Out the front of the quick stop in downtown Israel stands a man clutching a small laptop with one arm and a cool glistening bottle of imported beer with the other, his pristine record bag pressed up neatly on the wall beside him.
Next to him leers a stocky bearded figure in a long black trenchcoat wearing a backwards baseball cap and smoking a cigarette. That was my picture of GUY J and Guy silent Bob. In actual fact my daydream image is only a half-truth, as Guy J is more the international superstar DJ and less the loitering aimless layabout with mute overweight sedentary sidekick.
Along with artists such as Guy Gerber and Sholmi Aber, Guy J has spearheaded the Israeli dance music revolution with a new wave of stirring progressive records, an art which he has cultivated through experience. “I’m not trying to put myself in any group or keep myself out, I’m trying to improve myself in each production and each track,” J muses. “I think I’m still rising and directing myself to somewhere. I always find emotion in music. The most special part, if it’s happy, sad or angry – it means it’s done with a reason, with feeling. I try in each track to express something; sometimes it’s hard and sometimes it’s easier.”
After releasing a handful of tunes in 2006, he caught the ear of electronic overlord John Digweed who made the releases part of his essential mix playlist and eventually signed the artist to his own label, Bedrock Records. This led to work on his seminal long-player Esperanza that was released this year to much acclaim.
“I was always preparing myself for an artist album, so all the time I was working on different material as well, so it was fun,” says J. “Also to get out from the routine of making club music – it’s good. Each track from the album is expressing something and I think the way the album [is] built and the order make it sound like a story that each listener can find something in. There is opening, there is sadness, there is anger, there is happiness and there is finale with Esperanza.”
The collection has been likened to Nathan Fake’s masterpiece Drowning in a Sea of Love, which tops the list of many epic sonic soundscape fanboys’ wishlists and is indicative of the sound you could expect from one of his DJ sets. “My sets are very melodic and I always try to keep up with a good build up to get the crowd into the music. I use Ableton live sometimes but I still wouldn’t call it live as for live sets you don’t need only a computer – there is more to do, but I’m working on my live show.”
In 2009 Guy has taken his driving beats and shimmering synths to all corners of the planet and heads back to Australia soon for a series of shows that are a welcome return for the globetrotting artist. “I’ve had a great time in Japan, South America, Holland is always fun and Australia – I can’t wait to come back! I have new material including new remixes and editing for tracks, warm sound and of course lots of emotions.”
