Riding high off the back of one of his most prolific years to date, internationally celebrated DJ, producer, and Joy Records label boss HEVI LEVI now looks to inaugurate 2023 with a worthy charitable musical initiative, as he unveils his latest multi-faceted project, ‘Mad World’.
An impressive cover of Tears for Fears’ iconic 1983 hit single of the same name, ‘Mad World’ is another showcase of forward-thinking electronic music from an artist who has carved out a reputation over the past few years as one of the most industrious and exciting talents on the international circuit.
EG caught up with HEVI LEVI to learn more about the drop of ‘Mad World’, his Joy Records imprint, future endeavors, and more.
EG: Hi HEVI! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you based right now?
HEVI LEVI: Thanks for having me! I’m based in Tel Aviv, Israel and I’m good!
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of ‘Mad World’! What has the initial reception been like?
HEVI LEVI: Thanks, it’s great. DJs are supporting it and like the track, the reactions from the crowd are great, and they can both sing the lyrics and rave to it at the same time.
EG: ‘Mad World’ seems to be a perfect description of the time we live in. Is this “inspired” by a particular event?
HEVI LEVI: It is very much inspired by the world situation lately; the Covid pandemic, the super stressed war politics, but mostly the situation in Ukraine. Citizens, especially kids and senior people, should not pay the price of a politician’s ego!
EG: And ‘Mad World’ is being released alongside its official music video and t-shirt, with all the profits going towards charity, right? How did you come to select this organization?
HEVI LEVI: My team did some research, as there are so many. We chose UNITED24 because they have a program that collects donations for schools, libraries, and not only drones and war machines.
“(Mad World)…is very much inspired by the world situation lately; the Covid pandemic, the super stressed war politics, but mostly the situation in Ukraine”
EG: Have you always been involved with such social causes? Where are we failing?
HEVI LEVI: Yes, we had a project called ‘Drop Beats Not Bombs’ in 2016 and we have our own charity that teaches kids from families with rough backgrounds to become DJs, so they can work at small parties and make some money.
EG: You’re also behind your own label, Joy Records. How’s the label doing? What can we expect on that front this year?
HEVI LEVI: Actually it’s going great, we are the biggest electronic music label in Israel. In 2023 we plan to release some big-name tracks, along with some up-and-coming names. We’ll have our TN1! parties in Ibiza, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, and more locations in Europe, and our TN1! fashion line is getting more and more attention, and we plan to become an independent distribution platform.
EG: It seems that in the last years, powered by lockdowns, there have been a lot of technological advancements that have made their way into the electronic music industry, like NFTs, immersive experiences, virtual reality, and more. What does the future of music look like to you?
HEVI LEVI: Music is in everything and everything is music, so any changes in the world affect it (NFT, AI, etc.), but I believe that DJing is an emotional work; you need to feel the crowd and play the right music, to feel the world vibes and create the right sounds. I believe that progress is good for the music industry.
EG: How do you keep entertained when not in the studio? Have you checked out any good movies, series, books, or albums you’d recommend?
HEVI LEVI: I’m a super workaholic so most of my time is spent on DJing and producing, but when I have time I mainly watch action TV shows, ‘NCIS’, FBI, Seals, etc…
“I believe that DJing is an emotional work; you need to feel the crowd and play the right music, to feel the world vibes and create the right sounds”
EG: Any wishes for our scene in 2023?
HEVI LEVI: I wish that artists would support more small artists, and I wish that fans would support more of their local artists. This is the only way that more art can be created, and more art is more happiness.
EG: What’s next for HEVI LEVI? What particular milestones are you looking forward to in 2023? Where can your fans catch you next?
HEVI LEVI: I’m planning to tour a lot in 2023, mostly Europe, but maybe also Asia. I have a few interesting collabs, and I’m working on an EP in which I merge Electronic music with Philharmonic musicians, and I hope to go back to play in TML in 2024.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, HEVI! We wish you all the best for the future.
HEVI LEVI: It was a pleasure, thank you.
HEVI LEVI’s ‘Mad World’ is out now via Joy Records. Purchase your copy here.
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