Why did you name
the CD “Desert Cruising in a Dub State of Mind”?
Well . . . the “Desert Cruising” part was
because when I listen and play this music, it reminds
me of the desert atmosphere. It puts
me in that whole mellow, chill, and relaxing
mood you get in the desert. Or at least I get. I can’t
speak for everyone! Also, for me, when I’m in the
desert or driving through the desert, it’s a good
place to clear my mind and get my thoughts
straight. I think this music gives that vibe, too. And,
of course, I think this music matches perfectly for cruising
in the desert!
The reason for “Dub State of Mind”
was because I’m a really big fan of Dub
Music, and, in my opinion, Dub Music isn’t
just a style of music; it’s a state of mind. Wow,
that sounds pretty deep. Let me explain what I mean so
you don’t think I’m a nut! Basically, anybody
who’s been to a Dub show or listened to Dub Music
knows that there’s always the most chill and positive
vibe at the shows. It puts you in a positive,
mellow kind of a trance. And that’s the state of
mind I was in when I was writing and listening to these
songs and one of the vibes I was trying to create
in this music. Can ya dig it?!
What would you
consider the style of your guitar playing in “Desert
Cruising”?
I’m mixing different influences of mine. It’s
a mix of feels and sounds from different parts of the
world, like Spain, the Middle East, South
America, Greece, and the Caribbean. To keep it simple,
I usually say Latin, Reggae, and Middle
Eastern influenced instrumentals. I’m not doing
it the traditional way, though. I’m kind of taking
different influences of mine and elements and feels from
different parts of the world and putting them together
the way I hear and feel it. Also, I was really influenced
by Greek and Middle Eastern bouzouki
(a Greek instrument) players and the sound of the oud.
But when I was writing and playing this music, I wasn’t
really thinking about all that stuff. I listen to a lot
of music from all over the world, and when I started writing
and playing this music, I just let things come out naturally
and flowed with whatever I was feeling at the moment.
The end result has a lot of different influences from
around the world.
What famous artists
has the music on “Desert Cruising in a Dub State
of Mind” been compared to?
I’ve heard people compare it to Gypsy Kings,
Ottmar Liebert, Santana, Rabih Abou Khalil
(Nafas), Ry Cooder, Strunz and Farah, Bustan Abraham,
Aris San, and also soundtrack music from movies like “Frida,”
“Pulp Fiction,” “Kill Bill,” and
Spaghetti Westerns.
I’ve gotten all kinds of comparisons,
but I think everyone kind of hears it in a different way.
You should decide for yourself. To me, it’s just
Rafi Levy World Music!
When you start
writing a song, how do you go about it? What approach
do you take?
Usually, I’ll be in a certain mood and then just
start jamming on the guitar and improvising.
Then if I play something that I like, I’ll take
that idea and start messing around with it and developing
it until it becomes a song. Sometimes I’ll get a
vision or idea for a song while driving or listening to
music or whatever random thing I’m
doing at the time. Then I’ll take the guitar and
start developing and playing around with that vision and
turn it into something. Really it’s kind of a spontaneous
thing. There are a lot of approaches I take. It just depends
on what I’m feeling at that moment.
What message
or vibe are you trying to create in “Desert Cruising”?
The overall vibe in “Desert Cruising” is a
relaxing, mellow, and spacey one with lots of warm, soulful,
and exotic melodies. I’m taking
you to different moods and places in the world through
music. Lots of improvised solos played on guitar, oud,
and flute and percussion grooves played on instruments
from around the world like the cajon, tablas, udu, and
doumbek, all in all creating a positive atmosphere for
you.
Who or what are
your influences? Which musicians inspired you and had
the most impact on you?
I’m not sure if you’ll hear this in my music,
but I’d have to say the musicians who had the most
impact on me and influenced me the most are Grant Green,
Ernest Ranglin (“Below the Bass Line”), Bob
Marley, The Roots Radics, Sly and Robbie, Jimi
Hendrix, Paco De Lucia, and James Brown, just to name
a few. There are many more musicians I’d like to
give my respects to, but it would probably take a few
pages.
I listen to many different styles of
music from all over the world, but on my CD, “Desert
Cruising,” I’m heavily influenced by Middle
Eastern music, Spanish guitar, Reggae,
and music from South America, the Caribbean, and Greece.
Where did you
record “Desert Cruising in a Dub State of Mind”?
I recorded some songs at Sonora Recorders in North Hollywood,
California, and some songs at Delaney’s
Rock N Roll Ranch. Both places had a really cool vibe
and awesome engineers (Chad Travis, who worked with me
at both places, and Matt Wisecarver and Richard Barron
from Sonora Recorders). Delaney’s Rock N Roll Ranch
was cool because it’s on his actual country-style
ranch, and he’s an awesome musician who wrote, produced,
and played with a bunch of big acts, such as Eric
Clapton, Everly Brothers, Duane Allman, Jerry
Lee Lewis, and more. It was cool being there and hearing
him play and tell stories from his past. Sonora
Recorders was cool because the engineers over
there are really easy and fun to work with, and they really
helped me a lot in making this album possible. They also
have an awesome studio.
What made you
want to become a musician in the first place?
My family always had music playing in the house, barbecues,
parties, and different events. I’ve always loved
listening to a lot of different styles of music. I listened
to Rock, Punk, Hip Hop, Electronic, Reggae, and
Middle Eastern music and was always curious to hear new
things. When I was 11, I remember listening to Pink Floyd,
Metallica, and Nirvana. I remember listening to the guitar
solos and getting goose bumps every time I heard them
and thinking I want to be able to do that and play like
that. At that time, when I was 11, I moved back to Israel
where I was born. My dad had an acoustic guitar in storage,
and he gave it to me. I started playing at age 12 and
got really into it. I remember thinking right away that
this is what I want to do when I grow up. I was also a
horrible student at school, and I started putting most
of my time into music. At age 16, I dropped out of high
school and focused just on music and
playing my guitar. That’s what I loved to do.
At what age did
you have your first performance?
My first performance was when I was 13. It was at a talent
show competition in Israel with a band that I started
with some friends of mine. We played simple Rock songs
that we wrote to a crowd of 200 people. It was pretty
funny. I think the adults watching the show were pretty
shocked because we were a bunch of wild little kids playing
this loud Grunge music. I was also the
oldest one. The drummer was 11, and the rest of the guys
were around 12 years old. We won the competition and got
a gift certificate to go bowling for free! It’s
not a Grammy, but it’s something!
What are some
other bands or music projects that you’ve been involved
in?
Another band that I play and write music in is called
Hypnology (formerly known as Poopan). I’ve been
making music and performing with these guys since 1997.
The style of music is a mix of Funk, Reggae,
Drum N Bass, Acid Jazz, World Grooves kind
of thing. We experiment with a lot of different sounds
and styles in this group. I’ve also been involved
in other Reggae projects and made tracks with different
Hip Hop and Electronic music producers. But I’ve
put most of my time into Hypnology and my solo projects.
Where were you
born and where did you grow up?
I was born in Israel and grew up in Israel
and Los Angeles, California. I’ve moved back and
forth most of my life.
How old are you
now (2005) and how long have you been playing music?
I’m 24-years-old, and I’ve been playing for
12 years.
Where are some
of the places that you’ve performed?
I’ve played shows all over California and in Nevada,
Utah, Arizona, and New York.
Eventually, I want to do a tour all across the United
States and, after that, around the world! I’m working
on that.
What makes you
special or different in your craft?
I listen to so many different styles of music
and am always open-minded to hearing new ideas and new
music. Because of this, you can hear a lot of different
influences and musical feels in the music I write. I’m
into playing anything as long as it sounds good to me
and is played with passion, feeling, soul, and I am having
fun doing it. I am not into imitating other people or
trying to sound like somebody else. I like to listen to
music and learn things from people, but when I come to
write music, I forget about everything
and put all that stuff aside. And just play and write
what comes naturally and whatever I’m feeling at
that moment. But the biggest thing is just being open-minded
and never looking down on different styles of
music or shooting down new possibilities or ideas.
How do you presently
see yourself and your music?
I presently see myself and my music as a journey. I want
to keep on exploring different styles
and sounds of music and always continue to grow as a musician.
I think there is no limit to the things that you can do
with music and there are always ways
you can express yourself and new songs to be written.
My CD, “Desert Cruising in a Dub State of Mind,”
is just the beginning of a journey through
music and blends some of my influences and emotions. But
I’m going to keep on writing music and putting out
more CDs in different styles. Each CD will be unique in
its own way and different from my other CDs.
What are you
working on now?
As of now, I’m working on a bunch of new ideas and
writing music for my next albums. But that’s a surprise!
I’m also getting ready to release my third album
with my band, Hypnology.
What can we expect
to see from you in the future?
You can expect to see a lot more good music. I’m
going to continue writing and exploring music and growing
as a musician for the rest of my life. My goal is to put
out a bunch of CDs in different styles of music, blending
different influences from around the world. And to keep
things fresh, soulful, and fun for me
and my fans. I want to give something positive to my fans
and to the world. You can expect surprises from me!
What would you
like to say to fans reading this interview?
Thank you for taking an interest in my music and for taking
the time to read this interview. I hope you like the CD,
and I really appreciate every fan’s support. It
makes a difference and makes this all possible. So, respect
to all of you and much love to all of you.
