Neotone Biography

Neotone's Gil Biography

Gil Ofarim "On My Own"
Live from the bottom of your heart Everybody loves a little history
Anyone in a certain sampling of cerntral European or Asian countries interested in the happenings on the music scene should rmember the young popstar "GIL"... Songs like "Round 'n' Round (It Goes)", a Top 40 hit in Germany and "If You Only Knew" topped the charts in countries as diverse as Thailand, Poland, Korea as well as Germany and will still ring a bell in any capital city in those nations. And yes, of course, between 1997 and 1999 Gil totally enjoyed his exciting rock star lifestyle - touring in South East Asia, live radio and TV appearances overflowing on his daily itinerary... When and how did it all happen?

It's hard to believe but it all started for Gil at the tender age of 17 when the song of well-known '70's musicians Abraham and Esther Ofarim got the chance to develop his own extensive musical talent. It really all took-off in May 1997 in, of all places, a Munich underground station. Gil rmemebers it fondly, "a photographer walked up and asked me if I was interested in the main role in a photo love story for Bravo, the big German teen magazine. Saying yes, I could not have known that their fictitious musician "Tobi: would turn nto a real-life teen idol." A new star was born after he signed his first contract with a record company. A team of top class industry advisors Composers and a team of peronality advisors got Gil in shape for his music career. It all worked, but now a grown up Gil is seeking for more creative possibilities....

On Your Own...

In many ways the album "On My Own" stands for a new start - revealing the feelings right from his heart Gil; writes and composes nothing if not expressive songs. The personal lyrics often describe his experiences in growing up and he includes constant thoughts towards the band and his audiences. "On My Own" explains more Gil's sense of responsibility rather than just a solo run.

Lost in music...

Gil himself is a voracious consumer of music and own a huge and constantly growing collection of CD's tapes and LP's. He collects the LP's in particulat becasue he is as interested in the jackets as works of art themselves. He reckons that her could not live without music. What's he listening to at the moment? "I listen to all kinds of music - from rock of the seventies to contemporary artist like Ben Harper or David Gray - from English bands like Portishead ro Massive Attack. A bit of everything that's cool."

You;ve got the look it takes...

Gil's career is a chain of favourable coincidences that led to his destiny as a musician. This is whree his motto, "everything happens for a reason" comes from. Discovered and turned into a hero through the Bravo magazine photo love story Gil got several offers from the music industry but only after first being the character 'Tobi'. It's rich in irony he had to live a fantasy rock and roll life before he could live the rock and roll fantasy.

How Does he feel about hte importance of his looks with respect to his musical career? Gil is of the opinopn that his former long hair has made him into and idol for teenage girls, a pre-fabricated dreamy boy, able to empathize with somebody - anybody. "That experience left a mark on my life - it was like the take off of the Apollo rockets that jetisoned bits of itself in several stages - a lot gets dumoed after it goes and only at the end can you see what the module, the essence of the craft really is. This essence is not necessarily immediately visible, as on the outside of a human being but rather it's on the inside and gets show through chraracter and charisma. Everybody who knows my circle of friends does not find supermodels but authentic people, regular people. Being 'Tobi' was the part of the rocket that got me where I was going, but it was not the rocket itself.

My generation...

As far as Gil is concerned the present music scene is too commercialised. He misses the value of former music generations. In his opinion it might have been easier to establish honest and handicraft music in the seventies and eighties than nowadays. "This generation of teenagers is overloaded with lures and impressions. A lot of those boys and girls are not able to mentally develop their own musical styles and tastes. They grew accustomed to being sold ready - made impressions and now know no other way. I am not really intrested in music performed and sang by acts through castings sessions. Sometimes I feel sympathy for the kids who try out to join these prefavriacated cookie cutter bands, as they at suffer this instant 'win or lose' procedure. I know exactly what kind of pressure is on them. They music they are given to perform isn't theirs and can't possibly reflect the personality of the performer. In my mind this is the reason why they will in most cases never be unforgettable stars. The songs aren't timeless and neither are they.

Growing up in public...

Rock music is Gil's centre and musical home. Rock music always surrounded him. It is rock music he grew up with. Rock music symboilzes the willpower pf revival with all the revolutionary gestures. Joint problems of one generation are latched onto and assimilated through rock. Gil is smitten when he remembers himself as a little schoool boy, "when I was 8 years old I discovered Grunge. Whilst all my classmates where listening to acts like Mc Hammer I preferred to hear Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Led Zeppelin. I inherited this strong influence from my father Abi Ofarim. As far as I am concerened the musical era of rock hs got several meanings and I associate especially team work, instrumental finesse and authenticity with rock..."

Now out of his teens, Gil coments, "I feel more confident and complete, which does not mean that I've stopped learning and experiencing new things in life. I think that we all just constantly live new section of life. Once I interviewed Lenny Kravitz on a TV show and I asked him why he cut off his hair. Lenny answered that a lot of the weight of the world was carried on his shoulders and that cutting off his hair meant for him losing his burden and turning into a new person. Now I have cut my own hair in orger to share athat experience... it works."

In many ways Gil remembers his past with mixed emotions. On one hand he accepts the mistakes he has made through his learning provess, which after all can't take plave without his experience. On the other hand there are difficult moments in his memory that he lost through exhaustion, depression and alienation. Good things in his life, but permanent satisfaction will only be gained through the contunuation and progression of his career as an artish itself.

This prgression means that Gil is not litening to his first two albums very often these days. He accepts the repertoire for what it is and the less perfect moments serve as motivation to create a more complete and rounded artist. Everthing has been a learning experience and all learning is a good experience.

"I see myself as one part of a good team that supports me realising my dreams. I hope that my audience will understand and accept my personal development. One of my ambitious models is Robbie Williams. Despite his personal difficulties Robbie managed to develop from a teen star to an excellent entertainer."

The recording itself...

The single "The Reason" is a perfect herald for the upcoming album "On My Own" The B-side "Already There" and the single itself describe a good impression of the mood of the whole ablum and Gils development.

After all, Gil himself is not only the singer, he plaus guitars and keyboards on the album as well. Being able to play a variety of instruments makes it easier for him to internally 'hear' how his sons can be realised in the studio or on stage.

The band contains experienced musicians - Thomas Simmerl on drums, Alexander Klier on the bass guitar and Ossi Ottl, Martin Kurasawe and, of course, Gil of guitars. Thier seasoning and musical expertise helped satisfy Gils demand for proper "hand made" music.

To ensure full musical intensify, the majority of the album wa recorded live in the studio under the watchful eye for the producer, Ralf Weigand, who has worked with Sportfreunde Stiller, Such A Surge, Megaherz and Mike Oldfeld. Under his direction he was able to set a clear watermark of rock authenticity beneath the wall of sound. It perfectly allowed each individual track to co-exist side by side within complex arrangements, all with enough room to provide complete sonic transparency.

As for the real visuals and not the sonic visuals, Reto Brunner, many years Creative Director for the magazine "Vogue", was called in. It was he who was able to capture and present Gil's current look in powerful and atmospheric images. Brunner can show Gil's personality in many different ways - fanciful or trendy but always clearly definded. The stylistitcis correspond with the video "The Reason", produced in co-operation with the agency "Erste Liebe Filmproduktion GmbH" and the director Tibor Glage. The clever combination of one look in both stil and motion pictures make it possible to show the spheres of Gil personality - the sensitive and the strong.

Gil, now using his full name Gil Ofarim, musician and songwriter, comes closer to realising his inner belief of "Live From the Bottom of Your Heart" with his current album "On My Own" a little bit more...