Daniel Dor is a Jaffa-based musician and singer-songwriter. Taking a turn from a trio-based Grange Rock band into instrumental, psychedelic, and sometimes dream pop realms. Daniel has started his musical journey as a guitarist in Israeli rock bands. His first solo album, 'Rock Positive' in 2012, consisted of bass/drum/guitar trio-based powerful rock songs. During 2015–2016, Daniel created the Songman Project, a musical documentary dealing with Palestinian peace activists. Since 2017, Daniel has been shaping new sets of materials starting his live act in 2019, making a significant appearance at the piano festival in Tel Aviv Museum.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Daniel Dor, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
I think that listening over and over again to albums when I was a child got me into music. Also the fact that my bigger brother had a guitar teacher coming to teach at home made want to play.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
I just balance it, most of the time i am nit in the studio, just living my life. From time to time there is a feeling of 'its time to start recording'.
Your latest song is 'Crab Nebula'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
The song was written in 2019 along woth some more piano songs. When covid hit I decided to create a piano based EP with piano and vocal only. So I booked some studio time and recorded the whole album in ine session.
Later on my friend and great musician Tal Markus who became the sound engineer in Pacha Mama echo village Costa Rica suggested we take these tracks to the forest and record from there.
Israel was entering a lockdown and I had nothing better to do but accept the offer. So we did it from there, and using some singers from the village. When we needed more musicians we sent them the tracks on remote and hired studio time. For example drums were recorded in Berlin, strings in Istanbul.
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
Its not so easy, and sometimes I feel like motivation is down to zero, but then sometimes I feel all the magic and I remember why I'm in it in the first place.
Also I do some other things in music such as sing in other productions or teach music and bands how to play.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
Hopefuly Living in a farm.
How do you know when a work is finished?
I let it rest, I come back to it a bit later with fresh ears. Its easier to notice then.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
Jogging, TV series video editing (which I also do ad a living) walks In nature, meeting friends, good food.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
When it gets out there and people resonate with it. Or someone writes me what they felt hearing the music.
Who is your favourite musician?
There are too many of them..
What are your plans for the future?
Finish releasing the album and hopefully go perform in Europe and the states. But its really early stages.