Elado talks about Edits 2 on Razor-N-Tape, Eddie C, Tel Aviv and drops a sublime mix for our Disco Selectors series.
An interview with the Insider for Le Visiteur
The last couple of years have seen a series of Elado vinyl releases which have really established him as a digger and edit producer of note with releases landing on Red Motorbike, G.A.M.M. and Barefoot Beats. Perhaps his stand-out release to date though was a raved about EP Elado Edits on Razor-N-Tape which touched down all over the disco globe delivering a collection of intriguing party starting tracks including the bonkers Indian acid edged jam Gulab Jamun which has become a bit of a leftfield disco anthem.
Now Elado is back on Razor-N-Tape with Edits Vol 2 which again takes us on a multi-cultural disco journey featuring 4 tracks including the brilliant percussion vocal jam Disco Hummus, which might also win the 2022 award for best song name.
To celebrate the release Elado stepped up to the Le Visiteur decks dropping an utterly spellbinding mix for us, as you would expect it visits all points of the disco compass. Check the mix below and the full tracklist is at the bottom of this interview. If it spins your disco ball please give it a share over on Soundcloud and help us spread the love.
The Insider also spoke to Elado in depth about his career and the scene in his native Tel Aviv.
Hi Elado
Thanks for taking the time to talk Elado! Tell us what you are up to right now.
I’m releasing my second E.P on the great Razor-n-Tape label. I had a few vinyl only releases since we did the first one and I got great feedback from my heroes who are now playing the tunes. Just last night Antal played my tune in Japan! These things makes me happy. It’s a big satisfaction to see my work is getting such a support.
In the last 12 months I started to do gigs around the world. I did tours in NYC & Mexico, played as a headline at two big festivals, played in Europe & Asia too. It’s an old dream that’s come true. In the next months I return to Brooklyn & Mexico, and also Paris, Amsterdam & Berlin. On January 23, I will do my first Australian tour.
Sometimes I pinch myself, as this journey started only last year, with my first 12” release on RNT. Now I’m very excited for my second E.P coming up on the label.
Tel-Aviv
Where you are form exactly and where are you based these days?
I’m from Tel-Aviv, Israel. I still live there now.
How is the music scene in Tel Aviv right now?
In 4 words: Techno, Techno, Techno, Techno. The scene is very big & vibrant, lots of action, you can party seven days a week. It’s also quite conservative and repetitive. Not enough variety. It used to be more adventurous, and the crowd used to be more passionate about the music rather than about other things. It’s not an easy place for a groove based DJ. Techno is very big here. That’s why I needed to spread my wings and fly.
What is the hottest club in the city these days?
Phi garden is hip & interesting. Most of the old clubs are gone with the covid. There’s lots of good dance-bars with free entrance and a good vibe. New clubs like OZEN & COLLABO are coming up these days, I hope they will bring some fresh air to the scene.
Are there a lot of DJs brought over from other countries or does Tel Aviv focus on local talent mostly?
There are lot of DJ’s from other countries for sure, but the main scene hangs on its local talents and not depending on outside booking like it was 10-15 years ago, when people were chasing the week’s booking hype and locals only did the warm up. The local scene is very strong here.
Rewinding a little.. Sounds like your father had a big impact on your musical beginnings.
My father is a classical musician. He used to be a DJ before I was born. He had a huge record collection. When I was 5 years old he gave me a tape cassette with all the disco songs from his collection. I was obsessively listening to it until it wore out, then I cried hysterically until he made me a new one. That was in 1979!
Early DJ Obsessions
Who were the first DJ’s you were obsessed with in your teens
When I was 13 I started to go to a club called Colosseum. It was Tel Aviv’s version of studio 54. I used to stare at the DJ the whole night. Just after the army, I went to Amsterdam and saw the legendary Dimitri at the Roxy. That’s when I realised what is house music and what is a real club DJ
What were they playing? Can you highlight any tracks?
The Colosseum DJ, his name was Amir Cohen, he was mixing Depeche mode & Front 242 with D-mob & Simon Harris, hip house, street soul & funk and also rock. That’s how they used to play back than and maybe from that I took my mixed genres attitude. I could never play only one genre.
Radio Addiction
Was radio important to you in the early days? What did you listen to?
I was addicted to radio. I used to record the shows and tried to cut out the talking. There was a station called “Reshet Gimel” that played pop and dance music and euro stuff. I’m still playing those songs till this day, and each time I have this special wave of nostalgia. Stuff like the video kids or magazine 60.
When did you start to get into record buying. What were some of the first records you paid good money for?
When I was 14 I started to go to the big city after school(sometimes instead of school), to buy maxi 12” records at the local DJ shop and Havant stopped since..
The first 12” I bought was Italo house 12” called “Non-Stop House Party”
Firs DJ Steps
How / when did you first start to get in to Djing?
My father started to host parties for singles / divorced people in our living room and they needed someone to play the music.
So, I started with two tape decks & one turntable and used the amp switch to replace the songs. After that my father bought me a mixer. I saved money and bought my first Technics 1200 when I was 15.
What were you playing on in the early days?
I played almost every possible genre. Italo, euro dance, hi-nrg, disco, classic house, loads of funk, at some point I started to make big breakbeat parties ( that was called nu-school breaks).
Where were the first places that you played?
My first real club gig in Tel Aviv was in a club called “Tamars Lounge”, they had a big disco party and a small room with funk & soul. I played a funk & breaks set in the small room. It was in the year 2000.
Production
When did you first get involved in production?
I always played with it, making remixes & edits for my own use. Covid lockdown gave me the time to sharpen my knives and take it to the next stage.
What was the first production that you released?
An edit called “Hipos” on a 45 record on berlin’s Eddie C label “Red Motorbike”.
Over the years, what would you say was your most notable release or the one you are most proud of?
Without a doubt it’s my first Razor-n-Tape E.P. This one opened the doors for me. Especially “Gulab jamun” that became a cross-over club hit.
Eddie C
You’ve worked a lot with the great Eddie C right? Tell us a little about your releases on the brilliant Red Motorbike.
Me & Eddie go way back, we are good friends, he was my first friend in the scene. We met in Berlin in 2009 and from that point we played together like ten times in Tel Aviv and in Berlin. I wanted to start playing abroad so I was trying to arrange an east Europe gig with him, but nobody knew who I was. So, Eddie told me “why don’t you try to make an edit for Red Motorbike”? So, I did! When he told me that he liked it and wants to print it I was on the top of the world. Lately he asked me to make another “weird, 4 min down tempo” one, as the first went so well.
Record Collecting
As a collector you must have a pretty sizeable collection? How big is your collection? What’s the rarest record in your stash?
I stopped the counting long ago, but pretty much more than 10000 records.
I have few “promo only” Israeli records that where printed in very limited numbers only for radio DJs only, and all the originals of my edits that are super obscure records.
If we ever get to Tel Aviv, where is a good place to look for vinyl?
I love the Jaffa flea market area. Very authentic and you can never know what you gonna discover.
Tell us of your love for your Condessa?
I won a turntablism championship in the past and I love scratching. I also used to play funk 45’s & disco originals, where you need to cut mix and you can’t do smooth & long mixes. I wanted a rotary mixer with the best sound & filters. It’s like a combination of two separated worlds. I asked Mehdi from Condessa to build this for me and he did! Only me & Kon own it as far as I know. A real beast!
Razor-N-Tape
Tell me about your relationship with Razor-N-Tape? When did you first hook up with the guys?
It all started after I did my second edit (after the one for Eddie). I posted it on my Soundcloud, and it created some buzz. I have like 10 RNT records and it’s one of my favourite labels so I sent them an email. I got a reply that they wanted it, and they needed another three tracks. So, I made another three, two of them were “Blame” & “Gulab Jamun”. Both of them became bigger than the one that got me sighed!
I discovered a super professional label and I got very lucky to enter this family. Finally, I met them all when I went to Brooklyn to play with them, and it felt very comfortable and friendly. Really great DJ’s too. They are real pros, they take the business seriously, very organised, invest in promo and media but most of all they are releasing very good music!
Elado Edits 2
Tell us about this new release a little?
It also has four tunes. “Baila” is a Spanish flamenco, disco-acid, peak time thing, very catchy. “Simba” is a slow burner, deep African disco with a dubby-housey touch that always brings people back to the dancefloor at the late hour. I’m really proud of the production there. “Disco Hummus” is middle eastern disco with funky b-line and darbuka, contagious groove. “Sun” is a basic edit of an African cover of a famous song. a guilty pleasure treat.
Disco Hummus has to be one of the best track titles ever right?
Haha, I love to giving my tracks names that based on stuff you can eat. Halloumi, Gulab Jamun, Space Lokum, Disco Hummus.. tasty!
Next Projects
What other release are you working on at the moment?
We are planning an official release for “Gulab Jamun”! RNT now have the licence for the track, and I did another remix to it. I also did a remix for a Tigerbalm tune that’s plan for a future release on the label.
I’m working on an Israeli oriental remix project meeting old legendary local artists and getting their blessing and approval. I hope to release those Israeli jewels to the world!
What are your next ambitions in music?
I’m now slowly moving from doing remixes & edits to making tracks of my own. It’s still sample based, and the next step is to create a full original tune. I’m not in a rush with it.
What do you like to do when you are not making music?
Playing with my little kids.
If you hadn’t spent your life making beats and playing records, what do you think you might have done instead?
Tough one. Maybe I could be a tech entrepreneur. I have an idea for a new app on a daily basis!
Thank You Elado!
Fore more information on Elado check:
Eldao Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eladomusicofficial/
Elado Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/eladomusica
Elado Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eladomusic/
Razor-N-Tape Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RazorNTape/
Razor-N-Tape Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/razor-n-tape
Razor-N-Tape Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/razorntape/
Razor-N-Tape Twitter: https://twitter.com/RazorNTape
LV Disco Selectors 47 – Elado – Tracklist
1. Marcos Valle – Estrelar Elado edit (unreleased)
2.Terra Amor – JKriv Edit (Pantai people)
3. Eddie C – Everybody Everybody Everybody (Lips & Rhythm)
4. Elado – Baila (RAZOR-N-TAPE)
5. Eternal Love – Kuasi Riviera (forthcoming on POLIFONIC)
6. Ripped without writing the name – Cant find the record (unknown)
7. Hard Drive Library – Let’s Get It Together (forthcoming on Make a dance)
8.Mountain – JKriv Edit (Pantai people)
9. Nenor – How can I be free (RAZOR-N-TAPE)
10. Josh Ludlow – Floor Whore (unreleased)
11. Lipelis & Andy Butler – Generations of Sunsets master (forthcoming on POLIFONIC)
12.Holt Brothers Band – Dance with me
13.Small City Life – RFX Edit (FUAVE)
14. Pleasure Voyage – Return of the Discotheque
15. Elado – Simba (RAZOR-N-TAPE)
16. Kassiry – N’Ne Menika
17. Elado – Disco hummus (RAZOR-N-TAPE)
18. Marten Yorgantz – Discotchari Elado remix (unreleased)
19. Josh Ludlow – Diska Tek (analogue mix) (unreleased)
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