Based in Tel Aviv, Niv Ast has been inspired by the psychedelic waves of acid, the attitude of the punk-rock, and the light-headed groove of disco.
Photo Credit: Yosi Moyal
In the last couple of years, he’s been touring around Europe and playing in iconic clubs. Niv’s live show is a solid club-oriented electronic performance, based on his original material, which includes distortion guitars, ecstatic percussions, and hypnotizing vocals.
EG caught up with Niv Ast to talk about his new studio LP ‘Bag Of Hopes’, his live show, upcoming dates, and more.
EG: Hi Niv! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you based right now?
Niv Ast: Hey guys! It’s great to be here. Currently, I’m based in Tel Aviv, while recently traveling a lot on tours across Europe.
EG: First of all, we heard that you just wrapped up production on your next album and a new live show, so congratulations! What can you anticipate on that front?
Niv Ast: Thank you! The live show experience has been amazing so far. I’m having so much fun performing and the feedbacks are so kind. The album is going to be out at the end of March and it will include all of the live show tracks, edited and dancefloor-ready, super excited about that!
EG: Will there be a theme or thread to this new album? Is there an inspirational trigger? What can we expect, music-wise?
Niv Ast: My album ‘Bag Of Hopes’ is a mixture of a lot of genres I’m inspired by. It’s based on a heavy electronic kick & bass, which are the fundamental root of all the tracks in the album, combined with catchy hooks of vocals I sing and rock-and-roll guitar riffs. It’s my special place where I get to play all the genres, I live in a crazy electronic party.
EG: You have had quite the year regarding productions, including collaborations with Darlyn Vlys and even your girlfriend. And on that front, we’re very fond of your contribution to ‘PURPLE FUTURE RADIOOOOO’, which invited artists to explore the future of music in 2070. What is your personal vision of music for 2070? What will music sound like?
Niv Ast: As you can hear in the song I made for Radiooooo x Purple Magazine, I believe in 2070 we’ll still have the main issue of heavy difficulty to handle bad feelings / tough situations, pushing them away from us and complaining about them in the songs we’ll write 😊 So they might sound more robotic or a total back to the roots kind of vibe, but It will still be us, crying our heart out.
“I believe in 2070 we’ll still have the main issue of heavy difficulty to handle bad feelings / tough situations, pushing them away from us and complaining about them in the songs we’ll write”
EG: Any personal favorite release of yours this year? Why?
Niv Ast: Really hard to pick! I think my favorite will be the track ‘All I Need’ I made with Darlyn Vlys. I have so much fun playing it live or djing it. It’s a clear vision of the combination between electronic music and rock-and-roll and I love it.
EG: This year has also seen you touring a lot, right? What has this experience been like? Any favorite places you’d like to play again at? Are there any new places you’d like to play?
Niv Ast: This year has been amazing really. I had so much fun around. Really all of the people who invited me have been such great hosts and I would love to come back for sure. From ‘Gardens Of Babylon’ in Amsterdam, to Kater Blau in Berlin for Mira’s birthday, to the great guys in Vilnius’ ‘Draugai Draugams’, to the best NYE party I’ve been to in Lyon with ‘Arm Aber Sexy’. Couldn’t be more grateful.
EG: What would you say is the “place” of crossover acts in the current musical landscape?
Niv Ast: I think it’s the future really. Live shows and acts that involve high engagement with the crowd, pushing the edges further away, and thinking about how to get unique is always the main point of evolution.
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?
Niv Ast: I love reading and playing video games lol. Kind of a geek in this regard, I guess. I’m just reading the Lord Of The Rings trilogy for the first time, and as far as video games, I can recommend Elden Ring, which might take your life in the process, but it’s worth it.
“I think it’s the future really. Live shows and acts that involve high engagement with the crowd, pushing the edges further away, and thinking about how to get unique is always the main point of evolution”
EG: What’s next for Niv Ast? What particular milestones are you looking forwards to this 2023? Where can your fans catch you next?
Niv Ast: Oh 2023 is going to be fire. Lots of big releases are planned both in my new label Band Apart and in other amazing labels, and I’m super excited about that. Looking forward to going on tours and meeting old and new friends this year!
You can catch me next for a live show in Tel Aviv on January 13th at Camel Rider’s label party in Gagarin and in February in Spain and Poland. Follow my Instagram to get the proper details 😉
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Niv! We wish you all the best for the future.
Niv Ast: Thank you, guys! Had a lovely time answering your questions <3
Niv Ast’s ‘Bag Of Hopes’ LP is out now via Band Apart. Purchase your copy here.
Follow Niv Ast: Spotify | Instagram | SoundCloud | Facebook
