Lior Phillips

“Anybody can write when they have inspiration, but can you deliver the craft when you have no inspiration?” Eugene Hütz asks me over the phone from New York City. Cut through the troubadour’s thick, jangly accent and loose-lipped swear-a-thon, and it’s clear that the Gogol Bordello frontman has found a new path. Though the band’s last few years have been spent touring the world - “everywhere and anywhere at the same time” - Hütz believes they’ve defied gravity and come out the other side ready for more. Their funkified plump beat sounds like the dancing glow of a million desert festival bonfires, and with two upcoming shows in June, Hütz talks to us about their new multi-ethnic album.  Where are you at the moment?  I’m in New York City, where I live. I was in Brazil for almost seven years, but I moved back here a year ago. I just had to get more “New York sh*t” done. [Laughs] Enlighten me…what is “New York sh*t?”  The sh*t that you can do only in New York. I love Brazil, that will never go away, but once I moved here I found a lot of understanding and resonance. I was not a downright outcast; I became an outcast with potential. It’s a place that allows good ideas to flourish. I realize that the city needs us.  This month you’ll be performing in Israel not once, but twice. Is it because of the amount of fans you have here? We do have a strong grassroots following. So many years of touring has helped the band click with audiences easier. Tel Aviv sort of reminds me of my old ho

Purim is a singular chronicle of the euphoric high felt when an entire community celebrates life together – raw, gritty unbridled fun. Have you ever spent a week where swapping out your regular ripped jeans and torn tees for a circus mask and butterfly wings feels normal? By the end of it all, you’ll feel danced and hugged out with glitter in every crack, but there’s no more life affirming feeling than Purim in Israel. So, without further ado, here's where to get your party on this year. 

Tamar Festival: Rendezvous in the desert for a line-up of local acts to remember A date: the glow of your candle lit dinner reflecting on the face of your lover.A date: a delicious soft and sweet edible fruit also known as ‘tamar’ in Hebrew. One thing remains true; the one date you’ll never forget is Tamar Festival in Masada, Dead Sea this Sukkot. With previous lineups including The Idan Raichel Project, Asaf Avidan, Balkan Beat Box, Ehud Banai, and A-WA, the four-day celebration founded over a decade ago sure isn’t holding back this year. While the desert experiences many seasons, its most precious is when it blooms and colours its grounds with the musical sounds of Sukkot. With extraordinary scenery and unforgettable sunrise performances, local and international festival goers will gather under the dawn, dust, and dusk of Israel’s most revered desert. A-WA @ Omer Hacohen Each year, the Tamar Festival truly embraces Israel’s diverse artistic and cultural landscape. This year it expands its reach overseas by bringing international star Suzanne Vega to its offering accompanied by the Ra’anana Symphony. This evening draws a line in the desert sand as its composed entirely by leading women in music. But wait… there’s more! The four days are spread out across four different sites providing a diverse array of activities and shows at varying hours of the day for your friends, family, and fellow music lovers. Balkan Beat Box © Ran Golani From The Masada Hall, a performance space

Between differences in race, religion, and culture, it is challenging to maintain relationships in an increasingly global world - especially one with rapidly changing norms regarding intimacy. In Israel the diverse cultural landscape can be overwhelming, and finding out how couples from different backgrounds date, mate, and relate, is full of trials and tribulations. Here's a host of “mixed” couples (half Israeli, half non-Israeli) on how they make it work: ELI VANUNU, ISRAEL and SARAH VANUNU, AUSTRALIA “You told me on the first date that you would know the person you would end up marrying a week after meeting them,” said Sarah to her husband Eli, smiling at him across the kitchen table of their home in the heart of Florentine. Eli’s face lit up, “And it happened! I proposed after eight days!” In 2004, a week before Sarah finished her six-week backpacking tour in Israel, she met Eli at a jazz gig in Jerusalem. “Tell me three things about yourself, two truths, and one lie,” said Sarah, recounting Eli’s first words to her; they sat playing this game back and forth all night. Throughout the next week they managed to cram what normal couples do in months of dating into eight days: they traveled to Sinai, went for dinners, and visited Eli’s family for a Shabbat in Haifa. Five months passed and Eli moved to be with Sarah in Australia for a year, but a culture shock like no other ensued and the two fought constantly. Eventually they moved back to Israel for good, which the couple ag

This month, the Tel Aviv Volume festival has their frequency cranked up to the highest level. The city’s loudest nights are about to get even louder as 30,000 electronic music fans spill into the city’s stellar nightclubs and venues for the annual music conference and festival. TAV 2018 is the perfect tonic for a New Year’s Eve hangover. You’ll not only feel the bass tremor through town, but the electronic fervor seeping through the hearts of music lovers from all over the world. The upcoming marvel will stretch across 25 different clubs in Tel Aviv from January 10 to 13, hosting a stellar lineup bringing vets and up-and-comers, flocks of music fans and a tangible air of elation to a collection of the city’s best venues.  In the ever- escalating fight for thrilling entertainment, two heads is certainly better than one, and TAV 2018 boasts both daytime temptations and night owl charm.    Day Conference During daylight hours, one of the main attractions – networking and mingling with 500 of the industry’s finest – will take place. From Wednesday to Friday at the Edmond de Rothschild Center in the heart of Tel Aviv, participants will be able to experience stimulating music talks by industry leaders through panels, lectures, workshops, and open discussions. The panel discussions will be held by local and international industry folk alike, and as diverse as that lineup is, so are the variety of topics on the bill. Subjects up for discussion will range from copyrighting, royalties,

Niv Arzi and Dori Sadovnik, the Israeli duo behind Red Axes see life very differently from you. Describing their second album, The Beach Goths, as “a world where bats and zombies surf together on beautiful shiny waves”, is enough of an indication that they’re here to entertain. Fusing together Balearic beatitude, swirling psychedelia, punk, and reggae – their genre-hopping music bursts through boundaries. On October 5th ahead of winter, DGTL Festival will spring into Tel Aviv leaving a trail of successful festival experiences behind it, in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Sao Paolo. Time Out sat down with Red Axes' Niv Arzi to find out more about the dynamite duo and this sizzling festival’s temperature:   Have you been drawn to music since you were young, or was it something you discovered later in life?   My father played and sang for my younger brother and I almost every night before we went to sleep. It was something I looked forward to. Music was a very important thing in my house, with piano and guitar always close by.   Tell us about DGTL and curating your own stage at the festival, how did that come about?   We played last year at the Amsterdam Digital event, it was and still one of our favorite gigs ever. The organization seems very futuristic and professional and we liked it a lot. After that we just felt there was a new exciting connection created.   Guy our manager has promoted festivals around the country for many years and he was very determined and confident with a mis

Every two years in Jerusalem we get the chance to see modern life reflected back at us through the mindful, creative expression of over 200 artists from Israel and abroad. The transcendent, inimitable Jerusalem Biennale for contemporary Jewish art collectively integrates the many wondrous facets of the Holy City within 2017’s ephemeral theme of “Watershed”. The Biennale will illuminate the bright beating hearts of artists expressing their watershed, an important event that could change the course of history.   For its third installment, The Biennale will host 25 life-changing exhibitions and projects from around the world. “Boedi Widjaja comes from Singapore to create a series of ink prints created with stones he is bringing with him, and stones he will collect in Jerusalem.” Says Ram Ozeri, the Jerusalem Biennale’s Founder. “I am also very excited about the participation of Micha Ulman who many consider as the most important Israeli artist today.” In a conversation with Time Out Israel, Ozeri shares the magic behind the ever-flowing well of artistic Jewish art, and a behind the scenes look into curating a historical milestone:   What sparked the idea of creating The Jerusalem Biennale?   Ram Ozeri: It started from my Bezalel experience. I went there at the age of 30 after two degrees from the Hebrew University. In my studies at the philosophy department of the Hebrew University, I felt that there was a good balance between western philosophy, and Jewish philosophy. In Bezale

Life in Color explodes onto the scene with the world’s largest paint party returning to Tel Aviv, and you’re invited. Israeli psytrance DJ set, Vini Vici, get the party started   Life in Color bills the likes of Nervo, Blasterjaxx, Headhunterz, Teamworx and Vini Vici – all painting the crowd with their multicolored music. The renowned EDM festival has grown exponentially in the 11 years since its inception as a house party at Florida State University. Let your body become a canvas and your mind the muse, but don’t worry, the environmentally-friendly, non-toxic paint will disappear – though the celebration will last a lifetime. We chatted to one half of the local DJ set, Vini Vici’s Matan Kadosh, to let us in on the duo’s musical palette, vibrant careers and truly living life in color. Working in a creative partnership can be an illuminating and fulfilling experience. How do you find working with Aviram helps you be a better musician? First of all, we have known each other for half of our lives, so we aren’t just very good friends, we are family. As much as we share the same taste, we have different ideas, and we always remember that both of us want what is best for the actual song. We are always open-minded about each other’s work during the creation stage, keeping it “ego free”. What really pushes both of us as musicians is delivering the best result. © PR   Who inspired you to get into DJing in the first place? Which artists influenced the way you approach music? We have

Imagine experiencing your body floating in the air without ever having jumped off the ground. That’s what it feels like watching JUNUN perform live. The album features Israeli musician Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood - Radiohead’s lead guitarist and keyboardist, and 19 Indian musicians called The Rajasthan Express. Throughout the performance, Ben Tzur delivers impeccably gentle Hebrew, making sure he translates it into English without a breath, the ease and fluidity of languages unbroken and humble. On numerous occasions he stood tall at the center of the stage, Greenwood respectfully standing at the back in order to let the musicians of the Rajasthan Express shine. “You are blessed on the grace and the hardships, on the longing and the sacrifices, and on everything that will bring me closer to you,” Tzur smiles. “Modeh ani modeh, I am grateful to you.”    Watching JUNUN feels like being welcomed into some grand ceremony, and so this summer the Elma Arts Complex Luxury Hotel will host a variety of JUNUN’s magic in ode of the album recorded in Mehrangarah Fort in Jodhpur city: a photo exhibition of JUNUN featuring photographs by Sharon Katan on display for the first time in Israel, a screening of the documentary by Paul Thomas Andrerson which followed the compilation of the album, followed by a full performance with the participation of Shye Ben Zur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express.    With a debut back in 2015 at the New York Film Festival, the documentary Junun tra

Temperatures are rising and humidity is enveloping the White City in its sweaty grasp – summer is a’coming. In such weather, there are only two sane places to be: in an apartment with the mazgan blasting, or on the sea shore.   Tel Avivians and tourists alike are flocking to the beach to lie alongside thousands of others, sardine-style, on the sand, basking in the sun’s rays. Aside from the sand-in-unwanted-areas issue, the beach presents one major problem: what do you eat?! The options are limited to schlepping snacks from home, which will inevitably become warm, mushy and altogether unappealing, or buying food from the, frankly poor, selection of kiosks and cafes around the tayelet — at prices that would cause Ben Gurion to roll over in his grave.   © PR           MishloHof, or TapLaya as they are known internationally, are a location-based delivery service of beach-related goods. Via their app, beach-goers can pick from a selection of snacks, drinks, and beach products, which will be delivered within thirty minutes to their specific location. This ingenious solution means more fun in the sun, and ice cold drinks – sounds good to us.    © PR Mishlohof is on the App store & Google Play.  CLICK HERE to download the app (Andrroid and IOS)  

Roll those windows down and turn up the volume. This is a journey across Israel’s eclectic musical landscape.   Be sure to take the sensational sounds of Israel's thriving music scene with you on the road this summer, as you explore the country’s diverse scenery with your best mates. After all, music becomes that much sweeter when enjoyed together; songs take on new meaning when given the right amount of sun, laughter and air to breathe in.  So, here’s your local soundtrack...    track #1: Noga Erez - Toy One of Israel’s brightest indie stars, eccentric electronic producer and singer Noga Erez shines with every heartbeat and synth pulse. Her new single, “Toy”, packs the jittery punch needed to keep that blood pumping on those long stretches of road.  track #2 Hope 6 - Everything Is Before Me Every road trip needs an epic sing-along, and who better to deliver that than the soaring melody-makers of Hatikva 6? By fusing bits of seemingly every genre under the sun, the funky sextet deliver exactly what you’re looking for when seeking out that massive sugar high.  track #3 Bela Tar - Apple Hill Already putting the right filters on your Instagram photos of your trip to fuel the early-onset nostalgia? Well, Bela Tar’s “Apple Hill” might just be the perfect fit. Zoe Polanski’s sepia-tinged lo-fi tunes shift and

There’s exultant and exuberant mysticism in Middle Eastern sounds. Rhythm guitar, funky bass and keyboards bounce off the walls, illuminated by complex electronic layers pealing out over acoustic percussion and crisp instrumentation. For Israel’s boutique record label Fortuna Records, their goal is the sound, their hearts firmly fixed in harnessing it.  Above all else,  the four founders of Fortuna are record-loving obsessives, music aficionados who champion the forgotten artists of Israel by bringing them into the 21st century.  The local industry is an overflowing, endless well of talent that the label and DJ crew use to champion obscure sounds by releasing a string of vinyl reissues while simultaneously also throwing wildly wicked parties. For those otherwise unfamiliar with the notorious Fortuna Records, it’s comprised of booking agent Zack Bar, distribution manager Yoav Magriso, graphic designer Maor Anava and copy-writer and sound engineer Ariel Tagar. They let us in on the benefits of working in a team and the magic behind obscure Middle Eastern grooves.   © Ariel Efron       When you first founded Fortuna Records, what was missing in the industry at the time - what gap did you want to fill?    Zack Bar: There wasn’t exactly a gap we had to fill, but something that was important to spotlight as part of our history. A lot of great music was recorded throughout the years, a magical blend of culture, we are privileged.    Yoav Magriso: We’re all diggers and music f

Unplug those headphones, it's time for the real LIVE deal at these must-see music events. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike The extraordinary DJ brothers Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike return to Tel Aviv to rip the decks and blow your minds. The Belgian sensations rose to critical acclaim five years ago after remixing superstar beats by J-Lo and Lady Gaga. Sink those spirits deep into the dance floor, because you’ll be stuck wanting to relive this dream-team over and over again. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike at Live Park, April 11 at 20:30. NIS 300-700. Live Park, Rishon Lezion.(+972*9080/www.zappa-club.co.il)     Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike © Getty Images   White Lies Angst-riddled goth licks melt into stadium ready pop-rock and fist-pumping choruses; White Lies are here to blow us off the rafters. The English post-punk band from Earling, London arrive in Tel Aviv on the back of their fourth album, Friends. Quite fitting considering their loyal adoring fandom awaiting their unforgettable live show.    White Lies at Barby, April 27 at 20:30. NIS 185-200. 52 Kibbutz Galiyot, Tel Aviv (03-5188123/www.barby.co.il)    White Lies © Shutterstock   Independence Day with DJ SolomunThere is no truer way to commemorate Israel’s independence 69 years later than with DJ Solomun lakeside across 20 thousand square meters. Park Hayarkon will transform into a vibrant mini city for the third consecutive year, revealing an electronic revolution, an independence you can celebrate whilst rubbing shoulder

Lights, Camera … Bodies! The iconic Parisian cabaret show Crazy Horse Paris’ Forever Crazy Tour seductively slides into Tel Aviv this February, with sensual choreography, minimalist costumes, women dressed in lighting and projections showcasing a remarkable and memorable not-to-be-missed show. Over the phone from Paris, Time Out chatted with the remarkably talented Chief Creative Officer for Crazy Horse Paris, Andrée Deissenberg, who took over the reins over a decade ago.   What's the main and most important difference between Burlesque and Cabaret?   AD: I don't want to sound snobbish, but while Crazy Horse has its origins in Burlesque and we were born from the same movement, everything changed when the man who founded the Crazy Horse, Alain Bernardin adapted it. He started from Burlesque dancers and changed everything. Crazy Horse works with lights and small stages; it's much more a Parisian answer to an American movement. It's all about girls, femininity, glamour, beauty and a bit of humor. It's also less democratic, whereas in burlesque you see all shapes and forms, at Crazy Horse there is a body standard which I think has a lot to do with the size of the stage. Burlesque is usually performed on big stages with big props, fans and birds and paradise, the Bernardin opened the cabaret in a very small cellar and today it's become a trademark size, six meters long and two meters high. It's a box that looks like a frame, a frame that frames the girls. It means that we don't wo