finish a track because we have the luxury of owning two professional recording studios.
How does this differ from what you use on stage to preform?
Avi : a live show can be set in different ways.
Spreading all the channels on the computer. Some of our sequences are running in audio channels & some in midi in real time. The main part of the live act is based on using filters while processing external effects & internal plug ins.
Of course all of our home studio can’t be on stage, so we search for substances, but we sure need the base: A serious console, full E.Q, at least 32 channels + quality monitors. We send back line gear requirements. In really big gigs we add a drummer that can give a nerve layer & more energy to the party.
There’s the possibility of “un real live act”. I’ve noticed that many artists are doing it, the music is played from a mixed CD & the party rocks “Full Power”. Everyone dancing & enjoying it, & I do not have a problem with this option..
Are there any artist that you guys would like to colaborate with in the future?
Avi: We have been collaborating with: Dado from Trance wave, Triliton & MFG. From time to time we are doing remixes: we did ‘God is a DJ’ for Faithless … ‘Aqua line spirit’ for Electric Universe … ‘Trance dance’ for Triliton. we`ve just finessed a remix for ” Ramirez “. These days we`ve just finished for ” Ramirez”. ( it`s going to be released on our ” TEN ” upcoming new album), but …mostly we prefer to work together (Lior & me).
Are you guys involved in any side projects?
Avi : Yes we do … but it`s a big secret 🙂 but … u can search the title ” Human Evolution ” if u want 😉
You guys play a lot of shows in your home country of Israel… Has the mood of the ppl there changed due to the war in Iraq, and the current conditions there?
Avi:The situation in Israel today can’t be understood by those who don’t live here. Everyday there is fear of the suicide bombers and it can be anywhere, on buses, kindergartens and these terrorists can harm innocent kids. Imagine yourself sitting in a restaurant, laughing with your wife, your friends and kids and all of a sudden everything is cut off by crazy killer. I feel it strongly when I’m driving with my 5 years old daughter; I look around for suspicious people all the time.
With all the terror around we try to maintain our normal life, entering the studio to try and try to run away from the crazy routine. That kind of pressure is just a part of our life – whether we want it or not.- You can hear this reflected in our musical – we call them “The Nerve Parts”.
We are lucky to have music to help us release this tension. We are very upset when we are invited to perform somewhere overseas and we turn on the radio in the hotel and hear the local news. Mostly the media is Pro-Palestinian, and it doesn’t give the balanced picture. In spite of al this, we love our country, even though we could live anywhere with our profession. But here, there is that magic that connects us. I don’t see ourselves leaving soon.
I do not believe that there is a situation like that on any other place in the world! we are in tour since ’94, we have been to many places, & Experienced quite a bit. We always say that for us there are no differences between the countries we are playing at. People everywhere are reacting in the same sympathy & frenzied to our music. I love it – a 0ne-nation party, One family.
This is an unacceptable situation. People had enough from the police trashing the party, they had it with the drug dealers, the criminals who come to spoil the parties. People prefer to go to the big raves, to the Club-Trance where the police do not show up from some reason.
In Israel the Trance did caught “Big time”. We have got the best musicians, we have the best audience in the world, an audience that knows what he wants, audience that knows what he is going to get when he comes to a party. The un-bearable political situation, the everyday terrorists attacks, people are in constant tension, they don’t know where & when & what will happen the next day, who shall live, & all of that means – Pressure!
Is there any artist that you feel ppl. in the states should watch out for in the coming year?
AVI :We look at the new generation artists like: Astrix, Atomic Pulse, Dynamic, Sesto Sento, Star -X , Melicia , Passenger, Domestic. They are all breaking everywhere & we are very happy to see the scene grows & we are glad to inspire so many talented artists & opened the door for Israeli Trance music to be so recognized & well admired around the world. The best producer at the moment is Avi Algranati from Space Cat.
You guys have toured the world many times by now…
Aside from your home country of Israel, Which country would you say is producing the most cutting edge trance right now?
Is there any particular country or city that you especially enjoy preforming in?
Avi: It’s a tough question. Each party has its own magic -the place, the view, the people, & there were plenty of parties. I think Goa ’99 was one of the best in our career. We played most of our music from many years for many hours. The crowed knew all the tracks. It was in Anjuna’s Flee market.
It was a party that was organized in a few hours. People kept asking us when the party is, & we were there just for a holiday! We didn’t plan anything. We realized that something has to be done & we got it together with a place, sound system & Baksheesh. In few hours we were surrounded by 2,000 people who came out of knowhere! I like this kind of parties. I remember another one in Fuji Mt. in Japan, a party under an active volcano. It was a party inside a cloud. Beautiful scenery & great crowd!
Any thoughts on some of your recent releases?
We were working on our artist’s album AMEN for almost two years and we had plenty of materials. We wanted it to be perfect album from all aspects, as well as maintain our integrity.
During these two years, we tested the new tracks at parties for our crowd. The tracks which received positive energies from the crowd, we marked as the tracks which work for us. It took us time, but we are so lucky that no one measured our studio hours with a stopwatch. We recorded the entire album in our two studios. A good and interesting album must contain new ideas, new sequences and new sounds. The easiest would be to re-cycle ourselves, but we didn’t want that. We kept the Astral’s concept with our typical sounds, but with new elements in the audio work.
Now the both of you are married and Avi has a daughter… Has it been difficult to balance family, production, recording, the touring?
Avi:thanks god ! i`m not married any more 😉 We got divorce a few months ago me & my ex wife still good friends! We have our little princess ” Amit ” ( u can see her on our cover on Amen cd ). My little angel ” Amit ” she is everything to me . the all world . mostly we are traveling for 1 or 2 days and we get back to the ” normal.” Life in Israel … u know … working at the studio, running the label.taking careof Amit . this is the best platform for all the musicians gig in out, and Boom straight to the real life .
Can we expect any new releases coming out soon?
Avi: . ! We plan a remix’s album of all our classics tracks, performed by top Trance musicians that you all know well ( such as GMS, John Fleming, Dynamic, Star-X, Astrix, Atomic Pulse & many more. No dates yet, the name of this remixes album will be : TEN . Already in a deep process. Around April 2004 we plan a release of a new Israeli Psychedelic Trance Vol. 6 And yes … DVD including T.V interviews, live shows, studio work, making off, video clips for our classics tracks
What is the future of “Astral Projection”?
Avi: the future of “Astral Projection” is continue doing what we are doing … never stop !!! our aim now is to bring our music ( & thru us all the trance movement ) into every houses around the world ! YES !
Any final thoughts or things you would liketo say to your fans?
We were nothing without your love & without your support. At our web site – www.astral-projection.com – we receive hundreds of e-mails from fans who expresses their love & this is the most exiting thing in the world for us!
Thanks alot
Avi Nissim
Astral Projection
www.astral-projection.com
Thank you for your time and patience. Maybe I will see you at the show
Shalom, Anthony Failla
The Party
Hey Guys,
This week the World’s Leading Trance Oganization return to Arc. This time, they’re bringing one of the true legends in All of Trance: Astral Projection, these guys are the true pioneers of the Goa Sound. Don’t miss this rare chance to see this guys doing a Live PA. For $25 Reduced Admission email mike_smilez@yahoo.com. i’ll see you on the dancefloor!
Cheers,
mikelongo@hotmail.com
TSUNAMI:
ASTRAL PROJECTION, live
DJ Sets:
AVI (Astral Projection)
YONI (Astral Projection)
LIOR
JOA
Ambient Room:
MINDS OF DEMENTED
ZVEKA TAMIR
$30 general admission,
$25 reduced with before 5 am
Doors open at 11 pm
Email mike_smilez@yahoo.com for reduced admission
Please provide first name and last initial of everyone attending
Ask for Smilez list at the door
ARC (formerly Vinyl)
6 Hubert Street @ Hudson Street
