Golan Zocher [Interview]

Born in Colombia but now calling Israel home, Golan Zocher has firmly etched his place in progressive house lore. Following a 2016 debut, the Tel Aviv resident quickly found his place amongst the genre’s elite, earning play and support from Hernan Cattaneo, Nick Warren, Guy J and Guy Mantzur. Releases via Plattenbank, Sol Selectas and Sudbeat highlight what has been an eight-year creative swell for this elusive talent. Clubsonica has also been a regular landing spot for Golan, with three originals and two remixes recorded since making his label debut in 2017. Now, following a contribution to the label’s Sampler, Vol.3 earlier this year, Golan returns to the Clubsonica with ‘Alive’, alongside remixes from Will DeKeizer and Dabeat.

Progressive Astronaut caught up with Golan to learn more about the release of ‘Alive’, his background, studio process, inspirations, future plans, and more. Enjoy.

Hi Golan, thanks for joining us. What is your current mood and what was the last piece of music you listened to?

Hi Mitch, Thx for having me on board, it's always a pleasure to talk to you. I am great these days, feeling light and fresh for summer :)  Last piece of music I listened to is the latest lost & found latest compilation, some great tunes there.

How has the first part of the year been for you and what are your plans for the coming week?

Well as a year it's been a wild ride with many personal changes but as the wise say, it's all for the good :)

The coming week I will be working on an original I am doing with an Israeli Singer, some deep progressive vibes with oriental vocals on top, I like how it's going so far.

Do you consider yourself a DJ or producer first? And which do you enjoy more and why?

I was first a musician playing guitar at the age of 12, then a dj at 17 and as a producer I started at 30 after 9 years full break of music.. So, it's a mixture of everything hehehe.

You’ve lived in both Colombia (where were you born) and Israel (where you reside now). From age 10-35 you were based in Colombia though, so tell us about growing up there and how you discovered electronic music. 

Growing up in Colombia definitely shaped my character from day to day.

I think Colombians are maybe the most warm hearted and happy people on earth… They have always good heart and good intentions.

I discovered electronic music at the age of 15. Before that I a was a 100% Metallica and heavy metal fan, till my sister from Israel sent me ISOS 1 by Tiesto for my 15th birthday, and that first song by York, Reachers of Civilization, connected my guitar feel with the electronic world and I was hooked from then on.

What local Djs or producers in Colombia had the biggest impact on you during your adolescent years? 

I had the pleasure to learn from dj Tavo in 1999 who was a dj to have a world record to mix the most songs in a minute or something like that, he was crazy talented although he would mix every genre…  also a local dj called dj Moras, who was and is still a sense. But overall the scene was far from my taste that was focused on the European movement.

What prompted the move back to Israel and how would you compare the nightlife in both countries? 

I always had the desire to feel what it feels like to live in Israel since I grew up in an Israeli home so I took my shoes and changed my reality in couple of weeks:))

Night life in Israel is somehow hardcore, people take it seriously here with raves and in clubs while in Colombia you have more variety of genres such as salsa and Latin music.

Electronic wise talking about Israel, it has more history in the scene therefore it's wider on this specific subject, while Colombia only for the last couple of years has opened itself to other genres then hard tech house and hard techno such as organic, progressive, oriental and u name it.

And to add to that, what have been your favourite venues to perform at in either Colombia or Israel and why?

In Colombia Octava is one of my favourite places, the place is really cool and my home Club La Central is also on my top list.

In Israel I like to perform mostly at beaches and on daytime where I can explore so many genres and also take my guitar to play live on top of any track.

If you are not DJing or socializing at clubs, where do we find you? And doing what?

In my real day job I deal with sound projects for basslines such as bar's, retail stores malls and any space that needs sound, I will make it happen in the right way. Besides that now it's summer so you can find me at the beach catching some waves when I can.

When you were first getting started in production did you have someone help you or are you completely self-taught? And what would you recommend new producers do to help with the learning curve of production?

I learnt by myself with so many tutorials and experimenting with Ableton, no one actually gave me any lesson or anything similar.

To new producers I would recommend to be persistent, consistent and have patience at the same time… It will pay off.

You’ve achieved some measurable success in relatively short order, support from a who’s who of progressive trendsetters such as Hernan Cattaneo, Nick Warren, Guy Mantzur and more, along with releases via Clubsonica, Plattenbank, Sol Selectas and Sudbeat. If you look back over your discography, what release or releases had the most impact on where you are today and why?

I think the labels you mentioned are the most relevant for my career, but every release has the same importance since I am sharing my music and creation. But to have releases on these recognized labels definitely put you in the spotlight.

You have a new single ‘Alive’, out this week via Clubsonica, tell us about the release, and how do these tracks showcase your current sound?

Every release for me it's a new world to explore and I don't think that one release showcases my current sound but better to say that it's part of my overall sound and proposal as an artist.

Tell us about the vocal from Ojeni, how did you guys meet and eventually decide to collaborate on a track together? 

Interesting story, Ojeni met my aunt while traveling in Colombia and she connected us through Instagram. Next thing I know I am recording her in my studio in Israel and suddenly we have this amazing EP with beautiful remixes from my good friend Dabeat and the genius boy Will DeKeizer.

Tell us about your studio set-up? Do you favor physical gear over digital? And what studio tools featured heavily in the writing of ‘Alive’?

In 'Alive' the main thing was to record the guitar that we hear in the break, and around that everything was built up slowly and nicely.

Currently I am working only with plug-ins and no hardware at all besides live instruments here and there.

What does writing a track look like for you? Could you walk us through the production process on your Clubsonica single?

For writing a track, for me each time its to dive into new waters… 90% of my tracks I start from scratch without knowing what genre it's gonna be and I produce with no specific intention to sign in one label or another, I just flow.

Clubsonica is a label you’ve worked with a few times in the past and the results have always been exceptional. What is it about the label that makes it a great home for your music? 

Clubsonica is my home label and I've known Juan for almost 20 years now from the club life in Cali, Colombia. It's my music family label and I will always love to came back and propose and share my music there.

Let’s talk about production a bit more for a moment, where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships etc play? And was there anything that inspired the writing of ‘Alive’?

I think that 'Alive' was inspired after a harsh break up, at that time where you pick your pieces together and start moving on again. It is there that you realize, you are ALIVE :)

As for inspiration there are no rules really, sometimes music comes out of nowhere and sometimes it's a long process of months or more.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you’re satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practice? And who is someone you share your new music with first for feedback?

I leave a piece for a couple of months usually then I get back to it and keep working with a clearer view…I am almost never satisfied with a piece hehhehe. Actually it’s something I am learning now to let go and be satisfied. I share my music at some point with close friends who happen to be great producers or big names in the scene.

What is the task you enjoy the most when producing and what would you prefer someone else to do?

I enjoy experimenting without having to think about the final product…

I would have someone else make the final mix, I get bored but it's very important at the same time.

What would be a musical extravagance for your studio you would pay for, if you were very wealthy?

Amazig 3 way monitors, all the possible Moogs, a Virus ti, and some Nord won't be bad… Also some expensive Buzuki and other oriental/Indian instruments.

Now let’s talk about DJing for a moment, it’s a unique discipline at the border between presenting great music and creating something new with it, between composition and improvisation to an extent. How would you describe your approach to it?

I love mixing without programming but rather I prefer to have a big collection with me and then decide. And I love to have at least 3 decks to keep the groove going… It makes a difference.

If you could set up an event with a line-up of five artists of your choice, who would you book and what set times would you ascribe to the artists?

Very tough question but would go with a huge and long b2b2b with my close Colombian friends who were part of the beginning of this amazing journey.

Kamilo Sanclemente, Dabeat, Rivellino, Julián Millan and Ingmar Kertzenplefer

Current top six tracks?

Guy Mantzur - My wild flower

Golan Zocher & Choopie - SAO (Hernan Cattaneo & Simply City remix)

Eli Nissan - Bambook

Maori - Egypt Sunset

Pandhora, Dark but gray - Signs (Hernan Cattaneo & Marcelo Vasami Extended remix)

Guy J - Metal dreams

What’s a book you’ve read or a film you watched that has left an impact on you, and why?

Tao te ching - Lao tse

Zen, beginners mind - Shunryu Suzuki

Be Here Now - Ram Das

Zorba the Greek -  Nikos Kazantzakis

Memoirs of Hadrian - Marguerite Yourcenar

Apart from music, what makes you happiest?

Friends and the beach. The huge support by the likes of Hernan Cattaneo and Guy Mantzur to name a few…it's really an amazing dream that became reality.

What does the remainder of 2023 hold for you? Anything you can share with us?

Some really amazing releases ahead, collaborating with one of my face producers from Holland… spoiler :)))

'Alive' is available now via Clubsonica: https://bit.ly/44nObZj