aaamusic | On 19, Jan 2011

AAAmusic chatted with Yoav. Here’s what we discovered!

AAAmusic: We’re currently seeing a zeitgeist of singer/songwriters, yet your music is far from the lazy three chords and an ex-girlfriend school of writing they seem to cling to. I can’t put my finger on it (exotic cinematic mellow indie dance musings?) so could you tell us a bit about your style and how you developed it?

Yoav: I guess it’s a work in progress. I’ve been on something of a musical journey since I was a kid listening to singer/songwriters and pop, later on getting into rock, then hip-hop which led me to trip-hop, to electronica in its various forms and Indian and African music. All the while I was trying to find ways to make my beat up guitar make the sounds I was hearing as I didn’t have the tech skills or gear to create them on a computer. So , for instance, a song might arise from a dance beat I’m banging out on my guitar, and that song would be very different from the kind of three chord tunes you are talking about. It’s always been important to me to write hummable pop tunes with meaning, but I’d say my sounds are on the darker more indie side of the pop spectrum.

AAAmusic: What would you say are the pros and cons of being a solo artist, especially when you have such an ambitiously panoramic sound?

Y: Well there are going to be limitations no matter where you are coming from and your limitations help to define you. Being solo allows me to morph and change the songs and the set at will and with my live setup I create layers of loops and echoes which gets me quite close to the sounds on record. In the right setting I can get the whole room jumping and in a more formal setting, the live show can be far more intimate listening experience. So I see myself as a cross between a singer/songwriter and a dj. Being solo has also made my live touring setup more guerilla so I’ve been able to perform and make an impact in countries off the beaten touring track, like Turkey, Latvia, Ukraine, which has been fun and inspiring.
I do sometimes miss the sparkle of playing with other musicians live, so I welcome the chance to collaborate live or on record when it comes around.
Breaking a string can be a scary event when you are all alone in front of thousands of people and generally there’s vast amounts of pressure to shoulder, but for now this is definitely what I am meant to be doing.

AAAmusic: On your studio recordings, you’ve collaborated with musicians from all over the world. How was that as an experience, and has it affected your attitudes towards music?
Y: This last record (A Foolproof Escape Plan) was a great learning experience. It was recorded by Joey Waronker in LA and London. J oey is one of the finest drummers and engineers around and has played with just about everyone who is anyone. He hammered at me to be more free with performance, to let go of perfectionism and let the record flow. So my vocals and playing improved vastly and I feel like the soul shines through on these tunes as it has not done on my previous recordings. The musicians we called in to play on some of the tracks were all phenomenal and it was certainly humbling watching them nail their takes immediately.

AAAmusic: Given your use of acoustic synths to create some innovative and organic songs, what would you add to the synth vs “real instrument” debate that seems to lurk in the music industry?
Y: It totally depends on what you are trying to achieve and what sounds you have in your head. Some synths sound awfully cheesy and digital in a more traditional song, but might sound great in a hip-hop or Daft Punk tune. I like using synth sounds that retain warmth and soul ,or better yet, using the acoustic guitar where possible to get sounds that sound synthy yet are more organic and soulful.
I would love to do a full-on electronic project some time soon though.

AAAmusic: What would you say inspires you most, both music and lyrically?
Y: I think it’s crucial to not get comfortable with your music or with your life. I’m always trying to check out new scenes, new music, always reading, travelling, connecting with new people. I happen to be particularly unencumbered in my life at the moment, so I am taking the opportunity to do as much crazy shit as I possibly can ,when I am not on the road or recording that is.

AAAmusic: Following on, what artists, old or new, would you recommend for our readers?
Y: Well I listen to just about any kind of music style, though I am very fussy about what I like within those styles.
I grew up listening to the Beatles and Paul Simon and Pink Floyd and Dylan which was a great foundation for learning to write songs.
I always loved dark pop from the 80’s and 90’s like Depeche Mode, the Cure, Radiohead and such,90’s hip-hop like Tribe Called Quest and then later Outkast, Missy, MIA. I’ll always be a freak for Bjork. Loads of electronic artists . The most enduring has been Aphex Twin-I can listen to him any time- and lately Crystal Castles. I’ve always had a thing for intense female singers like PJ Harvey, Cat Power and Fiona Apple. More recently I’ve been obsessed with Swedish electro pop like the Knife and Fever Ray and Lykke Li is wicked on record and live. There’s loads more ,I can never think of it all when I’m asked…

AAAmusic: Any advice for budding musicians out there?

Y: As I said before, keep adventuring and exploring, don’t get comfortable as an artist or as a human being. Be open to lots of influences and you will eventually forge something new if you keep at it. Write songs, good songs are the  lifeblood of pop and there’s not enough folks out there that know how to write them. A great song will outlive any amount of posturing and media smoke and mirrors. Always remember why you started in the first place, it’s far too easy to fall into hunger/ ambition/ vanity which is all fine unless it’s unchecked and then you start to sound plastic and 2-dimensional as you make all sorts of corporate compromises. We have enough stuff out there like that.

AAAmusic: And finally, what can we expect from you in the future?
Y: 2011 is going to be a busy year of touring for A Foolproof Escape Plan, though I am well on my way to finishing my next bunch of tunes which I am super excited about. I think my next record is going to be a departure from my more acoustic sounds to something more full-on either electronic or pop or a combination of the two. I am in the process of collaborating with some amazing artists and dj’s (watch this space) and also have some music coming out in Hollywood blockbusters in the next couple of months so my life is going to be wicked mayhem for a long while yet.

Author: Katie H-Halinski