For all those who went far enough down the rabbit hole of ‘EDM’ (the three letters encompass something far more specific and tooth-grinding today) to discover the world of IDM circa the late ‘90s and early 2000s, there’s a hit of seriously welcome nostalgia coming your way sooner than you think. And that hit involves an artist (once, a duo) called Telefon Tel Aviv who almost certainly found itself sandwiched between the likes of a Zero 7 or a Thievery Corporation on your playlists during those years. Perhaps a thanks to the likes of independent films like Garden State and their soundtracks is due, considering they were one of the key mediums through which trip-hop and deeply instrumental, sometime jazz-inflected melodies like these became such an inevitable part of our electronic music journeys. Regardless of whether any of the above rings a bell for you, however, the news remains just as exciting. After eight long years, Telefon Tel Aviv is back with not only a new track, but they’re also going to be on tour in India next month!
The experimental electronic duo was originally conceptualized by Joshua Eustis who was later joined by his high school friend, Charles Cooper, in 1999 and their debut 2001 album ‘Fahrenheit Fair Enough’ blew listeners away with its intricate electro-rhythms and analog instrumentation. But post their follow-up ‘Immolate Yourself’–a more soulful reproach into similar sonic experimentation–in 2009 was met with wide acclaim, the tragic death of Cooper marked the end of an era and Telefon Tel Aviv drifted into seeming obscurity for what felt like too long. In this time, Joshua served as a touring member for Nine Inch Nails and collaborated heavily with Maynard James Keenan’s solo project, Puscifer, before releasing his own solo project in 2014. It wasn’t until last year that Joshua decided to revive Telefon Tel Aviv with a reissue of their debut album and began touring the world.
The catalysts behind the fresh programming and the upcoming India tour, Mixtape – founded by Naveen Deshpande in 2010 – have already cemented themselves as the support behind some of the biggest and best artists in the Indie music circle including Indus Creed, Skyharbor, OX7GEN and Bhayanak Maut. They’re also one of the few to have maintained a strong allegiance to live artists and bands despite the trajectory of the industry moving so heavily towards electronic producers and DJs. With their flagship property, FRWD, they’re expanding their reach even further and hope to showcase cutting edge live electronic acts from across the country, along with state-of-the-art sound, lights, stage and creative design–something we’ve come to expect from Mixtape properties. Since FRWD hit the scene in May 2016, people have been treated to performances by both Indian and International artists accompanied by world class AV production. And thanks to their tireless work, this September, you can catch the soaring melodic strains of Telefon Tel Aviv at three exclusive venues across the country to experience for yourself their painstaking precision and a deep love of music.
The line-up for September is as follows:
Mumbai, 7th Sept: antiSOCIAL || Burudu (DJ Set), Aqua Dominatrix, Telefon Tel Aviv
Delhi, 8th Sept: antiSOCIAL || Corridors, Aqua Dominatrix, Telefon Tel Aviv
Bangalore, 9th Sept: The Humming Tree || Ape Machines, Aqua Dominatrix, Telefon Tel Aviv
You can find further details on their Facebook Page.
And if you haven’t had the chance to explore Telefon Tel Aviv’s soundscapes before, here are a few of their best tracks to get you started: