Noor – New album from Ofer Dikovsky (Oforia)
Noor – New album from Ofer Dikovsky (Oforia)
Ofer Dikovsky is a true pioneer of electronic music. Ofer, known mainly for his Oforia project, was also behind groundbreaking and legendary projects of Goa Trance & Psytrance such as: Indoor, Phreaky, Tandu, Pigs in Space and others. He has just released his second Noor album “Can you ride a camel? ” on Shamanic Tales Records. It is a very special totally eclectic freestyle electro-acoustic journey that lasts for almost two hours and was written in a very intense creative process. We sat with him to try and learn more about the album.
You can listen to the full album while you read!
Noor – Can You Ride a Camel? (Full Album)
How did you get started in the Goa Trance and Psytrance scene?
Back in the early ’90s, I co-owned a commercial recording studio, primarily working with rock bands. My initial encounter with electronic music began in 1993 when I started to play around with a computer-based sequencer. It was a time when ambient and chill-out genres were gaining popularity. By 1994, we stumbled upon the emerging Goa trance scene, with its vibrant music and electrifying parties. It completely captivated us, prompting us to transform our studio into a dedicated space for crafting this genre. We launched our project, Indoor, and released our debut album in 1995. It was a significant hit within the scene and still holds relevance today. This marked the beginning of my 30-year career in music.
What has been your journey from your early days to the latest Noor album?
I’ve always been passionate about exploring a broad spectrum of music, not just limiting myself to trance. I wanted to showcase my skills as a guitarist and keyboardist, which are less prominent in the high-paced, loop-driven world of trance. The idea of blending different musical styles has always appealed to me, but it crystalized into a significant project during the lockdown. I decided to fuse Middle Eastern music with psychedelic electronic elements, resulting in the first Noor album in 2021 – “Covidance”. The latest release “Can you ride a camel?” is a double album that reflects a broader narrative, inspired by the complex challenges currently facing the Middle East.
Get Noor – Can you ride a camel? – album: https://shamanictales.fanlink.tv/Noor
What is the vision behind Noor?
Noor celebrates the profound connections and shared human experiences. through the rhythmic pulsations of electronic music intertwined with the soulful resonance of live instruments and vocals. It’s about bridging musical genres and cultures, fostering connections between people and communities. In today’s digitally connected world, Noor underscores the timeless power of human connection, bringing us together across linguistic and cultural divides through a shared aesthetic experience. The project blends Western musical influences with Middle Eastern tones, reflective of my background and experiences, encapsulated by the project’s name, Noor, which means “light” in both Hebrew and Arabic, symbolizing the enlightenment that comes from diverse elements uniting in harmony.
Can you tell us about your new album, “Can you Ride a Camel?”
The album was born from a period of intense adversity, as the region endured significant turmoil. There were times when I felt completely detached from my musical instruments, as though they were reachable. It was a challenging period, marked by personal loss and despair. However, a moment of clarity eventually emerged, leading to a burst of creative energy. Between November and December of 2023, I composed 15 new tracks, driven by the complex interplay of light and dark, good and evil, life and death inherent in my surroundings. The album poses a question through its musical narrative, challenging listeners to understand the intricate realities of the Middle East.
Is it more challenging to produce an album with such a diverse range of styles, tempos, and energies?
Embracing a wide array of styles feels incredibly freeing for me. My background includes a deep connection to various musical styles, some traditional and quite distinct from the trance atmosphere. I find it exhilarating to merge these diverse musical worlds. Producing Goa and psytrance typically confines you to specific patterns aimed at dance and movement. With Noor, however, I can explore these energies through different musical layers and elements.
Can you describe the creative process for this album? What instruments and equipment did you use?
The album began with numerous sketches, each outlining a basic idea or direction. These sketches helped me develop a coherent concept and musical DNA for the album, transforming them into vibrant and emotive musical stories. The studio was buzzing with both hardware and software synthesizers, various guitars, a marimba, and a sitar, all of which I played during the recording sessions. The whole process was incredibly swift, with the final mix completed in just two months.
Do you have a favorite track on the album?
Choosing a favorite track is difficult, as the entire album was created in such a brief period that I view it as a single, cohesive piece. Each track is deeply intertwined with the others, reflecting a unified creative burst.
Can you ride a camel?
Metaphorically speaking, living in the Middle East in 2024 certainly equips one to be a metaphorical camel rider. In many ways, we are all navigating the challenging terrain of this region, much like navigating a desert on a camel.
Read our interview with Martian Arts: https://trancentral.tv/2024/05/martian-arts-new-album-interview/