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Features
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| Fertile talk about the 90s spark, analog dreams, and the power of collaboration, ahead of their debut album release 'Everywhere' on Iono Music! | | Celebrating 35 incredible years of Banco de Gaia | | Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino |
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Celebrating 10 years of HOMmega Records with Eyal Yankovich
Reported by HarderFaster
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Submitted 02-05-07 20:34
All good things take time: a cliché for sure but certainly one that applies to the worlds of music, art and literature perhaps more than anything else. Eyal Yankovich has spent a large proportion of his life putting psy trance on the map — Israeli psy trance in particular — in the form of such top names as Yahel, Infected Mushroom, Astrix, Xerox & Illumination, X-NoiZe, Sub6, Psy Sex and Dali. After a two-year stint as A&R at established Israeli label BNE, Eyal formed his own company HOMmega Records and has spent the last ten years building it into the giant it is today. With HOMmega celebrating its first decade in the business by having its entire roster headline the main stage of the forthcoming 07.07.07 Open Air Festival and Eyal, Astrix and Xerox & Illumination in town this weekend for the launch party at Psychedelic Academy 3 on Sunday night, HarderFaster finally presents a rare exclusive interview with Managing Director Eyal Yankovich. And this interview has been a long time coming...
As anyone who’s been around the music industry for a decent period of times knows, there’s one hell of a lot more to becoming an international star then just making a few tracks and turning up to a few gigs, especially in today’s competitive times. Efficient and effective artist management and promotion is crucial, as is support, in the form of access to the best music production and creative stimulation. HOMmega founder, A&R and Managing Director Eyal Yankovich has more than proven himself in this department, with his protegés now topping the world’s charts and the HOMmega family being a formidable force in the electronic music business. It should also be mentioned at this stage that he’s not a bad DJ and producer himself, with albums such as the unmixed ‘Psychedelic Academy’ CD showing his more full on psy side, while last year’s ‘New Order’ compiled by Ace Ventura (the solo project of Psy Sex’s Yoni Oshrat) and produced by Eyal takes HOMmega on its first progressive and electro trip. The result was one of the best albums of 2006.
Eyal at Paradise City @ Alexandra Palace, December 2004
With HOMmega celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, Eyal’s artists have, as usual, received the bulk of the attention — but given their achievements it’s not surprising. The likes of Domestic, Yahel, Astrix, Xerox and Illumination, Dali, Sub6, Psy Craft, X-noiZe, Domestic and Black & White have shaped the sound of psy trance as we know it, turning what was once an underground movement into an international scene. With Eyal working as A&R of BNE for two years, his subsequent highly successful management of Infected Mushroom led them to their present spot as the top psy trance act in the 2006 DJMag top 100 at a staggering 12th place, and they’re now signed to US heavyweight artist management company Coast to Coast.
Meanwhile the current stable of HOMmega artists continues to thrive, with Astrix consistently rocking the biggest psy trance events around the globe, currently putting the final touches on his third artist album ‘Red Means Distortion’ and cruising into the top 100 for the first time in 2005 at number 75, then rising to 41 in 2006. Xerox & Illumination are about to release their third collaboration album; Sub6 have released a new EP; full-on trio Krunch have been signed and are now working on their first album; and after releasing her debut album ‘Hectic’, former rock chick Dali is now regularly touring the world with her incredible live act.
The HOMmega artists all have one thing in common, and that’s their ability to walk the fine line between underground psy trance and commercial club sounds, between uplifting accessible beats and cheese. While on the one hand this may have created an inevitable backlash from some underground psy trancers who have no desire whatsoever to see their scene gain such commercial recognition, you can’t argue that the hard work Eyal has invested over the last ten years of his life has most definitely paid off, with HOMmega being one of the most inspiring success stories of the current dance scene.
The HOMmega family
The UK is soon in for a real treat, for the entire roster will shortly be headlining the main stage at the Antiworld 07.07.07 Open Air Festival. In the even shorter term however, we’ve got a taster this Sunday night at Psychedelic Academy 3, where Astrix and Xerox & Illumination will play live and Eyal Yankovich himself will DJ, in addition to live sets from Infected Mushroom, Dejavoo and M-Klome in the main room of Brixton Academy.
While Psychedelic Academy 3 doubles as a launch party for the ground-breaking and genre-busting 07.07.07 — which surely boasts one of the most diverse dance music line-ups ever seen in a UK festival — the afterparty at the Mass is also going to be the last pure Antiworld party ever. After sharing such a close relationship with Antiworld over the last couple of years, it is only fitting that Astrix and Eyal will DJ alongside Antiworld resident Kristian and regular Chris Liberator.
HarderFaster decided it was time to go straight to the source, the man behind the entire operation. Given that Eyal spends so much of his time behind the scenes, this interview finally gives one of the most hardworking men in the music industry the voice he so deserves…
You first started playing trance sets in 1993. What inspired you to start mixing trance? Did you always want to be a DJ, or was it something you progressed into?
I was a dance DJ before I was drafted into the army in 1989. When I became a soldier I sold all my equipment and was sure it was the last of my DJ days. But somewhere along my third year of army service, I discovered trance music in an underground open air party and it became an obsession for me to collect all this music for my personal pleasure. After a while, my collection was big and surprisingly strong (and unreleased, of course) and so it was not long before friends and public demand ‘forced’ me to go out and play my music to all those anxious minds.
Who have your greatest musical influences been over the years? And now?
The band who shook me up hard for the first time was Juno Reactor. They were and still are a great inspiration to me, because I believe in their direction of pushing psy trance to a cinematic level. Other then that, it was a great pleasure to discover the music of Hallucinogen, The Infinity Project, Man With No Name, X-dream, Kox Box and all those who created the foundations of psychedelic trance.
Today some of these bands don’t exist and the others produce much less psy trance, so I am more into the productions of Infected Mushroom, Astrix, Sub6, Xerox & Illumination, Psy Craft and also I am very pleased with the new style coming from our latest signing — Krunch. They make full on music but minus the cheese and with some dark elements that make me feel that they are the ones who will find the balance between full on and dark trance together in one formula.
HOMmega was established in 1997. How did this come about? And why psy trance?
I was working as an A&R in a record company called Melodia producing trance compilations called ‘Trance Mix’. There I met a lot of the artists and got to learn the trade. After a while, it became clear to me that if I wanted to make something from this ‘habit’ of mine, then I’d have to go deeper and I’d better do it on my own because that was the only way to have total freedom. Back in 1997 we didn’t call it ‘psy trance’. It was ‘Goa trance’ and then it became ‘Israeli trance’ and now it’s ‘psy trance’ because it has finally gone global and needed to be branded with a universal name.
I love this music very much and there was no doubt in my mind that this would be the main focus of HOMmega, but I am glad to say that we also achieved other musical landmarks in other genres, so for us it’s more about electronic music these days, then just psy trance… but we try to do it all.
This year you celebrate ten years of HOMmega at the ES Collective 07.07.07 festival. Congratulations, this is one awesome achievement! What have been the highlights of your decade in the business?
The major highlight is of course the foundation of my own label and the satisfaction that I have everyday that I wake up and start my working day… I love it!
As for the highlights, well I’ll try and keep it short. Signing Xerox — he’s up to seven albums so far… bravo! Signing Yahel — he’s not with HOMmega these days, but his best album was! Releasing Psy Sex’s 2nd album — ‘Hardcore Blastoff’ — light years ahead of its time. Signing Astrix — I always knew he would be a success story. Working as A&R of BNE/Yoyo for two years. Getting to work with artists like Infected Mushroom and Cosma (RIP). Compiling the first 2 volumes of ‘Life’ — Israel’s first ever chill out compilations. Signing Sub6 — “Unique” is the best word to describe them. Starting an everlasting relationship with ES Collective & Antiworld and with them co-producing the UK events at Brixton Academy & Alexandra Palace — the best indoor venues in all Europe in my opinion.
In 2006, Astrix entering and rising in DJmag’s top 100 poll and Psy Craft’s clip of ‘Dirtbag’ being shown on MTV. Producing the ‘New Order’ compilation — the best progressive comp of 2006. And of course celebrating our 10th anniversary all 2007 long… happy birthday!
The scene must have changed a lot in the ten years HOMmega has been going. What do you say to the cynics who say that dance music is dead?
The psy trance scene is a global tribe and we see it growing each day in places we would never have imagined, like USA, China, Korea, Argentina and even Holland. I don’t think that dance music is dead… it’s evolving and looking for new directions and sometimes along the way it might feel lost for a while, but then it jumps back at you bigger and better. Electronic dance music is the future!
You must have learnt a lot in the time you’ve been running your label. What are the most important things you’ve learnt in the last ten years?
If you don’t love it… don’t do it! With this line of work, you really have to love this music and your work — that’s this occupation’s biggest challenge and reward. It has its ups and downs, but we are talking about operating from Israel and knowing that we are followed by a crowd from all over the world. This is a very universal agenda and it’s the best thing I could wish for.
When I first spoke to you after Psychedelic Academy 2 you were looking forward to the day when HOMmega Records had a new office, rather than running your business out of your home, then last year you finally threw a launch party for the new HOMmega office and studio. What future plans do you have for HOMmega after reaching this milestone?
I opened the Tel Aviv office about a year ago. That really felt right because things were starting to get a little crowded at home. It was time to ‘divide the baby from its mother’. I now have three workers: Erez looks after marketing and digital distribution; Guy sorts out promotion and bookings and Felix organises the physical distribution. Together with our respectable roster, I have a great team to lead into the next decade of HOMmega. We want to keep and pave the road for intelligent electronic dance music to take on the world.
We’re always looking for the fine line between psychedelic and commercial trance in order to appeal to more people from different parts of the world. We have to keep bringing in new blood to this genre because this is the way to expand. We aim to work with a bigger variety of genres in the next years, that’s for sure. But in the end, we will always use this power to support and spread the word about our trance music.
The first HOMmega party in Israel, 1997
In the last ten years there have been significant changes in the way music is played, made, distributed and promoted. What changes have had the most impact on you as a label owner?
The internet and its offerings to its users has changed the whole face of the business. Suddenly you didn’t need to send your music to Goa for it to spread worldwide. Distant people could finally get their hands on this music without desperately looking for it. It’s certainly played a big role in making psy trance known all over — but as you know, every story has two sides.
The other side is that CD sales have dropped very low and digital downloads are not yet taking their place, because a lot of people still prefer not to pay for the music. In the end many artists don’t see a good income from releasing their albums, but more from the performances they do all over the world.
What changes would you like to see in the music scene in the future?
I would like to combine music with visuals so that we can arouse more senses. Intelligent music tells a story… if we manage to give a vision to this story, it will surely transmit more pleasure. HOMmega’s moto says: “Music is the soundtrack of your life.” What if we manage to make you also experience “The vision of your dream”?
Psy trance has really taken off in the UK in the last couple of years, with Mixmag re-naming the summer of 2004 as ‘The Summer of Psychedelia’ and Infected Mushroom, Astrix, Yahel and Skazi now making it into the DJmag top 100. How long as it been popular in Israel? Why do you think so many of the world’s top psy trance stars are from Israel? It must be very exciting for you to bring so much good psy trance to the rest of the world!
Trance is mega popular in Israel. It has reached almost everybody who has any kind of passion for electronic music in this way or another, from young kids through to soldiers to high tech students. Of course not everybody likes the same thing as the other, but in general, trance music is out there alongside all the mainstream stuff and as a result, Israel has a lot of musicians taking their shot at making trance in its various takes. As far as excitement goes, you can’t imagine the joy of finding a young talented artist and becoming the major factor of introducing him or her to the world of music and watching how he/she becomes popular on a world-wide scale.
How do you think the scene in the UK is different to Israel? What could both scenes learn from each other?
Both countries have very healthy club scenes (and I don’t mean just in trance). The difference in my eyes is that the UK crowd is much more giving. In the last few years, the UK crowd has been giving us so much love that we really felt special. England is a musical nation and there is no doubt that ‘making it’ in UK speaks louder then ‘making it’ in Israel. On the other hand, Israel has the best artists.
You’re a DJ, a producer and as well as managing your own label, you’re the booking agent for the likes of Astrix and Dali and have a major presence at the world’s biggest psy trance parties. This must lead to a pretty hectic lifestyle! How much time do you have to spend on the road? Dali once said in an interview on HF she loves to surf, do you ever get out in the ocean with her? What do you like to do to unwind?
I don’t travel much anymore. The label’s activities and everyday problems demand that I be as available as much as possible, but I do take short distance bookings all over Europe and maybe twice a year I travel to distant countries like Brazil, Mexico or Japan where I probably stay for two consecutive weekends. I don’t surf but I love to watch movies — they manage to take me away from everyday problems so I do a lot of that. Also recently I surprised myself with a spontaneous vacation in London which turned out to be the best ever (there were lots of beers involved in that… and other positive stuff!).
You’ve got some of the biggest psy trance artists in the world on your books, including Astrix, Sub6 and Dali. Have you consciously picked these artists with world domination in mind, or has it just evolved that way?
HOMmega has a very respectable history of pointing out the hottest talents in the scene. We really don’t take in anyone just for the business. It has to be because of good music, high quality production and a certain personal charm that you know people would connect to when they have decided to try and find out more about the person who is behind the music. World domination is a good incentive but I don’t think that’s how it works with me, it’s more a basic instinct from my DJ persona, saying: “Damn, this guy is good” — and then the romance starts.
What’s been your favourite party in the world to play at?
Every year there are a few highlights. If we are talking about recently, then I would say I had tons of fun playing in Switzerland with Hallucinogen and Domestic, in a magic castle perfectly decorated. The party was called Fairytails and the production and people were absolutely the best ever!
What are your top five psy trance tracks of all time?
Children of the Doc — ‘Bionic Bong’
Xerox & Passenger — ‘Science is God’
Astrix — ‘Sex Style’
Psy Craft — ‘Computech’
Infected Mushroom — ‘Deeply Disturbed’ (Remix)
What are your top 5 favourite trance albums of all time?
Juno Reactor — ‘Transmissions’
Shpongle trilogy
Cosma — ‘Nonstop’
Astrix — ‘Eye to Eye’
MFG — ‘New Kind of World’
Do you listen to any music other than psy trance?
I am very much into electronic music of all kinds, from chillout and lounge to club and electro. In general, I just love good electronic music, whether it’s for the dancefloor, for driving or for listening to at home.
What forthcoming HOMmega releases do you have on the ready for your fans? Is there any new work going on in the new HOMmega studios you can share with readers yet?
This month we are releasing Xerox & Illumination’s third album ‘The Beast Within’ and a first single (‘Future Music’) from the forthcoming Astrix album ‘Red Means Distortion’. After that we will release X-noiZe’s second album ‘Revolver’ and Delirious’s third album ‘Fast Forward to Rewind’.
During the year we will release PsySex’s fifth album, Black & White’s second album (‘The Sound Pharmacy’), Pixel’s second album and a special double CD compilation celebrating 10 years of HOMmega with the biggest classics on one side and brand new remixes of our other classics on the second side.
You’re going to be celebrating your birthday at this year’s 07.07.07 festival with Antiworld. Do you know which HOMmega artists will be playing there yet? What surprises do you have in store for your fans?
I am happy to report that the complete HOMmega roster will attend the 07.07.07 festival. Astrix, Black & White, Chakra, Delirious, Dali, Domestic, Intelabeam, Krunch, Pixel, Psy Craft, PsySex, Sub6, X-noiZe and Xerox & Illumination will all be there on stage plus a few more surprises for the HOMmega fans. If I tell you about them now then they won’t be much of a surprise, right?
You’re back in town for Psychedelic Academy 3 at Brixton Academy next week. What are you looking forward to about the event? Why should HF readers who’ve never been to a psy trance party come and check it out?
Psychedelic Academy is more then a party. It’s an annual minifest that everyone must experience. The Academy is the no. 1 indoor venue in Europe for us because it holds a certain vibe that we don’t quite find in our other gigs. It’s that one show that makes you feel that we have all evolved music-wise and production-wise and is not just a good party to be at. Energetic performances, killer sound and an awesome crowd come together to a climax. We will bring the house down!
For more information on HOMmega Records check out www.hommega.com
Photos courtesy of Pini Siluk and Eyal Yankovich. Not to be reproduced without permission.
Psychedelic Academy 004
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On:
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Sunday 6th May 2007
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At:
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Brixton Academy [map]
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From:
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21:00 - 06:00
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Cost:
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Tickets on sale NOW!
£ 25.00 + bf Available Till 01 January 2007
£30.00 + bf Tickets from February 05 To May 01
(All While Stock Last)!!!
MORE THEREAFTER!!!
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Website:
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https://www.antidote909.com/hsbc/details.cfm?item_code=ANT00171
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Ticket Info:
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Tickets CASH SALES on sale Now at LondonHelp4u-72 Wells St-W1T 3QF Oxford Circus Tube - Monday to Friday - 10am to 6pm.
Tickets on sale NOW!
£ 25.00 + bf Available Till 01 January 2007
£30.00 + bf Tickets from February 05 To May 01
(All While Stock Last)!!!
MORE THEREAFTER!!!
www.psychedelicacademy.com
www.antiworld.net
www.toomuchbutneverenough.com
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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INFECTED MUSHROOM LIVE!!! Feat : Erez Netz / ASTRIX LIVE!!!
Feat : INFECTED MUSHROOM LIVE Feat Erez Netz
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Flyer:
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 - 
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Region:
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London
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Music:
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Psy Trance. House. Tribal House. Acid Techno. Funky Techno. Techno. Breaks.
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DJ's:
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Feat : INFECTED MUSHROOM LIVE Feat Erez Netz
Astrix Live
Xerox & Illumination Live
Dejavoo (Live)
M-Klome (Live)
Dj Eyal Yankovich
Techno Room:
Chris Liberator
Adam Lab4 Dj Set
Dj Murphy (Brazil)
Never Enough DJs (Corridor) - Breaks,House,Electro & Minimal
Eduardo Herrera
Mike Redina
Paula
Monica Soldan
Eddie Santos
Danny Stamp
plus Chillout - VIP Room open to all!
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Other Features By HarderFaster:
HarderFaster Awards 2016 - The results are in!
HarderFaster Awards 2014 - The results are in!
Lashes, Dimples and the Brighton Music Conference
HarderFaster Awards 2013 - The results are in!
HarderFaster Awards 2012 - The results are in!
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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![[HarderFaster] - Work Hard, Play Harder!](/images/mainbanner_top1.gif)
to all ES Collective crew involved on organising such impressive event!
Fantastic interview!!!Never has success been more richly deserved than for you mate, all your hard work is paying off and long may it continue. Happy 10th years HOMmega 
We will rock Brixton Academy again this Sunday and them let's concentrate on 070707 to make the Festival of our lives!