Oforia
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Oforia עופר דיקובסקי | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ofer Dikovsky |
| Born | 10 December 1971 Tel-Aviv, Israel |
| Genres | Electronic music, house, trance, goa, electronic rock, lounge & chill |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, artist, musical producer |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | BNE, NMC, Dragonfly Records, Phonokol, MDMA Music |
| Website | www |
Ofer Dikovsky (Hebrew: עופר דיקובסקי), better known by his stage name Oforia (in Hebrew: אופוריה), is an electronic music artist and music producer from Israel. Besides having a solo career as Oforia or Ofer Di, he has been involved with various musical groups/formations such as Indoor, Tandu and OB1, and has worked on several musical projects such as Pigs in Space and Phreaky.
Biography[edit]
Ofer Dikovsky was a member of the famous Goa-trance band Indoor with Avi Algarnati and Marko Goren.[1] Their 1995 album, Progressive Trance, was one of the first in the wave of trance-artist albums. After the group disbanded, he continued to work with Marco Goren. Together, they formed the band Tandu, which made its mark with Ofer's solo track "Alien Pump". Working once more with Indoor, along with DJ Dino Psaras on the "Phreaky" project,[1] Ofer helped create the 1997 hit "Tornado" which charted at No. 23 in the UK Indie Charts.
Subsequently, Ofer began working as a solo artist under various names. He started as Oforia, and became one of the first Israeli artists to be signed to a UK label (Dragonfly). The result was his 1998 debut album Delirious. The album established Ofer's unique sound and brought him international fame.[2]
Simultaneously, Dikovsky ran two other side projects. One project was with Solaris and culminated in the single "Out There" / "Extra Mundane," a 12" release that was featured in many compilations. The other project was a full-length concept album, Pigs in Space, released in 1998.[3]
In 1999, Oforia released his second solo studio Off The Ground, featuring various styles of trance: psychedelic, progressive, ambient, and industrial. The album was considered pioneering, and "ahead of its time". The next Oforia album was Let It Beat, which circulated on the psytrance scene in 2002.[4] Headed for Infinity was promoted with 12"-vinyl single release, and was two remixes from G.M.S. and Violet Vision of "Northern Lights".
His next album, released in 2006 under the title Inner Twist, was considered one of his best musical outputs and contains tracks "Spiders," "Inner Twist," "Adrenaline," "Show No Mercy," and "Return of the Machines." The latter was an international hit made in collaboration with B-wicked.
Oforia has remixed many artists, including Infected Mushroom, GMS, Violet Vision, Atomic Pulse, Time Lock, Moshic, Fatali, and more. In 2007, he joined forces with B-wicked (real name Bertin Katz)[5] to form a dance/rock project named OB1.[6] Their first album, Dream Dictionary, was released on Sonicult Music and was followed by two further EP releases.
In 2010, after releasing his down-beat album Textures as Oforia, Dikovsky made a turn towards progressive/tech house and started producing and releasing under the brand Ofer Di.
In 2015, Dikovsky made a full comeback to the trance scene and released new psy-/Goa- trance music as Oforia, alongside his old-time Indoor collaborators, which included Avi Algranati (known, more recently, for "Space Cat"). He also revived, together with DJ Dede, the label MDMA Music, which releases all his latest music.
"Read More," released in 2016, was a notable work by Ofer Dikovsky. The album serves as a tribute to the early days of Goa trance, blending nostalgic elements with contemporary production techniques. Dikovsky revisits the genre's roots with a modern twist, encapsulating the essence of the 90s Goa trance movement while infusing it with current electronic music trends. The release was well-received within the electronic music community, praised for its ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia among long-time fans of the genre while appealing to a newer generation of trance enthusiasts. "Read More" stands as a testament to Oforia's enduring influence in the electronic music landscape, celebrating the rich heritage of Goa trance and its enduring legacy in modern electronic music production.
2017-2024:
During these years, Ofer Dikovsky has expanded his musical repertoire and projects:
Noor: This project allowed Dikovsky to explore a broader range of electronic music styles beyond his traditional psytrance roots. Noor has seen several releases, blending elements of ambient, downtempo, and more experimental electronic sounds.
Indoor: The revival of the Indoor project (with Avi Algranati) has been particularly notable. Initially a groundbreaking act in the early days of Goa trance, Indoor has returned to the scene with new releases and performances. Recent activities include the reissue of classic tracks and the creation of new music that stays true to the original spirit of Goa trance while incorporating modern production techniques.
Collaborations and Performances: Over the past ten years, Ofer has performed at major festivals worldwide, including appearances at ZNA, Ozora, and more localised events in Israel and Europe. He has collaborated with other prominent artists in the genre such as Space Cat, Astral Projection, Ace Ventura, Captain Hook, Hugaboy, Xerox, and more.
In 2019, Dikovsky was among the organizers of the 'Let Us Dance in Peace' protest, which culminated in July of that year with a massive demonstration in Rabin Square. The protest erupted following the cancellation of the long-standing Doof Festival that year and police violence directed at revelers who took to the streets of Tel Aviv in a spontaneous protest after the festival's cancellation. That year, law enforcement authorities made it very difficult for trance event organizers regarding the licensing process. As a result, an association was established, consisting of producers and artists, which demanded an easing of the licensing process for open-air events.
Documentaries:
"HATRANCAWIM" (2016-2021): A documentary series on Facebook where Ofer visited other psytrance artists to see their studios and interview them.
“FREE PEOPLE” (2021): Israeli Psytrance History: A three-chapter TV series created with Alon Dotan and directed by Roei Fintzy, documenting the story and history of the Israeli psytrance scene over the past three decades.
Discography[edit]
Albums[edit]
- 1995: Indoor – Progressive Trance
- 1997: Tandu – Multimoods
- 1998: Oforia – Delirious
- 1998: Oforia – Pigs in Space
- 1999: Oforia – Off The Ground
- 2002: Oforia – Let It Beat
- 2005: Oforia – Headed for Infinity
- 2006: Oforia – Inner Twist
- 2008: Oforia – Arcadia – The Remixes Album
- 2009: OB1 (Oforia & B-wicked) – Dream Dictionary
- 2009: Oforia – Textures
- 2016: Oforia – Read More
- 2019: NOOR – Covidance
- 2022: Indoor – Reworks
- 2024: NOOR – Can You Ride A Camel?
References[edit]
- ^ a b IsraTrance: Biography
- ^ Yedioth Ahronoth: הנוסחה לאופוריה (in Hebrew)
- ^ BPM Music: Oforia – שם המרצה: עופר דיקובסקי (in Hebrew)
- ^ Yedioth Ahronoth שובו של הדרקון המעופף (in Hebrew)
- ^ Bin.co.il: המכונות חוזרות הפעם בענק (in Hebrew)
- ^ Mako: עופר דיקובסקי מכסה את דפש מוד (in Hebrew)
External links[edit]
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