Five Musicians From Tel Aviv To Watch

Discover five up-and-coming artists that are redefining Tel Aviv’s music scene, from electronic to Ottoman music.

The Cut Out Club

This group has an angsty, sometimes dark vibe. It boldly blends eight musicians together, led by Nitzan Horesh, singer-songwriter from Electra. From chilling tunes like ‘Haunted’ to folksy playful songs like ‘2 Seat Ride’, they are reminiscent of the Los Angeles group Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes. The songs are consistently groovy, catchy and energetic. Their sound is sprinkled with bongos and saxophone and they seamlessly mix genres from today and eras past with disco, funk and alternative jamming together. ‘We Are The Ghosts‘ is a perfect introduction song to this group; it captures their soulful, twisted energy.

Founded in 2011, by singer Bar-Or, this group has a gentle, lullaby sound. Their sweet poetic lyrics, and gentle guitar background is mellow, but there is a quiet integrity in the acoustic wistfulness of each song. Their content has undertones of Israel-specific issues, like mothers’ fears as their children are drafted, but is yet universal, with emotionally raw vulnerability in each breath. They sing in a heavily accented English and each word is said with emotion. They are growing in success, soon releasing their album in Europe. One of their most well known hits is the unusual ‘Dreamer’.

Echo & Tito

This duet is experimental and explosive and otherworldly at the same time. Echo is the voice of the operation, with a strong, feminine sound. Tito does the beats – otherworldly, with a distant, trippy psychedelic energy. They come together to create distinctly original songs, that slow you down and make you listen. The song ‘Summer Girl’ has that outer-space slow strange feel and showcases Echo’s voice beautifully.

DJ Bright Funk

Tal Bright, under the pseudonym of DJ Bright Funk, mixes together the catchiest genres to create a party in each piece. She seamlessly dances through Soul, Funk, Disco and Afro Beat. She has myriads of colorful pieces that get you grooving along and humming long after the song’s end. In addition she is quite talented on the Darbuka drum, which may add to the effortless rhythm of her pieces. Check out ‘People Want To Dance’ for a taste of her spirited fun sound.

Harel Shachal & The Ottomans

This group is led by Harel Shachal, an established jazz musician, gifted in both saxophone and clarinet. He had a passion for Turkish music, and wanted to bring that influence into the Tel Aviv ethnic music scene. Thus was birthed one of his most successful projects, Harel Shachal and the Ottomans. They play traditional Turkish music, with an excited zest that demands you to get up and dance. He leads in the clarinet in ‘Köprüler yaptırdım gelip geçmeye (Karam).’

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