Yuval Dovev recently filed the following report about the Israeli trance scene:
Returning recently from Israel, I have brought with me two Trance music records, one called "In Trance", the latest of Avi Sabag and his group, and another titled "In Door - Progressive Trance", the names of the composers I don't remember.
Anyway, I made my English friends listen to both those albums. Reluctant at first to even listen, they got completely hooked after the first hearing, and my disks are circulating like a crazy carousel amongst my friends - I don't get to listen to them any more!
Apparently, Israeli musicians are composing trance music of international standard. The friends' appreciation to Israeli Trance music, made me think that Israel break into the international music market should be via Instrumental music of some sort, rather than with Hebrew lyrics songs translated into English. There is really something in music, pure music, that transcends boundaries and cultures, especially in highly emotional and "visual" music such as trance. Usually, Israeli music was either marketed in the unfamiliar Hebrew language, or with unfamiliar idiomatic Hebrew expressions translated into English (in which case they mean nothing to the foreign listener), or converted into non-up-to-date or poor language English expressions (in which case they just sound stupid). The language poses a barrier unpenetrable for Israelis attempting to get a shot at the international market.
The Israeli musicians are undoubtedly talented. There is no reason why Israel should not have a stack at the International music market - the solution, as I see it, lies in the instrumental music, and the instrumental music that applies to European youth nowadays is trance, house and the rest of the rave scene music. Try and pass this message to Israeli Trance musicians and record companies - expand your boundaries, you might be surprised! (I will gladly take commission if the idea comes to light, but I will be content with the mere fact of Israeli contemporary music being listened to by youth around the world.
I recommend the trance CD's produced by Gal Offer S.D.R music. His music store is at Shankin 10 Tel Aviv and you can get there all kind of house and trance music CD's. The best are GOA trance 1 and 2. -- wheitz@mail.sdsu.edu, August 13 1996
Willow Alleck adds: Israeli trance music is brilliant.After spending a year at a little kibbutz near Rosh Pinna, my saturady night pub nights would have been really bad if it wasn't for the totally spin out qualities of this brilliant music. The pub "the alternativa" is the place to be if you are in the Hulla Valley....
So what do you think? Any trance records you'd recommend? Any we should avoid? Let RadioHazak know!
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