Feeling ‘Different’: An interview with Tal Tobi on innovation and musical evolution
Tal Tobi, a distinguished DJ and music production name, began his illustrious career in 1999 as the youngest DJ to perform at the legendary Ha’homan 17 Club in Jerusalem. Since then, he has consistently nurtured his international career, captivating audiences at top clubs across Europe, the U.S., and South America.
Tal’s unique style and charisma shine through in every performance, whether at clubs, private events, or high-end corporate functions. His ability to conquer the dance floor has made him a sought-after DJ and a respected music producer.
In collaboration with Nino Tores, Tal’s latest EP, ‘DIFFERENT,’ was just presented via Beats On Time. The release’s title track features a compelling vocal sample from an interview with a musical savant, delivering a dark, twisted, and massive beat-driven experience. ‘Minako’ offers a groovy, quirky vibe with a Japanese influence, while ‘Strange’ takes listeners on an abstract melodic journey. Tal Tobi’s innovative approach and dynamic partnership with Nino Tores have resulted in a captivating and diverse musical project. Here’s our chat with him.
EG: Hi Tal, welcome to EG! Where are you joining us from today?
Tal Tobi: It’s a pleasure to be here – I’m in beautiful and sunny Tel Aviv.
EG: Your latest EP, ‘DIFFERENT,’ in collaboration with Nino Tores via Beats On Time, has been turning heads. Can you tell us more about the title track and how you approached its production? How did you navigate the unique vocal sample in the process?
Tal Tobi: Actually, the story of ‘DIFFERENT’ is interesting – when Nino and I started the studio session, we wanted to create a different kind of track with a story behind it. In this session, we wanted to explore different kinds of people and stories. We found this extraordinary recording of an interview from the late sixties of a psychiatrist talking with one of his patients, a beautiful musician with schizophrenia who just wanted to play the piano for people. You can understand from this interview that the patient understands his condition and knows he is “not completely like other people.” Once we heard that, we knew this would be the vocal for ‘DIFFERENT.’ So we combined a track that is not completely like other tracks with this beautiful soul that is not completely like other people. Actually, ‘DIFFERENT’ is very different from what we usually do.
EG: ‘Minako’ has a groovy and quirky vibe with a Japanese influence. What inspired you and Nino Tores to explore Japanese rhythm and sound for this track? What was the most challenging part of the creative process?
Tal Tobi: For ‘Minako,’ the story begins with our passion for world music – as for all of this EP session, we wanted to create something we hadn’t tried before. We played with special scales until we hit the Japanese special scale. The most challenging thing for me was to find the right Japanese sound to make it as original as possible. Japanese sound is so special and so many instruments are involved in this process – I think we did a pretty good job ☺.
EG: Track 3, ‘Strange,’ is described as an abstract journey with melodic sounds. How did you and Nino approach the creation of this track? What did you want listeners to feel or experience?
Tal Tobi: ‘Strange’ – the name goes before the track. From the start, we wanted to create a strange sound that would instantly catch the listener’s ears and attention. We created this “strange” sound that holds for almost the entire track. And well, you can’t make strange sounds without adding some melody alongside. Our thoughts were to make this climbing melody to make the listeners get excited. This track was not aimed at dance floors, but it works perfectly on them. The melody for this track really makes a difference on the dance floor and brings the set to life.
“We combined a track that is not completely like other tracks with this beautiful soul that is not completely like other people”
EG: How did your collaboration with Nino Tores come about? What was the dynamic like working together, and how did your backgrounds influence the EP?
Tal Tobi: Nino and I go way back – music got us to know each other, and this collaboration was only a matter of time. I’m really happy that ‘DIFFERENT’ EP is our outcome. Be sure this is not the last one we’ll do together – the dynamic was absolutely wonderful. Each of us brought his own feelings and beliefs to the studio, and we have total respect for one another.
EG: As the founder and head of CiTiC, how do you balance your role there with your work as a DJ and producer? Does your involvement with CiTiC shape your artistic vision?
Tal Tobi: I think that being the Head of Production in a city like Tel Aviv makes you really see the real scene for what it is. I think that by doing it, as an artist, you really see a variety of people, music, and environments that, without being on top of everything, I would not be exposed to. It helped me open up to new styles, learn what makes the dance floor pump, and help me be open-minded in my production, and make tracks like ‘DIFFERENT’ exist.
EG: You’ve played on some of the biggest stages in Tel Aviv and beyond. What do you enjoy most about live performances, and how do they influence your music-making process?
Tal Tobi: I think that as an artist who plays his own music, every single track started from an idea back in the studio. Then you see the crowd’s reaction hearing it for the first time – or even better, knowing your tracks already. There is nothing that can fulfill your soul better than this.
EG: Can you share any upcoming projects or releases with us? What musical direction or sound are you currently exploring?
Tal Tobi: For the moment, as we can see and hear that the scene is looking for happier, high-tempo music, the next release is going in that direction – a more pumping kind of tech-house combination. I’d like to explore this direction.
“There is nothing that can fulfill your soul better than this”
EG: As a fan of analog sound waves, what’s one piece of vintage gear or instrument you can’t live without? Any interesting stories behind how you acquired it?
Tal Tobi: The Moog collection makes me very happy – deep-ending sounds and twisted high notes – that’s all I need.
EG: What’s the last movie, book, or TV show you enjoyed and would recommend to our readers?
Tal Tobi: I’m more of a music guy than anything else. I recommend you listen to this guy called Nino Tores (I heard he is good).
EG: What can you tell us about yourself that might surprise us?
Tal Tobi: I’m fu**ng 40! I’m a proud daddy of two, and I love it! I’ve just opened a music school where we teach music theory for producers alongside Ableton online courses and a DJ course, find more at www.djlessons.co.il.
EG: Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights with us, Tal Tobi! We wish you all the best with “DIFFERENT” and your upcoming projects.
Tal Tobi: Thank you, guys, for having me! See you on the dance floor!
Tal Tobi and Nino Tores’ new EP ‘DIFFERENT’ is now available via Beats On Time. Stream and buy here.
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