From Israel, widely known for its goa trance and progressive scenes, Offer Nissim is gaining international attention for his tribal house sounds. Known for his work with Eurovision contest winner Dana International, Offer's productions with the singer Maya and remix work led to a fateful meeting with Peter Rauhofer. Nissim's debut artist album First Time was recently released in the US on Star 69 Records.
DJ Ron Slomowicz: You just got back from Brazil, what kind of event were you playing for?
Offer Nissim: It was a big party in Sao Paulo and the crowd was
great. They are really warm people and it was a great night with good
energy. The place was called Enjoy.
RS: Had you played down there before?
Offer Nissim: No, it was the first time that I'd played in Brazil.
RS: Was the crowd different than your normal crowd in Israel?
Offer Nissim: Israeli people are really similar to the Brazilians
because they have the same temperament. They are really the same. So
if you ask me how it was to work in front of the Israeli crowd, they
are really similar to a Brazilian crowd, it's the same.
RS: How about when you played in the US for Pride Festival, was
that also similar?
Offer Nissim: No. The crowds in New York are different. They give
respect in other ways and behave more gently, I don't know how to
explain it. They enjoy the party but they are cooler, not too
excited, as opposed to the South American people who lose control.
RS: Was that your first time playing in the United States?
Offer Nissim: Yes, it was the first time. I really enjoyed playing
with Peter and it was really an honor to play with him, so I enjoyed
every second. If you ask me where I was most excited to be, it was in
Spirit to play with Peter. Everything was for me more intense, I was
more energized with each second and move that I felt in the booth. It
was very important to me to be happy with this experience.
RS: How did you meet up with Peter to begin with- how were you
discovered by him?
Offer Nissim: I've known Peter for two and a half years. He came to
Tel Aviv to play and a close friend introduced us and organized the
meeting. It was very funny in the beginning, because we didn't talk
about the usual DJ stuff. Usually when DJs meet, the first thing they
talk about is music and listen to each others' productions, but we
were talking about other issues. That kind of relationship continued,
I sent him music that he liked and that's how it started.
RS: You often work with the singer Maya, how did you meet her?
Offer Nissim: I met her by accident. My engineer wanted me to hear
Maya and when I heard her voice I knew I wanted to work with her. A
lot of Israeli artists want to work with me, but I have problems
working with people that I am not excited about or don't believe in.
When I met Maya, she excited me so much that I knew I could express
myself with her. Maya is a really talent and it was a special moment
when we connected and started to work together. I adore her voice.
RS: When you work with Maya, do you come up with the track and
then she writes to it, or do you usually work together from the
beginning for a song?
Offer Nissim: It depends, every song is different. Sometimes she
has ideas and I choose what to continue work on and then sometimes
it's the opposite and I give her some ideas to work on. We work
together and what makes it easier is that she can record herself in
her studio at her house, so I usually get lots of vocals to work with.
We discuss the song and it builds like that. I work in the studio
everyday and we are addicted. When you love music, there is an
immediacy - you want the results right now and even if it can be
better. In every session, I find mistakes and every track I think we
have seven or eight different versions.
