Musical background and influences
Fershtat was surrounded by music since his birth coming from a family of classical pianists, and studied piano from the age of four. [1] He stated as musical influences psychedelic progressive rock, such as King Crimson, Genesis (band), Jethro Tull (band) dipped in some hard rock, such as Led Zeppelin & Deep Purple and some Blues. [2]
He also mentioned Jean Michel Jarre’s Oxygène as critical to his musical development and interest in electronic music. [2] In 1992/93 he visited India and Goa and discovered Electronic Psychedelic music (which he hated till that time and greatly admired since). [2] Another visit to Goa in 1994/95 solidified his interest in Goa Trance and Psychedelic Trance. During these years, Fershtat did not write music but was traveling the world and playing guitar, jamming with other musicians he met on the road. [7]
Earl years - BLT
Fershtat started producing after his friends bought him a synthesizer for his 27th birthday. [8] Intuitively he was drawn to produce psychedelic trance since he was very much involved with it at the time and felt close to the rhythms and the atmosphere that it produced, and believing that tribal music such as psychedelic trance is essential for people to unite. [9] He chose the name BLT, which stood for a favourite sandwich of his, to show a lack of ego in music, and that the name itself and what it says are not the important thing, as a kind of antithesis to blasting names, which a lot of groups use, especially in the trance scene. [9] The first BLT album Alchemic Anecdote was released on the Tel Aviv-based label 'Krembo Records' in 1999. His 2nd album, Presence was released on 'HOM-Mega Productions' in the following year. [10] BLT 3rd album, God is Love, featured more down-tempo music, with groovy and more complex rhythms, and was released in 2002, also on 'HOM-Mega Productions'. During that time period Fershtat started working with Danni Makov - former drummer of Nikmat HaTraktor, an Israeli rock band, and one of the most important drummers in Israeli Rock. [8] Together the two put on a live show, where the drummer play part of the set, that now felt more alive. Afterwards the duo extended their work and put out a 4th BLT album, Anything U Want on the label Tokyo Dance in 2004.
Perfect Stranger
In 2005 Fershtat decided to bring an end to the BLT project as he no longer citing lack of overseas bookings and his interest in Acupuncture and Chinese medicine as the main reasons. Then Michael Abel-Larsen, one of the owners of Iboga Records, suggested he produce music with slower BPM tempo. [8] He chose the name Perfect Stranger because of a Goa track by that name by Sandman and the Deep Purple song of the same name. [11] The first Perfect Stranger album, Learning = Change was released in the Danish record label Iboga Records, in 2006, and a remixes/collaborations album named Changed was released the year after and featured some of the most important artists in the progressive trance world at the time, [11] including Atmos, Vibrasphere, Ace Ventura and Antix, who remixed some of Perfect Stranger tracks, while he remixed some of theirs. [11] Free Cloud, the third Perfect Stranger's album, and Fershtat`s seventh album altogether, was released late in 2008, and is the album that brought him worldwide attention [12] that crossed genres and scenes and is considered by many to be his best album yet. [13] The inspiration for the album title was based on David Bowie`s song, as Fershtat claimed he " felt like that Wild Eyed Boy from Free Cloud, that David Bowie used to sing about 35 years ago". [14] Free Cloud was characterized by monotone, "technoidic feel", and cross over between genres [15] as Fershtat used the best parts in from the genres that inspired him, mostly techno. [14] [3] [16]
Perfect Stranger’s fourth album, Leap of Faith came out in 2012, also on Iboga Records. The album consists of 3 CDs. The 1st containing new compositions including collaborations with Eat Static, Liquid Soul & Loud; [3] the 2nd consists of new versions and live edits to already released tracks and the 3rd is a recording of a live set at the Indigo Festival, at the Sea of Galilee, Israel, in May 2012. [17] Throughout the years Perfect Stranger has performed live and as a DJ in many leading electronic music festivals worldwide. Thus, Perfect Stranger played Glade Festival UK in 2008 [18] and 2009, [19] Symbiosis Gathering in California at 2009, [20] 2012, [21] 2013. [22] Perfect Stranger played most of Europe`s trance festivals including Boom Festival in Portugal where he played in every edition since 2010, [23] Antaris Project in 2010 [24] and 2012, [25] Ozora Festival in 2012, [3] and many more. Perfect stranger is also very popular in Australia, [26] playing there at the Rainbow Serpent Festival in 2009, [27] 2011 [28] and 2015, [29] as well as in Maitreya Festival in 2010 [30] and 2014, [29] Strawberry Fields Festival 2011 and 2012, Subsonic Festival in 2011 [31] & 2013 [32] and the Eclipse Festival in 2012. [33] He also performed extensively in big festivals in Central and South America including Universo Paralello Festival in Brazil 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, [34] [2] as well as in festivals in South Africa, New Zealand, Canada and many more.
Perfect Stranger has released four full-length albums between 2006 and 2012, and twenty one singles and EPs in the same period. [35] His tracks have been released on a number of record labels including Iboga Records, Flow Records, Tribal Vision, Echoes, Digital Structures and more. [36]
Yad Natan, Israel