[INTERVIEW] MR.BLACK Takes Us Behind The Curtain Of His Riveting Musical Journey And Project

Having made a prophetic rise to the top of the global psytrance and big room circuits, MR.BLACK is widely known for his artistic innovation and eclectic sound design. Also, the founder of prominent label, HYBIT, this DJ-producer hybrid has stunned crowds across the world's largest venues and festivals.

MR.BLACK has continued his hot streak throughout 2023 so far, delivering invigorating releases and infectious performances. We had the pleasure of chatting with this talented visionary on his project and the road that lies ahead.

Check out iEDM’s exclusive interview with MR.BLACK below.

iEDM: What is the inspiration behind you creating the DJ persona MR.BLACK, and what does the A resembling a triangle represent in your logo?

MR.BLACK: It’s a funny story, but I had a project back then that was called Black & White, which my partner on that project was really white and I was (much) darker haha. That’s where the name MR.BLACK came from. And generally, I really like that color. It is written like that (MR.BLACK) because I like to write it in capital letters and it looks better to me with no spaces. The triangle represents A in my logo!

iEDM: How did growing up in Israel influence your tastes in music and your production style?

MR.BLACK: Israel is the capital of psytrance, so I had the chance to meet all the psytrance legends back then. I learned and collaborated with them, so this definitely influenced my music and gave me inspiration to produce and explore this type of music. Of course there are more genres I grew up on, but at the end of the day I transform everything into my own trance sound.

iEDM: What is your favorite venue to perform at in Israel and why?

MR.BLACK: Live Park, one of the biggest venues in Israel for festivals. I played there with legends like Avicci, Hardwell, and many others. The atmosphere there is amazing. This place has a very unique energy, it’s like an open theater with 12,000 people. The crowd in Israel is super energetic, so it looks massive and feels incredible to play at this kind of venue.

iEDM: You’ve performed all across the world and at renowned festivals such as Tomorrowland, Don’t Let Daddy Know, Ultra Europe and Life in Color. What has been your most memorable festival set to date and why?

MR.BLACK: Actually, there are so many! I’ve been blessed to be around the world and get the embrace of all the fans, whether it's in Asia where I played Japan, Korea, Thailand, or Europe where I've played lots of festivals but also club shows. This has definitely been one of my best years and I’m just super happy about the reaction and feedback for my music, along with the love from the fans.

iEDM: What was the most challenging obstacle that went into orchestrating your upcoming debut album, Tranceformation?

MR.BLACK: Tranceformation blends all the worlds and musical genres that inspire me. You can hear the psy-elements, techno-fused kicks, trance leads, and breakdown with breakbeat elements. It's a mix between classic flavors that I grew up on in the early 00s and the more modern sounds that represent my catalog, as I wanted to ‘Transform’ the old and good into the new and modern. So the biggest challenge was to make sure there is that balance between all the worlds I wanted to showcase in the album.

iEDM: What are your favorite covers in terms of the design for the songs you have been putting out on Revealed Recording & HYBIT?

MR.BLACK: I love the futuristic designs. Each track has a different concept, so we try to connect between the track and the style of cover. We always try to create a theme for each song.

iEDM: What is your personal favorite track off the album?

MR.BLACK: It’s like picking between your kids, I don’t have one favorite, every track tells a story. Each track challenged me differently, in a sense that it’s ‘hard’ for me to judge my own work. It’s super easy for me to give feedback about other people’s music but when it comes to my stuff, moreover my debut album, I’m going back and forth with questions in my head, testing it live, and trying to figure if this is the right version. So the entire process challenged me as I want eventually to be proud of what I put out to the audience.

Click to check out MR.BLACK's Exclusive iEDM Radio Mix!

iEDM: Describe the process of creating “Papi” with Eden Shalev. What is your favorite component of the track and what was the driving inspiration behind its production?

MR.BLACK: I heard the first version in a viral video and the hook immediately caught my ears. I checked who produced this record and I was surprised to see that it was someone from Israel, so I approached him and the rest is history.

iEDM: You have worked on numerous tech and metaverse projects through your music. What do you view as some of the most beneficial applications of the EDM industry partnering with tech and NFT organizations on projects together?

MR.BLACK: It was an honor to work with companies like Tesla, eToro and some other big tech companies. I really like technology and I was impressed about the new DiscoverFeed Metaverse project; they are really taking it to the next level in terms of facilitating the real clubs into the Metaverse. It is like you are partying at real clubs, just in Web3.0.

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iEDM: Who are some of your favorite artists to collab with and who would you like to collab with for the first time in 2023?

MR.BLACK: I would love to collaborate with Tiësto, Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, and of course David Guetta – he’s one of my biggest inspirations and a true legend. He's always up-to-date, fresh, and definitely re-inventing himself time after time. He's an example on how you can do multiple projects and everything still sounds solid and working.

iEDM: What is the purpose behind your record label HYBIT and what can we expect from it in the near future?

MR.BLACK: I wanted to have a home for my releases but also showcase music from other talented artists. The concept was to release music that blends between high-energy and main-stage vibes, along with trance, techno elements, and more.

Photos courtesy of MR.BLACK.

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