Ilan, Ruven & Shmuel are the three brothers responsible for Hazy March, Captured, ... And now, they have spoken with us about working together, Isreal, the clubscene, where is trance going, and much much more...

i:Vibes: Hi all, thanks for doing this interview with us :)

Could you tell us a bit more about yourselves? What are your hobbies, age, and anything else you want to share with us.

Flash Brothers: We are 3 brothers who grew up together in Nazareth in Northern Israel. We always have had a big passion for music, electronic music especially. We started producing music late ´96 and moved to Tel Aviv in the summer of ´98, to our home studio apartment where we are today. We kind of have some of Israel´s house pioneers producers. As I know we were the first to make progressive house here in ´98… we also love cruising on the net, chatting to friends, going out to parties if we aren´t too busy, watch some good European football, but nothing compares to our love for music.
I´m (Ilan) 26, Ruven is 30 & Shmuel is 24.



i:Vibes: The Flash Brothers consist of the 3 of you, could each of you tell us what´s so great about working with your brother, and what isn´t great about working with them?

Flash Brothers: It´s really cool, and we got so used to us working together as 3 in the studio. It´s great to work as brothers, cause after living together all our life, we understand each other´s mind. And it´s easier to know what we want to do in a track when we start to produce. One could look for a certain sound or loop, when the second or third will get to it right away – it´s like completing one & other. If a new idea pops up, you shouldn´t wait to meet the next time your co-producer has time, cause he´s living with you… we can´t think of any bad thing that happened from working as brothers. Except some different thoughts we´ve got sometimes, but anything gets solved at the end.



i:Vibes: How did all of you start producing? Did each of you influence each other?

Flash Brothers: Well, in the real professional way, Ruven was learning sound engineering in Tel Aviv in ´97 & moved living there in ´98. At that time we already had lots of early melodic trance & progressive trance tunes that were released in 2000 in Germany & The Netherlands on several labels. All produced in Nazareth first. In the summer of ´98 myself & Shmuel got to Tel Aviv with all equipment & built our new improved home studio there. Where we had more room & time to create our music together. We were producing all the time together, when each one had his music & influence he was into more. So we had to make & still make music that fits all of our ideas. And here we are today, signed to some of the leading dance labels in the world today, and Shmuel also has time to produce his music alone with his different ideas etc…



i:Vibes: You rapidly became a household name with productions like Hazy March, and Captured. Did you anticipate the huge commotion around those releases?

Flash Brothers: Not really. It took a while till our music got to the helpful hands & labels of Paul Oakenfold & John Digweed. Then after they started playing our stuff & releasing it, our worldwide recognition got bigger. More tracks followed into more than 10 compilations less than a year. More releases & remixes on top labels as Black, Fire & Hooj Choons. When our Hooj release also surprised us by getting to 15 in the official UK dance singles chart. With all that, we get more potential & believe that we maybe really good with what we do.



i:Vibes: What do you feel when the two top jocks (Sasha & Digweed) both play one of your tracks (Hazy March by Flash Brothers & Chilling Moments by Shmuel Flash)?

Flash Brothers: Its great! Apart from being supported by these 2 amazing DJ´s in other sets, it was very cool that Digweed played Shmuel´s ´Chilling Moments` twice in a row, and Sasha played our ´Hazy March` tune in the same set, which was also broadcasted on several radio stations as Radio 1´s ´Essential Mix`. I think its even cooler when it was rewarded as best ´Essential Mix` of 2002 in Muzik Magazine´s awards event. It´s really cool at the end that different DJ´s support you, including the world´s biggest ones which is definitely amazing.



i:Vibes: You have had releases and will see other releases on Perfecto. How big is the attention with releases on those labels in opposite of having small labels releasing your records?

Flash Brothers: Both labels territory is good for us, as we always aimed to both places. Our music is varied & can fit different places, from the most underground to a more well known & bit commercial labels & areas.
That´s what helps us to keep on producing music as we never get bored of a certain sound, cause each track or remix we do is different from the other. It also gets us to release our music in different labels, and to open & play in front of different people every time.
Of course it´s such a big honour to be part of a great & known label as Perfecto, and being an artist of the label with others as Oakenfold & Timo Maas.



i:Vibes: Just recently, Basicbeats announced that Shmuel will do a monthly set on their Internet radio. How important is DJ´ing in your lives? Does producing get the upper hand?

Flash Brothers: First us 3 have always been producers - our live act show & Shmuel´s DJ´ing are also very important to push your music, your name in front of crowds & get what u like outside to others. As always, all producers who also play live or DJ are using this skill to play out their music. As for Shmuel´s new monthly basic beats net radio show its also important to give a chance to listeners all over the world to hear what music he plays & where his influences come from, as not everyone has had the chance to hear Shmuel DJ, and its good also for youngest generation that still cant get to parties to hear the fresh sounds from Flash camp.
Whenever Shmuel is playing, and especially on radio, he´s pushing the newest & freshest stuff around at the moment in different styles from chilled to more danceable & uplifting.



i:Vibes: In an interview with us, Astral Projection (also important Israeli an producers) told us a lot about the club scene in Israel, what do you think of the club scene in Israel?

Flash Brothers: Its really cool - grew up & expanded over the years. Lots of clubs, open air parties, gay & love parades every year, big worldwide DJ´s that play here every weekend. Since 96 Israel got to be a real player in world clubbing. Tel Aviv was the first city I remember in the ´Global Underground` mix CDs series with Tony De Vit in 96, so there u have good example. If there wasn´t the political problems in our area as it was some years ago, things could go even bigger here with our Eilat southern city has chance to be the next Ibiza, but not quit for now.
Nevertheless, new breed of clubbers are coming out in the past year, with younger generation getting clubbing as well & expand the clubbing community in Israel. After playing all over Israel, I can say it keeps on growing, and helps people to get out of their tension & forget their problems for the weekend at least - its our duty!



i:Vibes: Who played (plays) an important role when in comes to producing music?

Flash Brothers: Well basically its us 3 all the way, each one with his ideas & contribution from finding the right sounds & parts, to master & final mix of the track & sending it in the end to the right people.



i:Vibes: I can imagine, if all 3 of you are in the studio, producing, that there have to be problems, and maybe even (small) fights and discussion (I have a brother also :p). How do all 3 of you work together in the studio? Is there a certain role for each other, or do you all compliment each other?

Flash Brothers: There are of course some basic different thoughts & ideas, of choosing the right sound, loop or editing the track in the end, but it always turns out that we decide going on the one way we guess is the right one & it gets accepted by all 3 of us.
Usually our work goes like this: Ruven has an idea of something, he´s searching for the first sounds of the main idea of the track he has got in mind, unless I come up with something. Then we start to record the sounds he found to the computer channels, when afterwards we together r building what´s around this idea to fill up the idea & turn it to a full sounds packed track out of it, with our 3 heads together. Shmuel usually sits on the computer & sampler while I´m just behind help deciding which loops & other sounds to use. After the track is ready & been edited, Ruven does the final mastering & mix as he´s the man for it, and truly responsible also for the good quality of our tracks. When its ready, I help to decide where & who should we pass the track to, and we r ready to play it in front of the crowd on our shows then.



i:Vibes: Who is in your eyes, the most innovating producer at the moment? Why?

Flash Brothers: Ruven - Gabriel & Dresden, because each production from these 2 guys together & sometimes separately is superb & big favourite of my brothers & me. Their productions remind a bit our musical direction with house, progressive & nice melodic elements in it, and every remix or track we hear from them sounds better even that the previous & also different. We love it!

Ilan - Filterheadz, the 2 guys from Belgium who are really wicked and hot at the moment. They produce different styles as well, from tribal-techno (Tomaz & Filterheadz stuff) to uplifting melodic tech trance (Qed, Oliver Lieb remixes). They have great support from us for a while now, and I think them, as 2 more excellent Belgian producers Pole Folder & CP, are Belgium´s best quality dance producers.



i:Vibes: What is your current favourite track of the moment? And favourite track of all time?

Flash Brothers: Shmuel: El B´s - "Heartbeat" (Spot On), my no.1 track in my chart I´m playing for the last month which is cool groovy melodic house music.

Ruven: 16b - "Inbetween Your Choice" (Hooj Choons), one of the best chill out tracks of this year, pure melodic & with nice breaks.

Ilan: Trinity Hi Fi - "Turn The Lights Down" (Dave London Remix) (Airdog), an excellent uplifting vocal breaks track remix by USA breakbeat hero Dave London.

Our all time favourite track is Visage - "Fade To Grey”: the ultimate electronic dance classic for us. Also is The Future Sound Of London´s ´Papua New Guinea` we grew up on it since it came out in 91.



i:Vibes: What´s your opinion about the mp3-scene? Some say its good, some say its nothing but trouble, but what do you think?

Flash Brothers: Its really bad for artists, records labels, shops etc if it´s free worldwide download. Less are buying today the true original item that´s out, and it hurts to see anyone can get stuff that hasn´t yet been released or just been for free. If it was possible, to make download from some kind of payment through net sites it could have been better, so the money afterwards could get to the shops & labels to earn their part they deserve. I hope the music market will get a hold of itself & keep on selling the original CDs & vinyls that are out every day.



i:Vibes: Where do you think trance is heading for the next years? Last year was ´progressive`, 99 was definitely the year for uplifting trance, but 2002 has been a real mixture, some excellent progressive stuff, and some excellent uplifting stuff.

Flash Brothers: I think both sides of trance r going well & strong, as we take part with our music & releases in both sides. The uplifting trance is much bigger u can say as it got success on the official charts, radio & MTV plays for instant, cause its got also the more commercial side & the less one. But in any event today u include both music rooms or stages, it will be both packed with people, as both styles are crowd pleasers & got huge supporters worldwide. U got Sasha & Digweed who keep leading progressive in their world recognition & tours, as Tiësto & Paul van Dyk who keep uplifting trance popularity wherever they r in the world. So, u cant say 100% on club land side at least that one is stronger than the other. We think both are great & hope its popularity will keep on like it is.
As far as we concerned, we are much into more electro 80´s sound lately which really hot now, so we think its going to be the next big thing & will try to combine it in our future tracks.



i:Vibes: Is there anything you want to tell our readers? Or ask them?

Flash Brothers: Keep on enjoying electronic dance music wherever u are - at parties, DJ´ing to friends, music collectors or just for fun. We hope we contribute the music u like, and will keep on doing our thing in purpose of keeping u enjoying from what we do.
Thanks for everyone who supports our stuff - we have lots more coming.


i:Vibes: Thanks a lot for Ilan for all those great answers!!