DJ Nadi (owner of Domo Records)

JK: Hey Nadi, how are you?

DJ Nadi: Good man.

JK: Tell me a bit about how Domo Records started. The first release was “Travelocity” in 2002 I understand?

DJ Nadi: The complete origin of Domo started in 1998 in mu home town Haifa in the north of Israel, I opened the Domo Dance bar and records shop, which was a really cool underground place with vinyl and CD records shop dealing with electronic music only in the back room, and in the front it was a dance bar/pub with a special Tuesday night venue where all the biggest (and I mean biggest) DJs and artists of Israel performed for free for their promotion, guys like Miko (California sunshine), Dede (then leading MDMA label and distribution), Chakra who celebrated his birthday there ,Oforia and so on. I closed the place down after 10 months working because it was way before its time to slow Israel especially Haifa which is a working town, but it gave the inspiration after 3 years to open the label under the same name.
We were three partners in the beginning, Avi Nini, who was a DJ for Krembo Records before and was looking for something better to do, Darwish who was my partner in party making with his late brother Itzik , with whom we made our most successful underground parties in those 3 years giving the inspiration to most of the underground orgs making parties nowadays in Israel in all genres, and myself, making underground parties and DJing since 1992 from the roots of the scene.
We were exposed to progressive and minimal music when it started more or less in Europe around 1998, and it gave us the inspiration, like in the parties we were making, to make something different than the normal chaotic cheesy full on going on in Israel and this is how Domo started basically.

JK: All your releases seem to have a sound that is uniquely Domo. Can you tell me a bit about the direction Domo takes when choosing its artists?

DJ Nadi: Well from the beginning we tried to somehow give our own perspective of the music we like and to put our “trade mark” in our releases, but in the same time to be updated with the global development of the scene. We were immediately connected to the Swiss sound which attracted us with its heavy percussions and fat sound and naturally we decided to push to this direction.
If you are familiar with our catalogue you can see that our sound, as our DJ sets and music choice, evolved since the first CD release- Travelocity, to a more uplifting groovy sound today less minimal since it started to bore us as DJs also, and our artists evolved too in this direction so this progress is quite demanded.


JK: Which artists are now signed or working with Domo? Who are the sounds to look out for?

DJ Nadi: Our current exclusive artists are: French Sensifeel, who released his debut album some months ago and is constantly working to develop his unique sound, Swiss boys Insane creation, and V tunes who are going to release their awaited debut albums next on Domo and a new Israeli group called Quantise who are currently working to establish their musical direction but have a lot of talent and will be a big surprise soon IMO, other than these we have artists who are working non exclusively with us like Sonnenvakuum/sonic cube from Switzerland who is going to release his second album in Domo in the winter, Swiss Liquid Soul who is going to be the biggest surprise of the near future with his pumping uplifting style, Israel Ace Ventura (Yoni Oshrat, who is half of Psysex of Hommega fame) who is now developing his own perception of progressive music in a very cool way, and many more really..

JK: Your up-and-coming release is entitled “Posse”. Can you tell me a bit about it? Why Posse?

DJ Nadi: Posse has multiple definition but the one we refer to is coming from the “Afro-American” slang of the ghettos, and the general meaning is “Gang” but in the positive way, meaning a group of people sharing the same thoughts and philosophy about life and the feeling of family, this is how Domo sees itself from the beginning as one big family which the main interest in it is the same Ideas and this is our motivation first of all, second come money and fame, not without importance of course, we all want to make a living, but since Ideology comes first it reflects on everything else thus making it a nice place to be.

JK: What else is instore this year for Domo? Any other releases we can look forward to?

DJ Nadi: Well we have a tight upcoming schedule which in my non objective eyes is a real treat to any proggy lover wherever he is, next order of releases is as follows: Insane Creation debut album (07/05), V Tunes Debut album (09/05), V/A Compilation collected by our Israeli DJ Huda –G who is one of the hottest DJs in Israel at the moment (10/05), and Sonnenvakuum second album (01/06).

JK: You used to be involved with Domo Label group, but I understand now you just are Domo Records. Can you tell me a bit about this? You are now starting a new tribal/progressive label… what is the direction with this one?

DJ Nadi: We had Domo Label Group when I was in Germany a few months ago, which included Domo Records and VP records, since 02/05 DLG is finished and now VP records is run by Avi Nini my ex-partner, and I run Domo Records alone, since I like and am involved in all kinds of electronic music, and since I’m looking for new developments and border crossing I decided to open a Brazilian based label called Tupan Records, which is going to be dealing with tribal and more deep-housy music.
It will be based on local talents with some back up of more established international artists and since the Brazilian progressive scene is in its very basic developments now I see a great future for this one.
Another project I’m currently starting to work on is a new electronic/freestyle label for beginning of next year to cover the parts of electronic music the other 2 labels don’t reach and is going to be a blend of genres like Dub, reggae, trip hop D&B and will naturally be aiming for a much larger market then its other brother labels..

JK: I understand this is your first time compiling for the label? 13 years in the Business, you certainly have some experience behind your back!

DJ Nadi: Well yes, I am one of the pioneers of the underground party scene in Israel. Although I was always in the shadows and never really showed off I am responsible for some of the more magical moments in the party scene around here.
in the label work , again I never really search for the spot lights, I like to do my job and that’s my biggest credit, other people are looking for recognition more I guess.. But in this specific case of Posse, since I am now the only owner and manager of Domo Records it was time for me to show my personal taste in progressive music as reflected in my DJ sets all over the world and to give my own statement of the future direction of the label: pumping groovy and fat!

JK: Where has your career taken you? Where have you travelled?

DJ Nadi: Well even before I started to be a DJ I was a traveller I spent a total of 1.5 years in South America, 3 months in India, 3 months in Central America and uncounted time all over Europe which is my favourite continent to be, since I started to be a DJ and label owner I already played in countries such as: India, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Bulgaria & Croatia.

JK: What’s the biggest moment in your career so far? What’s the best party you have played at?

DJ Nadi: Well again it differs between parties I organised and parties I played at, but I would say the best party I played at would have to be Solaris Festival in Brazil, in which I was surprised to see the positive reactions of the Brazilian crowd to progressive music since I expected them to be mainly full on lovers, but 3500 people (out of total of 5000) gave me amazing feedback on the deck!

JK: How has the music you listened to changed in that time? Who were some of your early trance music influences?

DJ Nadi: I’m what you might consider a “dinosaur in the scene” first parties I went to were in 1992 and a year later I started to DJ and make parties (started in the same time) back then my influences were the first “goa-music” artists such as Tsuyoshi, Total Eclipse, the first Spirit zone & Blue Room releases, in time I evolved along side with the European music styles always up to date with the current style in Germany mainly and my DJ sets were always not ordinary and with a small sense of underground in it from European Goa music (never got connected to the Israeli sound as odd as it may sound being an Isra-alien ), through the heavy psychedelic days until I discovered progressive in 1999 and got connected to it straight away.

JK: Which artists now do you think are making big waves in the trance community? Established? What about new-comers?

DJ Nadi: Well I can comment on the proggy style since this is my main interest these days although I do listen to all kinds of trance and electronic music, even the darkest ones to keep myself updated with the developments of the different scenes, so in this style the best ones in my opinion are naturally Son kite , Ticon, and Antix from the established artists, from the newcomers I can point out V tunes my Swiss artist who are going to be the big surprise of the near future, also Swiss Liquid Soul who makes some of the more powerful psy-gressive music nowadays and was undoubtedly the best Proggy live act in VOOV festival last year, and Ace Ventura who is in fact Yoni of the much acclaimed Psysex group who is making some great proggy tunes lately and I’m sure is going to make more waves soon.

JK: What do you think of the state of the trance scene globally at the moment? Do you think it’s healthy?

DJ Nadi: Well this Question has 2 sides really the industry side and the party side, industry wise, its quite clear the big fall which has passed us in the last 2 years has died down a bit leaving the market more or less stabilised in its new limits which are much lower than before but at least don’t deteriorate anymore, thus allowing labels to calculate their moves and investments more wisely and maybe manage to survive after all, happily enough this fall has changed the artists too so that they can understand that the status of the labels has changes and needs new adjustments in regards to payments and conditions to release tracks otherwise they will be left completely unemployed , and this caused a relatively sane industry with much lower sales but also more realistic investments from labels allowing them to keep on operating. Party wise it’s a different story I guess, not influenced from CD selling, the trance party scene is an established scene in Israel and west Europe especially in Germany and Switzerland, the scoundrels and greedy bustards are still there of course in big masses as well as the good hearted organisers who are doing their best to make a party out of love and good will so in the end it depends what one is searching in a party as opposed to the offers in his country.. I can go on for ages about that but I guess there’s a need for a complete interview in this subject.


JK: Have you heard much about Australian trance artists? Any that you like?

DJ Nadi: Yes, the Australian progressive scene has finally started to really grow in recent years, and it’s a good thing indeed for all of us! Artists like Sensient & Sun Control Species are making excellent work now, and labels such as legendary Psy-harmonics, and Demon tea are always testing the boundaries of electronic music (and our brain capacity in the same time) to the full extent!

JK: Would you like to come down here?

DJ Nadi: Well that’s a bit of a useless question isn’t it? Hehe of course I would love to come over there! The style of music that Domo is now releasing and I’m presenting in my DJ sets is considered Day time music, and I believe in one of the more classic outdoor party countries such as Oz which invented the term doof this kind of music has a major roll! Hope to be there soon to explain my theory in person 

JK: Any thank-yous? People who’ve helped you along the way? Last words?

DJ Nadi: Well my biggest thanks go definitely to my wife Pnina who supported me blindly through very hard days and desperate situations and is one of the only reasons I’m still here doing this interview at all, my parents of course who all along my life didn’t question for one minute what in god’s name am I actually doing with myself.. And of course my label’s artists and the DJs helping us to reach places we only dreamt on and making my work value much more too many more people around the globe.

JK: Thanks very much man.