Yahel (real name Yahel Sherman) is a DJ/producer from Israel who has been active in the scene since 1990. He has been producing numerous albums and EPs, of which the most famous one are the deep Voyage, Devotion and Open Your Mind. Furthermore, Yahel has teamed up with video game companies Namco and Konami for game music, while his output as a trance producer is still regarded top notch worldwide. We recently teamed up with Yahel for a quick chat.

How did you get into music production?
I started djing at the age of 14, but as I started to get good at djing, I started to realize that just spinning the records was not enough for me. I wanted to create the sounds that were inspiring me not just play them. So I began to produce.

What inspired you to produce the track Bomb Creator? Who wrote the lyrics for the song?

The lyrics were written by Melanie Hiscock. The idea was to look at something powerful and tragic from the other side. The character in the lyrics is trying to find a better world but the only way they know how is by resorting to violence and terrorism. It is a powerful song, people have responded wonderfully to it whenever I play it.

Compared to other producers it seems like you do not do remixes, will that change?
Not soon, I have been spending my career trying to understand who I am as an artist and where I am going. It is hard to try to leave my head and get into someone elses to reimagine their creation.

We've heard the vocal version of The Noise in one of your sets yet I was never able to find a separate track for that. Why was the female vocal version of The Noise never released?

I'm not sure. The album Superset was a sort of experiment for me. The singles we had were That Night and Cloud Nine... it just never seemed to come up to release it. I have a ton of tracks that were never released, maybe we should to an album of b-sides.

How does melody come into your mind? What inspires you?
I make them up. That's the truth, the sounds are in my head and then they come out. Inspiration is not like looking at a sunset and having a sound pop into your head. Inspiration comes after countless hours in the studio banging your head against a track that you know is a good idea but cannot make it work. Then suddenly your head starts to clear and you can hear exactly how the track should sound. That is inspiration.

Are you surprised that you have been in the DJ Top 100 for such a significant time?
I don't know that surprised is the word I would use. I am confident in my abilities, and I appreciate my fans voting for me. That is the true honor of the Djmag Top 100 that people from all over the world come together to bring me up.

How did you meet female vocalist Tammy Federman?
I was Djing a party and someone mentioned that she sings, so we got together it was really straight forward. She came to my house we sat in the studio together and started making music.

Which vocalists are you working with now?
I am still working with Tammy on occasion. We did some tracks together on my latest album. I am also working with a really talented young lady named Sivan Talmor, keep your eyes on her.

We would love to hear what you can do with the voice of Maya Simantov. Another great DJ from Israel, Offer Nissim, is there in the DJ Mag Top 100 with you. Yet for some reason you have not remixed any of Offer's productions and Offer has not worked on anything of yours. Do you think you can team up on one production to create a crossover of the house and psytrance scene?
That's an interesting idea. Those sounds do not usually mix. I am a big admirer of Offer and I have known him for a long time. Our styles are so different that I think a collaboration might surprise people, but we are both so busy it is difficult to get together.

What are your latest productions and plans for the future?
I have a few tracks that we have been looking to release, but not too seriously. We have an idea about the direction of an album but I have been traveling a lot so the studio work has taken a back seat for now.

Are you satisfied with your career?
Yes and no. Yes in the sense that my career is really going well. No in the sense that as an artist you always want more, you want to grow, and to become more. It is that desire that keeps you going.

If you would not be doing music what would you do?
I don't know, maybe be a fisherman.

What technology do you use to produce your tracks?
Mostly Cubase. It is the best program that ties together a studio.

What type of music do you listen to other than psytrance?
I actually don't listen to a lot of Psy I listen to Pop music, and a little of Rock. I like Madonna and Depeche Mode of course. I like a bunch of artists but it is mostly electronic influenced.

365Mag would like to thank Yahel for his time and answers!