Israeli Pop Star Ivri Lider Becomes a 'Young Professional'
"On one hand it’s electronic music and it’s very Western and it’s influenced by bands we like, like Hot Chip, Daft Punk, Guetta, but on the other hand, it’s got an Eastern vibe too."
Israeli pop star Ivri Lider’s side project, The Young Professionals, takes its cues from classic disco and French touch, but really, it’s the non-stop energy and sexy vibe of Tel Aviv that keeps him most inspired.
“It’s a party city. It never sleeps. It’s 24 hours,” Lider explains of the trendy, coastal metropolis. “You go out late, you stay late. You go around the clock. There’s a lot of bars and clubs and a lot of things going on all the time. People are in the streets all the time because the weather is really hot . . . It’s very much alive. And that creates some of our energy and the fact we have a lot of energetic, party music.”
Lider and his TYP partner, singer/producer Johnny “Yonatan” Goldstein, hooked up via e-mail while Goldstein was based in Jerusalem. The pair started working on raw tracks and quickly realized they were clicking, so Goldstein moved to Tel Aviv where the pair took TYP to the next level, playing shows and recording their debut full-length, 9AMto 5PM, 5PM to Whenever.
With a five-piece band donning casual business wear and styled like — yes, young professionals — the group is playing a few select festivals this summer, including Prague’s Pride Parade August 18 and Montreal’s Divers/Cite fest August 5. In the interim, they’ll be hunkered down in Tel Aviv’s clubs, playing and enjoying all the hotspots the bustling city has to offer.
“You can find what you like. If you like the big clubs, you can find that,” he says. “It’s easy to find things yourself because you can basically walk around. It’s not like a huge city like Berlin or London.”
Lider recommends a host of restaurants in Tel Aviv, including Manta Ray on the beach, Cantina on Rothschild Blvd. and Herbert Samuel. He also recommends Montefiore Hotel, a swank boutique in the heart of downtown, while his favorite clubs include Lima Lima and TLV.
Musically, Lider says they’re influenced by everyone from German disco pioneers Boney M to Kraftwerk to Madonna. The first single is the funky, sexy “D.I.S.C.O.,” a remake by French outfit Ottawan.
But the album is more than just a retro party. “Angry Alone” is an impassioned, indietronica lament while “20 Seconds” injects some Mediterranean-style, pulsing tech-house into the mix. And then there’s the brash electro pump of “Fuck Off Berlin.”
“We tried to do something you can dance to but you can also cry to,” Lider says. “We’re trying to find the combination between all that — not doing only club music for your body but doing music for your body and your mind at the same time.”
“On one hand it’s electronic music and it’s very Western and it’s influenced by bands we like, like Hot Chip, Daft Punk, Guetta, but on the other hand, it’s got an Eastern vibe too,” he continues. “It’s influenced by Arab music that we really like and we hear every day. It’s very Western but with a Middle Eastern twist.”
