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Q1. Where are you from?
Tel Aviv, Israel.
Q2. Musical influences?
I see my music as life influenced music… obviously I’ve been heavily influenced by Techno and Trance music as a younger raver, but I always felt it was more like “connecting” to the sound rather than being influenced. Anyway, I like to listen to Jazz (Miles Davis, Monk, Coltrain, Gershwin, Nina Simon), Techno (Jeff Mills, Plastikman, early Infected Mushroom), Classical (Greig, Tchaikovsky, Bizet), Arabic (Um Kultum, Warda, Fairuz, Ehab Tawfiq) and other exciting individuals and bands such as Mike Patton, Deus, Massive Attack, Mati Kaspi, Arik Einstein and many more.
Q3. What’s your song writing process?
It depends on the song. Sometimes the lyrics come first and sometimes the music. I usually don’t have lyrics “flooding” out of me unless there is a topic, sometimes I search for the right words for months. With the music, I usually lay down the main idea in a few hours. All in all, usually I know what I want the song to sound like and then make it.
Q4. Most bizarre gig experience?
Hmmm, I’m not sure bizarre is the right word for it, it was def one of the funniest experiences as everything went so silly. It was a gig at Fete-De-La-Musiq, my stage was about 50 meters behind the main stage (that had one of Israel’s biggest folk singers) and the acoustic guitars (I’m really losing my patience towards acoustic guitars) were so much louder than all my bass and distortion. As no one was looking, I went to the main mixer pushing up the gain on my PA. With the volume as good as it could get (considering how small my PA was), we just rocked the street in front of 10 kids. It was a really fun show and the kids even asked me if I do Bar-Mitzvas. HA!
Q5. If you could share the stage with anyone, who would it be and why?]
Why of course it would be Mike Patton. He is one of the best singers today and that’s the calibre I want to be in, both as a singer and as a musician. Besides, other than the fact that he’s crazy and talented enough to make it very interesting, it would also make my brother very proud.
In their own words
Rona Geffen is an exciting new musician in the electronic scene, inspired by everyday city life. Driven by a non compromised approach towards music & sound Geffen is an all D.I.Y. musician.
Majored in music & production studies at Muzik – school of creation & production, she took part in the creation of the soundtrack for choreographer Yasmeen Godder’s work “Singular Sensation”, and toured with Dub master Mad Professor in Europe (winter, summer 09). For the past 5 years collaborating with visual artist Alona Rodeh as the duo BoomBoxing Crew, dedicated to the creation of powerful, refined and smoky sound-installations. BoomBoxing Crew premiered in art & mixed-media events worldwide.
Geffen’s debut album ”Bilono” (2008) is a blend of extremes, surfing between hard electronica, sexy vocals & heart wrenching violins, creating a unique and pulsating tone. Bilono is the sound of day and night life in Tel-Aviv – from its harsh politics to that constant dripping of the neighbor’s air-conditioner.
Geffen’s new EP “The Emancipation of Mitzy” (2010) gathers 6 tracks, 5 of which are dance floor oriented. Unlike her debut album, “Bilono” which combined Techno, Downtempo & Pop, this EP is more unified by its genre representing hard & pumping Techno for the chaotic crowd. Drugs, alcohol, politics & (as always) sex are the issues driving the music. Distortions, amplifiers & rhythm are the means to make it come to life.