Perfect Stranger (musician)

Perfect Stranger
Origin Israel Yad Natan, Israel
Genres Psychedelic trance, electronica, Techno (music), Progressive Trance
Years active 2006–present
Labels Iboga Records, Digital Structures (owner)
Website perfectlystrange.com

Perfect Stranger is the stage name of Yuli Fershtat, an Israeli based musician, producer and DJ, born in 1970 in Moscow, Russia, moving to Israel at the age of 11.[1] Fershtat has previously released music under guise of BLT. Perfect Stranger is well known for his own distinctive sound, characterised by groovy playful beats and patiently built compositions. His music often defies genres,[2] bridging between progressive trance and techno[3] with a presence of tribal and psychedelic elements.[4] Fershtat released 8 albums so far, both as BLT and as Perfect Stranger and a long list of 12”, EPs and compilation tracks and compiled few compilations.[5] He is also the owner of the Digital Structures label, which he bought in 2011,[6] and since then has been releasing music by himself and others on it.[7]

Music

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.[8] 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.[9] He also mentioned Jean Michel Jarre’s Oxygène as critical to his musical development and interest in electronic music.[10] In 1992/93 he visited India and Goa and discovered Electronic Psychedelic music (which he hated till that time and greatly admired since).[11] Another visit to Goa in1994/95 has 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.[12]

Early Years - BLT

Fershtat started producing after his friends bought him a synthesizer for his 27th birthday.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16] 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.[17] Together the two put on a live show, where the drummer play part of the set, that now felt more alive.[18] Afterwards the duo extended their work and put out a 4th BLT album, Anything U Want on the label Tokyo Dance in 2004.[19]

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.[20] 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.[21] The first Perfect Stranger album 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,[22] including Atmos, Vibrasphere, Ace Ventura and Antix, who remixed some of Perfect Stranger tracks, while he remixed some of theirs.[23] 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 world wide attention[24] that crossed genres and scenes and is considered by many to be his best album yet.[25] 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".[26] Free Cloud was characterized by monotone, "technoidic feel", and cross over between genres[27] as Fershtat used the best parts in from the genres that inspired him, mostly techno.[28][29][30] 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;[31] the 2nd consists of new versions and live edits to already released tracks and the 3rd is a recording of a live set at Indigo Festival, at the Sea of Galilee, Israel, in May 2012.[32] 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[33] and 2009,[34] Symbiosis Gathering in California at 2009,[35] 2012,[36] 2013.[37] Perfect Stranger played most of Europe`s trance festivals including Boom Festival in Portugal where he played in every edition since 2010,[38] Antaris Project in 2010[39] and 2012,[40] Ozora Festival in 2012,[41] and many more. Perfect stranger is also very popular in Australia,[42] playing there at the Rainbow Serpent Festival in 2009,[43] 2011[44] and 2015,[45] as well as in Maitreya Festival in 2010[46] and 2014,[47] Strawberry Fields Festival 2011 and 2012, Subsonic Festival in 2011[48] & 2013[49] and the Eclipse Festival in 2012.[50] He also performed extensively in big festivals in Central and South America including Universo Paralello Festival in Brazil 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013,[51] as well as in festivals in South Africa, New Zealand, Canada and many more. Perfect Stranger has released, at time of writing, four full-length albums between 2006 and 2012, and twenty one singles and EPs in the same period.[52] His tracks have been released on a number of record labels including Iboga Records, Flow Records, Tribal Vision, Echoes, Digital Structures and more.[53]

Discography - BLT

Albums

Singles & EPs

Appearances

Discography - Perfect Stranger

Albums

Compilations

Singles & EPs

Appearances

Remixes

Festivals

References

  1. http://www.isratrance.com/artists/blt-a28.html
  2. http://www.mushroom-magazine.com/interview-perfect-stranger/
  3. https://www.trackitdown.net/news/show/105457.html
  4. http://realitysandwich.com/247316/perfect-stranger-interview
  5. http://www.discogs.com/artist/81345-Yuli-Fershtat
  6. http://www.psymedia.co.za/perfect-stranger-from-iboga-records-exclusive-interview
  7. http://www.beat.com.au/content/perfect-stranger-0
  8. http://www.isratrance.com/artists/blt-a28.html
  9. http://www.mushroom-magazine.com/interview-perfect-stranger/
  10. http://www.mushroom-magazine.com/interview-perfect-stranger/
  11. http://www.mushroom-magazine.com/interview-perfect-stranger/
  12. http://www.isratrance.com/interviews/blt-i13.html
  13. http://realitysandwich.com/247316/perfect-stranger-interview/
  14. http://www.isratrance.com/interviews/blt-i40.html
  15. http://www.isratrance.com/interviews/blt-i40.html
  16. http://www.discogs.com/artist/43865-BLT
  17. http://realitysandwich.com/247316/perfect-stranger-interview/
  18. http://www.psymedia.co.za/perfect-stranger-from-iboga-records-exclusive-interview/
  19. http://www.psymedia.co.za/perfect-stranger-from-iboga-records-exclusive-interview/
  20. <http://realitysandwich.com/247316/perfect-stranger-interview/>
  21. http://www.mycitybynight.co.za/interview-perfect-stranger-israel/
  22. http://www.mycitybynight.co.za/interview-perfect-stranger-israel/
  23. http://www.mycitybynight.co.za/interview-perfect-stranger-israel/
  24. http://www.beat.com.au/content/perfect-stranger
  25. http://www.isratrance.com/cd-reviews/perfect-stranger-free-cloud-d961.html
  26. http://www.isratrance.com/interviews/perfect-stranger-i63.html
  27. http://www.chaishop.com/article/12464
  28. http://www.isratrance.com/interviews/perfect-stranger-i63.html
  29. https://www.trackitdown.net/news/show/105457.html
  30. http://www.chaishop.com/article/12479
  31. https://www.trackitdown.net/news/show/105457.html
  32. http://idmmag.com/musicreviews/latest-albums-reviewed-here/perfect-stranger-leap-of-faith-%E2%80%93-iboga-records/
  33. http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/97952-glade-festival-line-announced.html
  34. http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a147916/underworld-to-headline-glade-festival.html
  35. http://www.songkick.com/festivals/20481-symbiosis-gathering/id/2505306-symbiosis-gathering-2009
  36. http://www.jambands.com/reviews/shows/2012/05/25/symbiosis-festival-pyramid-lake-nv-5-17-21
  37. http://open-records.net/news/closer-apart-at-symbiosis-gathering-2013-in-oakdale-california-from-september-19-23/
  38. http://www.boomfestival.org/boom2014_splash/index.html
  39. http://www.last.fm/festival/1418109+%E0%A5%90+Antaris+Project+2010+%E0%A5%90
  40. http://www.last.fm/festival/3137723+Antaris+Project+2012
  41. https://www.trackitdown.net/news/show/105457.html
  42. http://scenestr.com.au/music/rainbow-serpent-will-be-perfectly-loud-in-2015
  43. http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/mixup/s2467608.htm
  44. http://www.beat.com.au/content/rainbow-serpent-announces-2nd-line-1
  45. http://eventful.com/events/perfect-stranger-rainbow-serpent-festival-/E0-001-075479931-8
  46. http://www.inthemix.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=259463 http://scenestr.com.au/music/rainbow-serpent-will-be-perfectly-loud-in-2015
  47. http://melbourne.eventful.com/events/perfect-stranger-maitreya-festival-/E0-001-061338763-6
  48. http://www.songkick.com/festivals/148881-subsonic-music/id/10522728-subsonic-music-festival-2011
  49. http://stoneyroads.com/2013/12/subsonic-2014-in-review
  50. http://realitysandwich.com/247316/perfect-stranger-interview/
  51. https://www.goabase.net/party/universo-paralello-festival-10-years-anniversary/47131 http://www.mushroom-magazine.com/interview-perfect-stranger/
  52. http://www.discogs.com/artist/278967-Perfect-Stranger
  53. "Perfect Stranger". Luminate Festival. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  54. http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/97952-glade-festival-line-announced.html
  55. http://www.digitalspy.com/music/news/a147916/underworld-to-headline-glade-festival.html
  56. http://www.songkick.com/festivals/20481-symbiosis-gathering/id/2505306-symbiosis-gathering-2009
  57. http://www.jambands.com/reviews/shows/2012/05/25/symbiosis-festival-pyramid-lake-nv-5-17-21
  58. http://open-records.net/news/closer-apart-at-symbiosis-gathering-2013-in-oakdale-california-from-september-19-23/
  59. http://www.last.fm/festival/1418109+%E0%A5%90+Antaris+Project+2010+%E0%A5%90
  60. http://www.last.fm/festival/3137723+Antaris+Project+2012
  61. https://www.trackitdown.net/news/show/105457.html
  62. http://www.boomfestival.org/boom2014_splash/index.html
  63. http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/mixup/s2467608.htm
  64. http://www.beat.com.au/content/rainbow-serpent-announces-2nd-line-1
  65. http://eventful.com/events/perfect-stranger-rainbow-serpent-festival-/E0-001-075479931-8
  66. http://www.inthemix.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=259463
  67. http://melbourne.eventful.com/events/perfect-stranger-maitreya-festival-/E0-001-061338763-6
  68. http://www.beat.com.au/festivals/strawberry-fields-tocumwal-bushland
  69. http://www.songkick.com/festivals/148881-subsonic-music/id/10522728-subsonic-music-festival-2011
  70. http://stoneyroads.com/2013/12/subsonic-2014-in-review
  71. http://realitysandwich.com/247316/perfect-stranger-interview/
  72. Solar eclipse of November 13, 2012
  73. "Final Line Up". Eclipse 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  74. Sunburn Festival#Artists line-up
  75. https://www.goabase.net/party/universo-paralello-festival-10-years-anniversary/47131
  76. https://www.goabase.net/festival/universo-paralello-new-years/26027
  77. https://www.goabase.net/party/universo-paralello-8-the-new-years-festival-of-brazil/31591
  78. http://www.last.fm/festival/3606608+Universo+Paralello+%2312
  79. Saville, Adam. "Time and Space Festival". DJ Mag. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  80. "Welcome to the much anticipated first music line-up announcement for Luminate 2015!!!". Luminate Festival. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  81. http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2011/jan/golden-bay/luminate-festival-2011
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