60 Seconds With.. Shlomi Abe
It seems like you’ve had a great summer. What’s been the highlight? And how does it measure up against other summers?
I was never entirely sure if I’m a summer or winter person , i love to play in a warm dark club while its raining cold outside , but summers got ibiza.. which lakes the difference . so in between all the festivals and the open airs , seeing all the good friends and colleagues in ibiza its every summer highlight .
How are you getting on with Be As One? You’ve put out some great records recently…
Thank you very much , I’m very happy with where the label is going these days , I’m taking it back to its roots and keeping it underground and far from any agendas , this label is not about making hits and bestsellers , just a real genuine platform to release the music that reflecting my world.
I’m very thankful for all the fantastic artists as truncate, markus suckut , eduardo de la calle , jeroen search and others for really being supportive and helpful in this never-ending project.
What’s been your favourite memory in house music up to this point?
So many strong memories from the past 20 years , i can’t forget derrick may playing “sylvester – you make me feel” at the legendary homan 17 in jerusalem back in 1998 , he dropped this classic house record in the middle of a banging techno set , somewhere around the sunrise .. then i really understand what is goosbumps and how music can change the world .
How would you describe a day in the studio for you? Is each day different?
Sensitive subject .. since I’m without a studio for 3 months now , we moved to barcelona and i left my studio back in tel aviv. They are actually all the same , its a ritual , somethings must be in place. for example i will never seat in the studio with a jeans , it will always be in a comfortable house cloths in the good case or just with underwear in the worst .
How do you think your personality shines through in the music you make?
I think its kinda shine in a opposite way , my music is very driving and groovy , while I’m mostly very lazy and laid back person, My music is very clubby while I’m mostly a home person, in a sense its the perfect Antithesis .. thats all change with couple of vodka glasses though .
And how does your mood dictate the sort of music that you make?
I can’t put my finger on it , but I’m sure its effecting in many ways , its just the way of life , everything we doing reflects our moods, and vies versa.
Where are you at with your own productions right now then? Are you really happy with them or do you still feel there’s room for improvement?
Actually I’m never really satisfied with my productions , there is always room for improvement , allot of room , the day i will stop feel this way will be a sad day for me , it means i lost my passion .
Do you think producers ever get to a stage where they stop learning about the complexities of sound?
Definitely not, its very arrogant to think you know it all , someone once said “ smart people are those who knows they don’t know anything ”. learning experience is what keeps us alive.. especially with ART which is very undefined platform.
From that point of view, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned when it comes to making music over the years?
As much as it may sounds cliché .. just make music for yourself , not for others , not for charts and not for sales, the best things happen when you unguided, normally as any artists i shifted left and right with the waves over th years , but now more then ever i believe in been happy rather being successful .
So how do you scrub up on it all? Do you read books? Watch tutorials? Do courses?
No ,i just learn on the go, i don’t believe books can tell us anything about music beyond the basic notes and structure , as much as they can’t tell us anything about our souls or feelings , its too personal and individual. I learned making music from scratch, without any real knowledge , i think discovering things on the go, while making many mistakes on the way is what define your sound eventually … same as our characters.
How difficult is it to do something ‘different’ in music these days do you reckon? Do you think too many producers are trying to just imitate other people?
No one can make music without being influenced by something that already exist , its natural evolution , but some producers out there still mange to do it in a different way, great minds always making great things, most of the times it happens by mistake , no one can really seat and say ,” i want to do something different”, its just can’t work.
What’s the next step for you? And how excited are you for it all?
Thats a good question , simply as we are still early in the summer and I’m just trying to enjoy it all these days without looking too much ahead , i just recently moved to barcelona , i used to live in tel aviv in winters and ibiza for summers, but now with a 6 months old baby its getting bait more complicated to relocate every few months , so barcelona is the perfect place for such a compromise . now we working on build our home here and getting to know the city bait better , this time from a residents point of views .
