Painkiller – Musical Journey & Interview

I also used to hang out in few local dance bars listening to Paul Okenfold , Tiesto, and other local DJs playing dance music.
The first biggest trance party I have been to (After many small underground parties) was the ‘Drugless Festivalʼ 1997 in ‘Ganei Hugaʼ in Israel,… it was massive with a great line up of local and international artists. 

When did you start to produce the music and why? 

I Started learning to play the piano and playing classical music when I was 7, and few years later I changed and started to play drums. Beyond destroying my momʼs ears with the noise jaja, the rhythm became a part of me, I had a rock band and we did pretty well writing our own music recording in professional studios and preforming around. 

When I was 16 I discovered the magic in the electronic sounds and beats, it just grabbed me into it, experimenting with new ways of expression and learning the New Universal language. 

Get Treasure VA compiled by Painkiller: https://www.nutekrecords.com/nutek/v.a._-_treasure.php

What defines Painkiller’s style? How do you describe Painkiller’s genre? 

Painkiller style started as twilight energetic Psytrance and along the years I opened up to other influences, becoming more melodic power trance, involving more instruments and colours in my music.
With the evolution of psytrance I cannot describe it now as just belonging in one genre because I have variety in my music, depending on the track. 

What is your latest release ? 

This year in February 2024 i released a new compilation on Nutek Records called ‘Treasureʼ with 15 tracks including Twonezero & Painkiller – ‘Seashell Resonanceʼ. 

Your favorite performance through the years? 

My favourite gig was ‘Atmosphereʼ festival in Mexico 2012 (one for the books), and few others that I really enjoyed playing in ‘Burning Man festivalʼ 2k, ‘Nagisaʼ and ‘Blissdomʼ festivals in Japan, ‘Playgroundʼ festival in Brazil, ‘Desert Adventureʼ in Israel, ‘BATʼ in Argentina , ‘Hadraʼ festival in France, ʼRezonance festʼ in South Africa and that amazing party in Azores islands of Portugal <3 

Tell us more about your creative process. 

My creative process is focused on collecting ideas and influences from my travels,
people, places, cultures the world is so colourful and i tried to express it in my music. 

If recording some words in different languages, or playing and recording an extraordinary musical instrument or sampling phrases, sounds and noises, digging on the synths oscillators or inventing industrial loops, also rewriting midi notes of great musical pieces from the history, changing them here and there to fit it well into trance,
all that is to create a subject, original material, or just something to remember from
the track, something to make it unique so called – ‘the Hookʼ. Then, of course, adding the right kick and bass with the best grooves possible, and building it up in a way that will flow with our body, as one entity.
Once the writing is done … than the mix can go smooth if I’m focused without changing to much in the track.. or … it can take ages.. if I go back to improve this or that and playing around with it forever 🙂 

What do you use in your production? Do you have your favorite analog/ digital synth? 

In my production I use PC with Cubase, Mac with Ableton and Logic so I make sure to enjoy the great tools of every sequencer. I use Moog analog synth and Virus digital analog, Universal Audio plug-ins, the RME for the audio interface and Dynaudio monitors.
My favorite thing in music is to feel for it.., means that a good idea can be produced
in this or that way with this or that synth or special effect on special sounds but it has to be good.., to grab your attention, to make you turn around to the speaker, to lift up your eyebrow, to fall from the chair etc. I admire synths collectors with Analog passion and knowledge and sometime I also want to have them all, but I also admire the one that works only on his laptop and making that killer idea that changes everything …
So analog or digital, or both, or a huge studio, or small one – at the end it sums up to creativity and daring to share it with the world. 

Your favourite Psytrance track from all time ? Your favourite Painkiller track ? Your favorite collaboration track ? 

My favourite psytrance track, that’s quite a tough question jaja so many amazing tracks by so many talented artists and musicians really, but ok if I go back in time one track that really gave me the goosebumps and still does is ‘The Sleeper Must Awakeʼ by Astral Projection & M.F.G (I think its from around 1996). 

My Favorite Painkiller Track is ‘Hard Floorʼ from my first album, it was a rush of ideas and everything layered down together so well, I remember I felt complete and I could express my humble manifestation with the voice samples 🙂 

My favorite collaboration track my friend Bliss called ‘Out Of Phazeʼ it was released in 2006 On Phantasm Records and it was a game changer for me. It felt like a mountain of emotions combining different musical elements and influences, its from almost 20 years ago but it feels like it came out before its time 🙂 

Future plans for Painkiller. 

The future is now … Doing my best to create a better world and sharing love, knowledge and time 🙂
Thank you very much for having me on the Trancentral interview.