Noga Erez. The Israeli musician and singer is someone you need to have on your radar.
Listening to her debut album “Off The Radar”, that she did in collaboration with her partner Ori Rousso, I just got completely soaked in by her fantastic sound, that is produced electronically but contains influences from influences from Hip Hop, R&B, Trap and Electronic Pop. It´s a deep and strong sound, stirring, a reflection of her willingness to understand the complexity and nature of our today´s world and her concern about where it is going. “I believe that music can contribute in helping people understand ideas about the world and raise awareness. And even if ones music or art makes a small difference, it still has the potential to be a small part of a big change that happens between us as human beings and that’s well worth it.” is what she passionately tells me in our interview. And I believe every word she says.
interview by Sigrun Guggenberger
photography by Kimberly Ross
First of all, congratulations to your debut album. It´s amazing! Unique, profound and so diverse. It evokes a lot of feelings within the listener. How would you describe it in your own words to someone who has never heard about your music?
Thank you so so much.
For someone who has not heard our music before, I would say that this album has 15-tracks, some of them are full-length songs, some are just little bits of music. The record does not obey any rules or formulas, but it does have songs that are very structured and sometimes even poppy. It’s produced electronically but contains influences from Hip Hop, R&B, Trap and Electronic Pop.
A lot of your inspiration comes from: “I have this idea of giving people moments of thought and inspiration, and at the same time offering escapism and fun.” Concretely, what sort of thoughts and inspiration you want to give people along the way?
I believe that there is a lot we can all learn from by becoming more curious about the world. It is, and has always been, easy to go to a place of detachment when the problems of the world are not your immediate problems. Not in your backyard. Today, even more than ever, it seems to be this way because we are flooded with information all the time. It is a very rational thing to do, not letting anything in. Block it out. Because, how can you lead a normal life if you keep thinking about things that don’t concern you directly? But, I believe today we can’t afford to disconnect ourselves because the issues of the world, that were always so far away from us, are becoming closer and closer and reality is starting to knock on our door. There’s a complexity in the world we live in today which we all need to understand. If we fall for the corrupt views or black or white choices, suggested to us by politicians and people of power, we might end up finding ourselves in a dark, cruel world sooner than we think. I believe we need to be more worried and concerned about the nature of this world and where it’s going and that is what I try to evoke in people.
“I believe we need to be more worried and concerned about the nature of this world and where it’s going and that is what I try to evoke in people.”
“I believe that there is a lot we can all learn from by becoming more curious about the world. It is, and has always been, easy to go to a place of detachment when the problems of the world are not your immediate problems. Not in your backyard.”
I read you are trying to keep away as much as possible from media. You said: “Most of the time it’s easy just to ignore what’s happening, but every now and then reality makes that impossible.” With this you refer to things happening in the world or in your home country Israel. And you added: „We are very lucky not to live near the borders, not to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and to have shelters and technology protecting us. But with this sense of luck comes a sense of guilt for being able to do something like make music while lives are being taken.” It´s something that occupies me a lot as well. Do you think that at least art can contribute to a change in the world or at the end it always stays just a reaction to it, being always one step behind of what reality creates?
I am actually not trying to keep away from media, that is a quote that referred to a period in my past in which I felt overwhelmed by the situation so I distanced myself from it. it is not something I do today, but every now and then I still feel the need to stop consuming news because of the negative effect that it has on me. The future doesn’t seem so bright when you keep hearing stories about how horrible the world is, and, in a way, I believe that it’s important to keep a certain distance from the news media because it can wear us all down.
I have stopped believing that changes are going to come from politicians and leaders. I think a lot of people feel the same way. I don’t believe that one man or woman, no matter how strong they are, can make the very radical change(s) that we need to make as society. But, I deeply believe in change that happens between people and groups of people. I believe that music can contribute in helping people understand ideas about the world and raise awareness. And even if ones music or art makes a small difference, it still has the potential to be a small part of a big change that happens between us as human beings and that’s well worth it.
Do you think it can be „dangerous“ if art becomes too political as sometimes only afterwards it can be seen what was really going on and people might wrongly and with good intention support the wrong side?
Yes. I think that any comment about any situation has the potential to be dangerous. I think that people should be very responsible for whatever they say, especially if they have a lot of influence. Be aware of what you’re putting out there. That is something we all should remember as artists, as human beings. Unfortunately, the value of accuracy and truthfulness has decreased radically in the past few years.
“I deeply believe in change that happens between people and groups of people. I believe that music can contribute in helping people understand ideas about the world and raise awareness.”
The album title „Off The Radar“ means the voice of many people of your country that is not being heard. To say it with your own words: „ A voice of many young, intelligent people, that simply want to live a normal and peaceful life – and for this are also prepared to make sacrifices and to compromise.“ Which sacrifices are you referring to?
However you look at it, no matter what the solution ends up being for the complex situation in Israel, there will always be consequences. When you want to create a big change you have to understand that it’s gonna take sacrifice. Whatever the solution, it will come at a cost. Both sides giving up important things like money, property, land, values, beliefs, comfort, and most likely, for some, life. That’s the way it is. Wherever this may go, it will require people to step into the unknown. A new economic, political, geographical and social situation. Some will benefit more and some will lose more. But, the situation we have been in, which is constant conflict that has not been resolved for almost 70 years, is a worse scenario in my opinion. Many have suffered because of it.
“Most of my early songs are sung in Hebrew. I have this thing with the language. I love it so much and yet I’m so intimidated by it.”
The track “Off The Radar”, addresses contemporary fears of being anonymous or forgotten, and “our indecent urge to leave our mark by publicly sharing thoughts and ideas without due consideration, purely for the rush we get from approval and affirmation.” Is it a fear that you have yourself a lot as well and if so, how do you deal with it?
I feel the gradual change happening around me and in me all the time. Even if you are not one of the first people to adapt behaviors such as documenting and sharing every bit of your personal life, you kinda gradually get pulled into it. Things that were big no no’s a few years ago are becoming the norm. If a few years back it was considered childish or foolish to post a selfie of yourself doing whatever, today it’s just so common and accepted. In a way encouraged. But that’s not really the issue. The thing is, I feel you can’t really have the ‘pure’ experience of just living your life. I think this behavior is based on a very primal need, that existed way before social media, I don’t really see it changing. For me, I just try to be really honest and open with myself and my friends. If I feel the urge to upload a photo of myself taken at some beautiful place, I ask myself why I want to do it, and usually that convinces me not to and I go on with my life.
What´s your most personal or favourite song on the album and what is the story or meaning behind it? And can you quote one or two lyric lines out of it…)
The most personal song on the album would be ‘Noisy’. All of the songs are very intimate and personal, but I think that this one talks about the most intimate subject which is having to deal with voices inside your head. I’m talking about voices we all have, this inner monologue that never stops. At times it become so intense and loud that it takes over everything else. The song talks about therapy, about this method of talking your way out of problems. ‘Gotta stutter my way out of here’ refers to the mind as a prison which we try to get out, but we are really so used to living inside the prison that getting out is very scary. ‘talking ’bout these walls again, first you hate ’em, then get used, now I can’t live without ’em…’
“I think that people should be very responsible for whatever they say, especially if they have a lot of influence. Be aware of what you’re putting out there. That is something we all should remember as artists, as human beings. Unfortunately, the value of accuracy and truthfulness has decreased radically in the past few years.”
Have you also thought about doing a song in Hebrew or it was clear from the start that you wanted to write in English?
Most of my early songs are sung in Hebrew. I have this thing with the language. I love it so much and yet I’m so intimidated by it. I’ve read amazing poetry in Hebrew and it almost feel like I don’t want to spoil the language with ‘poor’ song writing. Something about writing in the same language I think and dream in is too direct for me. I want to keep this part to myself and luckily I have learned English and I am able to express myself in that language, yet still keeping the privacy of the language of my thoughts to myself.
You worked on this album together with your partner and co-writer composer and producer Ori Rousso. Have you always made music together or this was your first coup? I guess you understand each other without words when creating music together, right? And what does the other bring into the „music team work“ what the other one doesn´t have? ( … like how do you complement each other)
Ori and I are a new collaboration and yes, there’s a feeling of true understanding, something very deep that works very easily for us. But, we do have to communicate a lot in order to understand one and other. We don’t have telepathy, we have to discuss, and our communication is the main thing that makes our collaboration so successful. At first, it was pretty clear how the work was divided between us, he was better than me with song production, I was better at writing lyrics and we completed each other in that partnership. But, as we kept working together I’ve noticed him bringing amazing textual ideas into the songs, things I could never think of myself, and my part in the production of the songs became more essential because I’ve learned more and developed along the way.
“I feel you can’t really have the ‘pure’ experience of just living your life. I think this behavior is based on a very primal need, that existed way before social media, I don’t really see it changing.”
What will our generation be remembered for?
We would be the generation who established a whole new approach to privacy and individuality. For better or for worse, the next generation will grow into a world of no boundaries or filters in terms of the way we present ourselves and/or treat and respond to others.
Your wishes for your future?
I wish for a gradual but healthy change in the way we treat each other. I wish for compassion, patience and love to make a big come back and not be treated as stupid or naive ideas.
www.nogaerez.com
www.facebook.com/NogaErezMusic
