Since falling in love with Mor Elian‘s track ‘U Don’t Know‘ featuring Will Sabatini last year, the announcements she has made thus far for 2015 are enough to make us very excited! Mor Elian, the Israeli-bred producer, DJ and recent TSA Artists signee currently residing in LA, also has a new EP forthcoming on Prime Numbers around spring/summer.
After meeting the lovely lady herself in Berlin’s Panorama Bar, Mor Elian has offered us a glorious mix of all things house, techno, minimal and acid. Curated with love, the mix reflects her current taste in late night club sounds, and is a celebration of the exciting things to come for her this year.
Click here to download this mix. For the interview and full tracklist, see below.
What is your earliest musical memory?
The first thing that popped into my head was this dream I had when I was a toddler, of falling off a building with some strange music playing in the background.
What inspired you to pursue music more seriously?
An undying passion inside. I knew that if I don’t pursue it, I’d be less happy then I am today (which is very happy!).
What drew you to house when you were growing up in Israel, a country known more for its love for trance?
To say that Israel is known to only be in love with trance is a small fraction of what is really happening there musically. I come from Tel Aviv, which is a bit more house/techno-orientated than the suburbs, but it was still undoubtedly huge everywhere. When I was a teen, it was ‘the thing’ to get into, but it never worked for me, I never got into it. I preferred other bizarre, experimental, electronic music and was sneaking into house clubs with the help of my older sisters.
Drum and bass and techno were more for me back then. The house scene always existed in Tel Aviv, and it’s still thriving there. It’s wonderful. I have to refrain from talking too much about how I feel about trance. It’s gotten me into trouble before with trance lovers. I like to remind some of my Israeli house/techno DJ friends that they were once into trance, haha.
How did moving to LA give you a different perspective?
Moving to LA was one of the best things I have ever done. Travelling, in general, always is. I feel like it expands the mind. It’s so important to get out of your comfort zone and try to learn living in another culture. It effects you creatively and just as a person. I am very plugged into several scenes here, not just house and techno. LA has a vibe and feel to it that is just amazing, and that is carried into the music that is produced here. The frequencies sound different in the air here. In general, in the last few years, the underground house and techno scene has been thriving. It’s really great. In some ways, it’s not so much behind the scenes in Tel Aviv and Europe that have been going for a much longer time.
And how has Berlin been important in the development of your sound and DJing career?
I have a very strong connection to Berlin. I am currently spending a lot of time there. Something about it really resonates with me. I’ve been going there every year since 2010, and it’s opened a lot of musical channels for me. It’s also re-triggered my love for techno and house when I first went there, after some years of hiatus.
What’s the favorite piece of kit you own?
Here in LA, we have a good community pool of gear between my friends and me. We help each other out, switch gear and loan to each other. It’s a wonderful way of sharing and expanding the gear you use. Right now, I’m super into this [Roland] Juno 60 combined with a MOOG Minitaur.
We hear you’re a fan of good drum work. What are some of your favorite examples?
That’s a good question. I think a lot of my influences in drum work comes from my love of African music. Drum work is very prominent there, and it triggers something in me. I think that kind of thing is internal and individual to each person.
Which up-and-coming producers/DJs are you particularly into at the moment, who we should be listening to more of?
Afrikan Sciences is epic. I’m sure a lot of people know of him at this point. Will Sabatini [a.k.a DJ Sabo] whom I collaborate with sometimes, and LA-bred SFV Acid. He is one of the most underrated artists out there. The man is a genius, please check him out. Also, some of my homies in Tel Aviv are well kept secrets, like all of guys on the Parallax label. There is plenty of great music coming out of LA and Tel Aviv that I’d love to share, which is also not limited to house and techno.
Are you allowed to tell us anything about the record you’ve got coming out.
Yes! There’s an EP coming out on Prime Numbers late spring/early summer, which includes a remix from OB Ignitt. It’s been great working with such a lovely group of people.
You’ve just signed to TSA. How did you come about working with them?
It came up with the planned releases due in 2015. I’m really into them, and you should be too! They have been awesome to work with thus far.
Could you tell us a little bit about the mix you made for us?
So this mix was recorded for this year, and to celebrate all the good things happening in it, like TSA Agency and my Prime Numbers release. It reflects my current taste in the late night club vibe.
What’s in store for you for the rest of 2015?
I’ve got some cool things in store for you, with details coming soon. Going to be in Europe and Israel all of summer!
Tracklist:
Patrice Scott – ‘Analog Dreams (XDB Reshape)’
VC-118A – ‘Vlucht Naar Nachtschade (Delta Funktionen Remix)’
O B Ignitt – ‘Space Age Steppin’
Itamar Sagi – ‘Selio’
Todd Osborn – ‘Put Your Weight On It (Frankfurt Mix)’
Lucy – ‘Sana Sana Sana Cura Cura Cura’
Developer – ‘In Pure Form 07’
Phil Kieran – ‘Hells Bells’
Efdemin – ‘Solaris (Staffan Linzatti Remix)’
Pirupa – ‘Party Non Stop (DJ QU Remix)’
Orgue Electronique – ‘Our House ft. Robert Owens (DJ TLR’s Leave Your Brain at the Door Edit)’
Omar S – ‘Annoying Mumbling Alkaholik’
