**Three Times Three with Ilan**

**PHOTOS.** Please share with us...

**1. One photo of you.**

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dlczceaxy/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto:good,w_900/v1634030627/Photo_1_-_early_days_yiesxo.jpg "Early days.")

**2. One photo including something you love.**

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dlczceaxy/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto:good,w_900/v1634030628/Photo_2_-_Camel_t-shirts_rmwc1x.jpg "My small but treasured collection of OG Camel t-shirts.")

**3. One photo including something you don't want to forget.**

![](https://res.cloudinary.com/dlczceaxy/image/upload/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto:good,w_900/v1634030627/Photo_3_-_Haifa_at_night_y2lcx2.jpg "Haifa at night.")

**MUSIC.** Please share with us...

**1. One song representing your past:** *Leeway – [Make Me An Offer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFL07nJutVc&t)*

My early-to-mid teens were largely spent listening to metal and hardcore. Discovering Leeway and seeing them live in 2005 blew my mind, literally and metaphorically. Their second LP in particular, ‘Desperate Measures’, continues to bring me immense joy. The music sits somewhere between NYHC, thrash and metal – with ice cold production, inimitable vocals and playful lyrics that paint a vivid picture of NYC. I genuinely think humanity is in need of a collective mosh after this pandemic is through…

**2. One song representing your present:** *Rick Eyk – [Simple Pleasures](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmDppbYzG94)*[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmDppbYzG94)

The present is a confusing one – and so we mustn’t forget to appreciate the simple pleasures in life (like this song).

**3. One song representing a dream or a fantasy:** *Camel – [Unevensong](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzaxa6nLNYQ)* [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzaxa6nLNYQ)

I often find myself boring others (and myself) by rambling incessantly about Camel – so I’ll keep it brief. To my ears, ‘Unevensong’ presents some kind of dream within a dream; a cloud of fantasy where the lines of love and reality fizzle and blur.

*“She said you are the air I breathe / The life I love, the dream I weave / Without a word, with just a touch / Now I realise you meant so much.”* 

*“Somewhere in between / The waking and the dream / Feel you close to me.”*

**BOOKS, FILMS or PODCASTS.** Please share with us... 

**1. One book or film that had a big impact in your life.**

The TV series *Shtisel* moved me deeply. It’s a family drama set in a small Orthodox community in Israel and yet the universe that’s been created somehow feels expansive. It’s quiet, unassuming, delicate and rich beyond words. It’s reminded me to appreciate the little detail in life. 

**2. One book or film that you are "reading" right now.**

I’m currently reading *‘Billion Dollar Whale’* by Bradley Hope and Tom Wright which sheds light on the 1MDB scandal in Malaysia. It’s an absurd and poignant account of one of the biggest financial heists in modern times. Stranger than fiction. 

**3. One book or film that helped you make sense in the pandemic.**

I think I’ve somehow managed to lose all sense of sense. That being said, I recently ‘enjoyed’ *Relic* by Natalie Erika James; a nod to humanity’s collective pandemic-induced dread. It tells the story of a grandmother whose mind starts to deteriorate and delivers a masterclass in creating and maintaining tension.

The subject of memory, brain fog and the impact of the pandemic continues to fascinate me – and a friend of mine has [written about this](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/apr/14/brain-fog-how-trauma-uncertainty-and-isolation-have-affected-our-minds-and-memory) more eloquently than I ever could.

\>>> Ilan's [Insta](https://www.instagram.com/ilancitylife/) <<<

3x3 with Ilan

**Please introduce yourself, and the thoughts / ideas going into the mix you have made for Lifetones.**

*Hey there! Ilan here. Israel-born, London-dwelling, Malaysian-food-obsessed. Arguably, I’ve invested way too much time and money over the years buying trashy Italo records and supporting my local football team (Boreham Wood FC) – but no regrets.*

*During the stillness of lockdown last year, I cobbled together a few mixes and shared them with a handful of friends. My aim was to help lift their spirits during those dark and uncertain hours – but listening back the vibe is fairly morose. Oops! Anyhow, I’ve borrowed some bits from those mixes and thrown in some ‘lighter’ tunes to help take the edge off.*

*A word of caution: my home setup is basic and my ability to mix is, at best, questionable. The levels are all over the place. Some records are clearly in need of a good clean. But the love is there and hopefully that shines through.*

**What are some questions/ideas/concepts you are currently interested in?**

It’s no secret that we’re experiencing a seismic shift towards ecological and environmental catastrophe. This is a huge weight on the conscience of course. In parallel and somewhat ironically, I’ve found myself becoming increasingly introspective in recent months/years. It’s a big conversation and not easy to articulate. For now, I’ll just say that the Lifetones mix attempts to capture this reflective journey; the warm glow of nostalgia laced with a thread of sadness. An understanding that some cherished memories will continue to flicker and fade as time accelerates.

[Visit our 3x3 feature on Ilan](https://lifetones.world/posts/three-x-three-with-ilan)

```
<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1165421605&color=%23668b6b&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/hunee" title="HUNEE" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HUNEE</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hunee/lifetones-mix-001-by-ilan-1" title="Lifetones Mix 001 by Ilan" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Lifetones Mix 001 by Ilan</a></div>
```

**Lifetones Mix 001 by Ilan - Tracklist**

*1. Beyond Sound - Journey to the Source*

*2. Giancarlo Ragni - La Voce Del Vento*

*3. Darrell John - For The Rain*

*4. Jim Lamarche & Theresa Moylan - Make Believe*

*5. John Huckert & Mary Little - Night Song*

*6. Ken Yajima & Visions - Journey to the End of Time*

*7. Scott Walker - Such a Small Love*

*8. A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Requiem For The Static King Part Two*

*9. Pep - Mystery*

*10. Blue Box - Alles Nur*

*11. No Ties - Lovely Way (Instrumental)*

*12. Yvon Mora - Tropique Du Cancer*

*13. ZHL 84 -* ישנה שעה

*14. Scarlet Rivera - Journey With An Angel*

*15. Rudi Gagola - Balada Laki Laki*

*16. Matti Caspi - תגידי*

*17. Carol Lipson - Ballad of the Old Man*

*18. John Huckert & Mary Little - Sweet Cocaine*

Lifetones Mix 001 by Ilan

**By Diliara Mukhamedzhanova,** Italy 2021

The idea for this film was to give attention to the complexities of seemingly simple and mundane objects and structures as explored by Yuriko Saito. In this case, the subject was the plant Agretti. The intention is to pose the question: If by cultivating our attention, can we possibly better understand the things which surround us? In this case the 'thing' is the vegetable Agretti, a vegetable omnipresent in markets during the springtime in Italy that has had a fascinating complex relationship with humans and the environment. The film is composed solely of a series of macro and micro videos I shot of agretti.

```
<iframe title="vimeo-player" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/556241785" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
```

\>>> Diliara's [Insta](https://www.instagram.com/thedily/) <<<

Short film by Diliara Mukhamedzhanova

The 'thing' is the vegetable Agretti

This was the topic of the Lifetones sutainibility panel talk. We were joined by **Eilidh McLaughlin** (creative sustainability), **Ben Start** (Higher Ground), **Darwin and Eva Lyn** (Clean Scene), **Jop Verberne** (Octopus Agents) and **Pauline Bourdon** (Love Saves the Day). 

The dire situation of the climate crisis demands a mature response. We need to clarify what the reality of our industry is in order to develop appropriate approaches and new ideas. 

These are some examples of the questions/topics that we find interesting:

* *Who are the actors in the industry?* 
* *What are the power dynamics that persist between them?* 
* *How/why did the industry grow so dramatically over the last decade?*
* *How do we re-learn to talk about the issues we care about?* 
* *How much can we learn from policy proposals in other industries?*
* *What are new business models that can replace the current expand-extract-ignore model?* 

DJ culture is not merely culture, it is an industry much like any other industry - driven by myths of perpetual growth. It is important that we talk about the scene in these terms; thereby, addressing the economic and political structures within this system. Only then we can make industry wide changes that aren’t dependent on philanthropic efforts at best, and little cosmetic tweaks and climate denialism at worst.

**You can listen to Eilidh McLaughlin's edit of the panel talk on her Refuge Worlwdie radioshow [here](https://refugeworldwide.com/radio/creative-sustainability-29th-june-2021) and [here](https://refugeworldwide.com/radio/eilidh-mclaughlin-23rd-sept-2021).**

Panel Talk: How Can We Think and Talk About the Climate Crisis in Our Industry?

**By Ilan Pdahtzur**

Amidst the vast expanse of musical ingenuity in the 20th century, the birth of Italo Disco in the 1980s represented a shift in consciousness.

In the preceding decade, Italy had witnessed civil unrest, with waves of violence carried out by left- and right-wing terrorists alike. The kidnap and murder of prime minister Aldo Moro in 1978 sent shockwaves rippling through the nation and beyond; a brutal crescendo to an era of social and political turmoil.

The arrival of the ‘80s, however, signified a chance for change in Italy; a departure from its troubled past and a portal to an imagined future. As the embers of ‘70s disco began to fade, something improvised and inquisitive rose from the ashes. A budding generation of musicians and producers, often reliant on primitive synthesizers and small budgets, began to concoct a new-found sense of hope and possibility through the conduit of music.

On the surface, Italo offered a re-imagined world underpinned by futurism: of spaceships, robots, glamour, expensive suits and sports cars. But buried under this façade lay something delicate and fragile; a sadness that permeates even the most saccharine and upbeat of tracks. Many of the young, hopeful producers and musicians longed to achieve global pop stardom, and yet most disappeared into the ether as quickly as they arrived. Some fell victim to record label mismanagement whilst others were swept aside by the rapidly changing musical trends in Europe. Listen carefully and you can hear the traces of dreams that seemed so attainable but were dashed or never realised.

In retrospect, Italo appears to brim with a number of paradoxes: melancholy and elation, nostalgia and modernity, reality and illusion, the possible and impossible and all the spaces in between. Its ambiguous flirtation with a happy/sadness, intentional or otherwise, has helped to give the genre an enduring and soul-shifting appeal.

Although a near-impossible task, I’ve chosen 25 of my favourite heart-wrenching Italo tunes (in no particular order). These songs are evocative in their own unique way – and all possess a powerful capacity to turn any dancefloor into a whirlpool of emotion; a space where dreams are made and dissipate in a heartbeat.

*1. Lame –* You’ve Got The Night*
2. Mike Rogers – *Just a Story*
3. No Ties – *Lovely Way*
4. The Voyagers – *Distant Planet*
5. Mac Jr – *Elephant Song*
6. Domina – *You Got My Soul*
7. Katy Gray – *Hold Me Tight*
8. Alba – *Only Music Survives*
9. Shirley Ross – *If You Leave Me Now*
10. Angie Care – *Your Mind*
11. Paul Paul – *Burn on the Flames*
12. Decadance – *On and On (Fears Keep On)*
13. M Like Moon – *Sunlight*
14. G.J. Lunghi – *Acapulco Nights*
15. Amin Peck – *Suicidal*
16. East Wall – *Eyes of Glass*
17. Ranko – *Happy World*
18. Valerie Dore – *The Night / Get Closer*
19. Karl Olivas – *Follow Me*
20. Sensitive – Driving*
21. Venise – *Roissy*
22. Massimo Vita – *Jenny*
23. Savage – *Radio / Don’t Cry Tonight*
24. Helicon – *You… See*
25. Myxoma – *Don’t Runaway*

  *Tears on a dancefloor* YouTube [playlist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDsJ6dIa3Rs&list=PLl9FNAx1LH_CHqSxU5RLQuLXtL9vc1O1d)

```
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?controls=0&amp;list=PLl9FNAx1LH_CHqSxU5RLQuLXtL9vc1O1d" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
```

\>>> Ilan's [Insta](https://www.instagram.com/ilancitylife/) <<<

Ilan Pdahtzur (March 2021)

Tears on a dancefloor: the happy/sadness of Italo Disco

*Jop Verberne wanders the streets of Amsterdam after dark and documents his journey through the night. A film of darkness covers the city’s landscape, veiling the practicalities of its 9-5 other. It is then, when Jop is most able to find beauty and creative expression in the ordinary for his photography project Atelier Fantasma. He describes the project as:* 

*“A reaction to a world where society obliges us to be confident about everything. For me those long evening walks are just moments of doubt and wondering about the world. I don't know what some of those photographs mean, some are even mistakes. Maybe all of it is more a '?' instead of a '!'.''*

*The following is an excerpt from a conversation about the project. With Jop*’*s approach in mind, our conversation refrained from discussing the objects in the images.*

![](/images/1.jpg)

![](/images/2.jpg)

**So tell me Jop, how did it all begin?**

It started pre-covid when my days were all about running many projects at the same time. The nature of my work requires a lot of small talk, with many different people. I would say naturally I’m more of an introvert so long evening walks give me the space to wind down. To think, doubt, wonder and dream while listening to music or podcasts. Is this still OK in our time as an adult?

**I think it**’**s perfectly healthy to dream, to freely imagine alternative ways of being. The balance between spending time in the world of dreams and reality is something each person has to negotiate for themselves. What makes you question whether it**’**s ok to dream as an adult?**

Because our meritocratic and extrovert society requests from us that we have a clearly defined plan for life, voice our thoughts in soundbites, be 'successful' and don’t doubt our beliefs. I want to be naive again, don't know the rules of the game and explore, this is what brought me to photography I think.

**Is this your first exploration into photography?**

Besides the common holiday and party pictures, yes. Haha!

I think personally it's also a moment for me to challenge creativity which is often lost in my (mostly) rational day-to-day work. I had a few people asking me which kind of gear and settings I use. I don't know really, I just shoot on my iPhone and only recently learned about shutter speed.

**The iPhone has an impressive camera to be honest. But I also think one can make amazing art with any device. It all comes down to attitude, a feeling. I thought a lot about the beginner's mindset lately. I found myself having to start over in many ways since the pandemic. The beginner’s mindset can be quite the double edged sword: it**’**s very exciting and abundant in curiosity, but it can also spill over into something overbearing. It's easy to get lost in wanting to be really good at something and losing a certain openness along the way. But when it**’**s something you do for yourself only, you can really cherish a sense for a creative path.**

My friend told me the other day they even shoot billboards with it, crazy! I agree, I usually have the tendency to want to be the best at something. With this Instagram page I try to approach it differently. It’s a sketchbook, I just put up whatever I shot without really thinking about a structure or anything.

**What**’**s it like to wander the streets of Amsterdam after dark?**

Amsterdam doesn’t really have a 24/7 culture so after dark it can be quite serene and quiet. There’s also loads of places you never end up at during daytime, so I try to explore those areas specifically.

Most of the time I feel safe, sometimes I end up in badly lighted areas or remote business parks which can feel a little eerie on your own. Though, I know roaming the streets at night is a freedom lots of other people sadly don’t even have. So I'm trying my best not to make others feel like this either by my presence at those times. For me, this escape from the crowded city is essential and I wish everyone had the ability to enjoy these peaceful moments of the day.

![](/images/3.jpg)

![](/images/37.jpg)

**Have you gotten into any trouble?** 

One time I wasn’t really paying attention and just shooting some photos when a security guard started shouting and running towards me. Luckily, I got away but I later checked why it happened and apparently it was a governmental building for space travel and satellite building. Who knew that we even had such a thing in The Netherlands?!

“**In absence of reference the mind starts to wander” what**’**s behind this phrase?**

It’s the narrative of the kind of photography I like, taking away the reference point to make you wonder about what you’re really seeing. In a way it’s always the question if what you’re seeing in a photograph is ‘reality’, it’s a mere frame.

For me, it’s important it stays intuitive, spontaneous and fun. I used to daydream a lot in my childhood but somehow lost this, probably the act of growing up and consequential responsibilities. Thinking about it now maybe I’ve unconsciously been trying to reclaim that, taking the everyday adult life away on those walks.

**I know music plays an important role in your life. Do you relate your photography to music or sounds in any way?** 

Not in a direct way I’d say. I’m working on an album cover now so that made me think more about which photos would be suitable in relation to the music. I like abstract and experimental electronic music and to me it works as escapism, a more intense version of those long evening walks. Being in my own world listening to other-worldly sounds, challenging rhythms, preferably no vocals. Music and clubs have always been this for me, sometimes I can get into this state naturally, sometimes I don’t. But I never force it. 

**How has the nighttime curfew affected you?**

I don’t think about it too much, but there’s still an hour of darkness or so before the curfew hits so I do some short walks now and then. It would be amazing to get one of those permits and go down to an empty city center. How cool would it be to wander around an empty Dam, Leidseplein and Central Station. So dystopian!

![](/images/38.jpg)

![](/images/39.jpg)

\>>> Jop's [Insta](https://www.instagram.com/atelier_fantasma/) <<<

LIFETONES