Our favourite producer from Israel gets the dancefloor smashed with the massive ‘Pixel Hearts’
Interview : Dan Prince
Maor Levi welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you today?
“Thank you Dan, glad to be here! I currently live in the beautiful San Diego in California!”
Well you have done it again, the Buzz Chart office is once again jumping around like lunatics thanks to your new music. Please talk us through the history and sound of your new ‘Pixel Hearts’ tune coming our way on Three Zero…
“The Pixel Heart EP came around a few months ago…when I finished the track ‘Pixel Hearts’ I still wasn’t sure it was 100% what I wanted and finally polished it and did more changes towards the release, it’s amazing how you open old projects after so long and you have so many ideas going on at the same time. The 2nd track ‘Good Life’ with Norin & Rad featuring the Wonderful Jack Miz on the vocals came during me and Norin & Rad’s Anjunabeats US Tour, since me and Bruce (Norin) live together, we always get to work on stuff together and we all gathered in a studio in Orange County to create this gem especially for the tour, and finally we were happy with the final result so I decided to include it in this EP !”
Israel didn’t make this summer’s World Cup finishing third to Russia and Portugal. Who is your money on to grab the glory in Brazil this time round…?
“Always been my fave team – which is of course, Brazil!”
It was your 26th Birthday a couple of weeks ago. How did you celebrate and was Sake involved?
“A lot of Sake was involved, my friend opened a new amazing restaurant in downtown San Diego, he was kind enough to have me for a birthday dinner which ended up at the Bassmnt Club in San Diego with my boys from Eventvibes and another bottle of vodka on top of things…you can picture how the night ended…it’s the second time in a row I have celebrated my birthday not in my hometown haha…”
A nice little tease on your Facebook page this week telling us all you are currently finishing a new record for Spinnin’ Records. Tell us more young man…this label is loving your music!
The follow up for ‘Together’ is a track I’ve been doing with the wonderful vocalist Angela McCluskey, who also sung on Morgan Page’s ‘In The Air’. She is amazing and has a VERY unique voice in my opinion…she was the perfect choice for this coming record.”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning…
“I still spin my Bootleg Mix for Naughty Boy & Sam Smith’s ‘La La La’, always goes off in the club, alongside Dillon Francis’s Remix for Chromeo ‘Jealous’ – such a fun record. My collab with Norin & Rad and Pixel Hearts of course…and lets not forget my recent record on Spinnin ‘Together’ among stuff from my good friends Above & Beyond, Mark Knight,Henry Fong, DallasK & Walden…so much good music lately!”
Did your teachers at school ever hear any of your prank tunes you made about them, who was the teacher that got it most in the neck?
“My main teacher, she had a funny ponytail which used to be a good joke in my class. Of course I put my early talent for the best use haha!”
“The worst thing about being a DJ is messing up at the peak of your set.” When was the last time you fucked up when DJing?
“I can’t remember much, but most of the times it was due to technical issues that had nothing to do with me. Yet I admit (and if my agent sees she will understand), the promoters were kind enough to give me shots during my sets and I was a bit tipsy…I do more of a Live show using Traktor, so I do a lot of thing simultaneously which requires me to stay focused, sometimes I hit the pause button or forgot to bring in the next track…but usually, it was just club equipment getting fucked up at the wrong time!”
By this time you had obviously stumbled on the sound of Tiesto which obviously blew your mind after only listening to Psy-Trance/Pop and Rock in Israel. Have you ever told Tijs his music changed your life and what was your first reaction when hearing it?
“I wish I could tell him personally, but I have yet to meet him personally…I was mind blown to this music because it was very refreshing, coming from Pop & Rock…I was really hooked after his classic compilations…biggest highlight was to be featured on one of them – the in search of Sunrise series which I was mostly inspired by!”
What is the record that…
…always reminds you of your childhood?
“Gotta be ‘Cabala – Dark Blue’.
…reminds you of having your heart broken?
“Hhmm ‘Dolphin Boy – Shake it Loose’.
…will ALWAYS gets you dancing?
“A massive record by Julian Calor called ‘Space Dial’.”
…you wish you had made yourself?
“Michael Woods’s Remix of ‘Moguai – Oyster’.”
Some massive US dates coming up for you in San Fran, Texas and Seattle. Everyone is remarking about the American scene is now splintering into many directions musically which ain’t no bad thing. What’s your take on business on the American dancefloor right now?
“It was hard for me to adjust at the beginning, but I admire people that appreciate good music and do their homework before a show, like the US crowd. I play a lot of different shit, from Trance to House, sometimes even Dubstep & Trap! It’s great that I can have this freedom and get good words from fans!”
What was the last great gift you bought yourself?
“A UAD Satellite Duo DSP Card (I’m such a nerd).”
A quote from an interview…“there are still trance producers now that are holding it down, but a lot of the others are just recycling.:” So who are the producers you are giving high fives to at the moment?
“Hmm I can’t think of too many but the likes of Andrew Bayer, Above & Beyond, Paul Oakenfold, Ilan Bluestone and Super8 & Tab are definitely keeping it real for me!”
Not many people know this, but Maor Levi is really good at…
“Drawing Comix and a bit of impressions!”
What is the 1 festival you are REALLY looking forward to this summer?
“Paradiso for sure!”
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise…?
“A lot of fresh new material and some Bootlegs & Remixes, but this is all a secret for now!”
https://www.facebook.com/MaorLeviOfficial
