By: Azad Karimi
I once had a band that broke apart and I had to somewhat fight for my musical rights, it was a year and a half of chasing my own tail. Hired a lawyer and the whole shebang, that I started touring, and learning how the industry works, happened around 2.5 years ago.
Interview
Israeli Singer, Songwriter Jonathan Kotik
By Azad Karimi
Fifteen months ago, we heard, saw, and read in the media about a mysterious disease called the Corona, which was found in Wuhan, China, and killed many people in a short time, and then quickly spread in Iran, and so far thousands of Iranian people have been killed due to this dangerous disease.
The disease has killed thousands of people in the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Russia, and India... Other countries of the world were also involved and suffered casualties, such as Israel, Iraq, Turkey, and ...
Fear pervaded the world ... Quarantine became common and large countries began to find vaccines for the virus.
In quarantine, people faced a shortage of financial and food resources ... Even the most ordinary private human relationships were affected by the disease.
Mental illnesses were also found due to the despair and frustration of people due to the lack of safe and healing treatment for patients, their death in front of their relatives, and waiting to discover the vaccine and hope to return to normal life.
Dear Jonathan, made me very upset with one sentence, he says that being at home is a repressive shape .... Of course, I did this interview with him a few months ago and the Corona vaccine had not been discovered yet ... The good news is this Israel did the vaccination well and now the Israeli people can get out of quarantine ... Unfortunately, Iran is still going through very terrible days and the hope of effective vaccination is still a mirage and a dream.
This era is passing, but the wounds, fears, and illusions that this hellish pandemic created on the soul of humanity will be the basis of films, serials, music, and various works of art. Years later, we share this bitter memory with future generations. We speak of the wrath of nature, which reflects the violent and aggressive feelings and behaviors of humankind. .The human being, who disturbs the order but at the same time can be innocent, because he came to this strange world without wanting to.
I wish you, Jonathan my dear friend, success and happiness.
Thank you!
Vestland-Norway
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1- Please present yourself: (Name, education, Civil status, and...)
.My name is Jonathan Kotik, I am a singer-songwriter, musician, producer, and engineer. I release music under the name Trace Kotik, I studied music in high school, producing and engineering with several teachers and at Pluto Studios in Tel Aviv.
For over half of my life I’ve been playing guitar, I started recording myself a decade ago, singing about the same time, I don’t know what I would’ve done without music because I kind of made it consume me, I turned my childhood house into a studio called Kotik’s House, in which I live.
2-What is your artistic specialization?
. My forte is somewhere in the grand indie rock/folk genre, I love weird and big sounds, as much as small and intimate, Combining genres sometimes, playful and profound lyrics I think, I mostly trust in the uncertain nowadays, I know I don’t know and that’s comforting.
3- When and how did you become interested in this field of art?
. Ever since I can remember myself I was fascinated with music and sound,
all sorts of art and entertainment, to be frank, So let's say just to answer the question when I was 4 and my dad told me he once saw Queen in concert.
4- Who was your motivator?
.Heartbreak.
5- What was your parent’s reaction?
.They support me so much, I owe my life to them.
6- When did you decide to play music professionally, not for fun?
. I once had a band that broke apart and I had to somewhat fight for my musical rights, it was a year and a half of chasing my own tail. Hired a lawyer and the whole shebang, that I started touring, and learning how the industry works, happened around 2.5 years ago.
7- Are you thankful and happy because of your activities as a musician?
.Yes I am, but also filled with despair in the current situation, Israel is going to its 4th election in 4 years, and I feel stuck, I wish to perform everywhere, and right now it’s hard to see it happen.
8- What is music culture? What is the music logic?
.I think music culture is inseparable from the general culture, trends, art and fashion, human rights, and the general paradigm, whatever we all feel together, translates into that. Music logic is a bit less ambient than that, it is knowing music by ear, having that tonal intuition, a sense of rhythm and etc.
9- Why does some melody become immortal?
- They are easy to sing along
- They are so incredibly beautiful it sticks
- They are so incredibly awful it sticks
10- How you see the Music, art, and culture from your perspective? I mean your prediction for the future of music!
.Well, I really hope that we go back a bit, editing less, fixing less, making things feel and not robotic anymore. I don’t know if it’ll happen, as I said before, I don’t know a thing. I think that we will in a year or two have a lot of angry music out, being stuck at home is suppressing and you need to let things out.
11- Can you become one part of the cultural movement for motivation in youth or new generation in your country and so than?
.My country Is a little hopeless at this point, there are some points of light in between but the darkness is strong right now, I really hope I can be one of these points of light.
12- How can you help our world become a better place to live?
. Teach love and equality, don’t eat a lot of meat and try to destroy that industry, believe in science, grow your own food, take bicycles if you don’t really need a car.
13- Have you more words to say or suggest for our readers?
.Would love to talk to all of you, and check out my songs, I think they’re pretty.
