Rising Anjunabeats artist, Maor Levi, brought his unique track selection and stellar live performances to Houston recently, and The Department of Dance had the pleasure of sitting down with him.
We’re in his hotel room, overlooking downtown Houston. He wears jeans and a gray t-shirt and is very excited about his upcoming steak dinner. “I’ve heard that when you come to Texas, you must have steak,” he mentions to me, with a grin on his face. We converse about his recent travels here in North America and the vibes of the venues he has played and the places his been. He is so unassuming and laid-back, you almost feel like you are just hanging out with your friend, talking about music.
And that is precisely what we did.
A child prodigy, at age eleven, Levi began producing music. When asked if it was his upbringing in Israel that helped to shape his music, Maor states “I think I am a product of the whole world when it comes to music…when I’m not listening to electronic, I really like rock-like Rage Against the Machine,” he says. Also, he credits that fact that he gets submissions from his fans, and that he takes time to give them a listen to get a pulse for what is exciting his listeners.
And it is this eclectic view on music and sound that truly allows him to create such unique remixes, mashups and original tracks. Noting the impact Tiesto’s “In Search of Sunrise 5: Los Angeles,” had on him, it is interesting to see just how much his sound has evolved and matured.
“When I first started out, I produced under a few aliases because I thought they were each going to remain separate in sound and artistry,” Maor notes, referring to his lesser known projects: Pillow One and 123XYZ. However, as his podcast “Moar Bass with Maor Levi” proves, he has evolved into the type of DJ that can blend so many different types of tracks. Also, with his skillful mixing abilities and passion for all music, it is no wonder he can create beats and progressions that other DJs may not even consider.
Being signed by Lost Language as a sixteen year old really set the atmospheric tone Maor’s career has taken. “You know I was making mixes on my old equipment and poor software, but I was young enough and naïve enough to just continue to send them until I got a response.” Levi was first signed to the UK based label, Lost Language. Shortly after that, the big leagues came calling in the form of Anjunabeats. Stating that he was just really “excited that people would hear [his] music,” Maor began to really hit his musical and creative stride in 2006, producing and remixing all types of artists for multiple labels. Most notably are his incredibly popular remixes of Anjuna label founders, Above and Beyond.
Incredibly down to earth and super talented, The Department of Dance considers it a privilege and a pleasure to have had the opportunity to bring such a powerhouse of EDM to Houston. If you get a chance to see him live, do not miss out!!
Also, if you ever get the opportunity, ask him about his “A Steak of Trance,” experience.
Born in Houston, raised on hip-hip, classic rock and disco, I discovered electronic music in the late 90's. I am a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and an avid fan of my city, beers and beats.
