“Behind The Beat” is the new series of special content produced by Iboga Records , which will feature special interviews with our artists every month, presenting news, reflections and remembering special moments in their careers.
In this first episode, we interview Yoni Oshrat (aka Ace Ventura) to learn more about the launch of his label Mutant Disco Records , his newest track with Protonica , as well as reflections on his career and future.
What inspired you to start Mutant Disco Records, and how does it differ from other labels in the psytrance scene?
I’ve been a music collector since childhood, starting with Vinyls, then CDs, then DATs (Digital Audio Tapes) and finally digitally.
So opening my own label has been a dream for decades by now, it was just a matter of time, juggling between family, studio and constant travel. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Ace Ventura project, so it is a fiiting time to embark on this new adventure.
What makes it different from other labels? It will display my personal taste in music…The label will focus on psytrance, without limiting itself to sub genres, though it’s safe to say the main landscape will be Progressive, Full On and Psychedelic Trance.
Since I have a passion for electronic, dub, downtempo and even synthwave music, I will surely venture into these territories as well.
Your debut track on the label is a collaboration with Protonica. How did this partnership come about, and what was the creative process like?
I’ve been into Protonica’s music for years. The first track that caught my ear was a tune called “Refresh”, a 133 bpm monster with an epic festival feel. And since then I’ve beem playing a lot of Protonica tracks in many of my sets. I have received two Protonica remixes of my tracks during the years, bur for a while now both Piet and I felt it was time to really join forces.
He asked me if I had something I started working on that could fit and I happened to have just that, a five minutes arrangement with good potencial. He took it for there and added his magic to create the final result which we are both very happy with. We were lucky to have time to test it out in the last festival season, before doing the final touch ups and small changes that made the track “Nova” what is today.
As for the chose name, Piet was on the lineup for the Nova party on dreadful October 7th. Luckily he did not arrive on the location as he was due to play noontime and stayed in Tel Aviv.
So we felt it was a good way of honouring our friends and our tribe, and after getting the blessing from one of the Nova founders, we officially stuck to this title.
What makes this track special for you, and how does it represent the sound and ethos of Mutant Disco Records?
I really love the result, a progressive powerful vibe with a very uplifting and optimistic melody, something we all need in these days, to be optimistic and lifted…to me it was a natural and perfect candidate to open this new journey of the label.
What kind of artists and collaborations can fans expect to see on Mutant Disco Records in the future?
At the beginning I will focus mainly on Ace Ventura output, alongside Acid Punks, my project with Outsiders which has been cooking for a few years now, and is finally ready to see the light of the day – the debut EP is set for February!
There are also many exciting collaborations on the mutant horizon, for example with GMS, Asgard and Suduaya. And you can expect new tunes from Zentura as well! Stay tuned…
You’ve been a prominent figure in psytrance for years. How has the scene evolved, and where do you see it heading in the next decade?
I have seen this scene evolve form almost it’s very beginning. From a genre who has two sub genres – Night music and Morning music – it branched into so much more. Some styles came and went, but the core stayed the same. There will always be those who complain and say the old times were better, but it’s not a black and white situation, the scene changes just as the world changes.
There is so much to love in the scene nowadays. I’m very pleased to see how the festival scene evolved and became what it is today, for me and so many others – as soons as the summer is over, the countdown to the next season begins, this is where we find our happiness on a yearly basis.
It’s very hard to say where it is headed. Music wise the last few years saw the rise of faster psy. Hitech became huge both commercially and even bigger in the underground, while progressive trance took a back seat compared to a decade ago.
The syles within the scene usually have a cycle and after a few years, something comes up and something comes down. I think that at the end of the day the sub genre doesn’t really matter, as long as you keep it psychedelic!
What influences your music beyond the psytrance genre, and do these inspirations play a role in the sound of your new label?
As I said I am into all kinds of genres, especially more esoteric electronic music. Inspiration comes from everything in life but I’d say it mostly comes from experiences in festivals and parties across the globe, both on the decks and on the floor…and of course – from people…My friends and colleagues, their music and their vibe.
Can you share a memorable moment from your career that profoundly shaped you as an artist?
One that comes to mind is the first Ace Ventura set at Boom Festival, back in the year 2006. After 8 years producing Full On music with DJ Goblin as Psysex, I left the project to change my style and go solo as Ace. I was playing at 135 bpm and played right after Cosmosis, which ended his set at 148 bpm… I was literally shaking, but the reaction and vibe of the floor to my music made me feel so confident about being on the right path, with the progressive direction, which was just starting to really take off at the time. I will always cherish that set in my memories.
