Domus Mixtape #10: The Sound of Tel Aviv

Mixtape series curated by Daniel Perlin.
Check out all the Domus Mixtapes.
Tel Aviv photo: Tsvika Frosh

This summer, while walking Tel Aviv's streets, you could feel, little by little, the usual background noise becoming a loud united voice.

A rusted chain rattling on a passing bicycle, a ball flying by your ear while you are trying to get safely to the waterline, French language rolling through the air at the beach, volleyball players smashing to the soft fervid sand, echoes of Tahrir Square, fruit blenders spinning, tractors at Rabin Square. Silence of the architects.

The sound of ten people.
A horny street cat howls all night long under your window, Matkot players on the beach, extreme humidity all day long, protests at Puerta del Sol in Madrid, cars packed in traffic jams, illegal foreign workers gathering at the street corner.
The silence of the empty wholesale market lot waiting for bulldozers to build luxury apartments.

The sound of 200 people.
The breathing sound of compressed air, a karaoke contest in the central bus station, prostitutes selling their bodies on the south side, 1,500 tents blowing in the fresh boulevard wind. The cynics' silence.

The sound of 3,500 people.
The crushing sound of a ficus fruit under your sole, a bead of sweat trickling down your back, dogs running after a street cat, guitar singer song writers. The muted politicians.

The sound of 25,000 people.
The sound of flip-flops on the sticky sidewalks, bumpers brushing the coloured curbstone. The muted tycoons.

The sound of 200,000 people.
The rattling scooters cutting between the jammed cars, crunchy falafel balls stuffed in soft pita bread.

The sound of 400,000 people walking back home.
Erez Ella

Tracklist:
1. Erez Ella 1
2. Noa Babayof—Marching Band
3. Erez Ella 2
4. Yemen Blues—Jat Mahibathi
5. Taani Ester—Ta'ani Ester in P Minor
6. Erez Ella 3
7. Amit Erez—Alarming Sounds
8. Boom Pam—Puerto Rican Nights
9. Erez Ella 4
10. Izabo—Tide And Sea
11. Taani Ester—Al Heshbon HaMazal
12. Erez Ella 5
13. Ramat Amidar
14. Erez Ella 6
15. Oy Division—Di Nakht
16. The Raw Men Empire—Between You and Me

Erez Ella founded hq Architects in 2008 in Tel Aviv, Israel, operating in the fields of architecture, urbanism and cultural research. Current projects include housing projects in Dallas, Texas, in collaboration with two Portuguese offices, an art school, housing projects in Tel Aviv, a sustainable neighbourhood in Jerusalem, and two theatres in Israel. Recently, together with curator Milana Gitzin-Adiram and architect Dan Handel, the office was chosen to represent Israel in the next International Architecture Exhibition at the 2012 Venice Biennale.

Nadav Lazar is an Israeli musician, writer and video editor based in Tel Aviv. He has made it one of his main priorities to promote new music in the local indie scene, during his days as a music critic and a prominent blogger, operating the influential indie music blog "Atamei Oznaim" ("Earplugs") for several years. As a writer, his columns and music reviews were published in leading Israeli publications such as Ma'ariv and TimeOut. He served as a musical director for tribute events to cult musicians such as Frank Zappa and Cardiacs. In addition to his performance work, Nadav successfully led a campaign against a government bill to make the performance of music in private spaces during the daytime hours illegal. Currently, Nadav performs with the freak folk act The Raw Men Empire and the progressive nonsense band Gilliam.

Stream and download all the Domus Mixtapes.

Mixed by n-ron.