DJ Zombi

DJ, producer, label owner and party starter, for the past 20 years DJ Zombi has been an integral part of the Israeli dance music scene, carving out a career that has cemented his name in the annals of music industry folklore. As a young man, Eli Baltsan quickly realised that dance music was his passion. Moving to the rave hotspot of Tel Aviv in his mid 20s, he began his exciting sonic journey as DJ Zombi, and by the turn of the century, was DJing underground parties across the country. Influenced by everything from Dub Techno to ‘80s Pop, Zombi moved easily from deep and afro grooves through to more powerful progressive flavours making him a surefire hit at any party. Only a short few years later, tales of his deck skills saw him compile ‘Inspirazzia’ for VP Records, a sub-label of Domo Records which catapulted DJ Zombi into the international limelight. A debut European tour was his first foray into the world of the jet-set DJ, leading on to many years of international performances (which continue today) at some of the worlds finest venues including Pacha and Universo Paralello in Brazil, Strawberry Fields in Australia, Ministry of Sound in London and Cube in Tokyo. But it was a festival in Portugal that brings him his fondest memories: “Boom Festival has always been very special to me. It was the first festival I travelled to as a clubber.” He says, “So to close that main stage was an unforgettable experience.” With international success now under his belt, DJ Zombi longed to make his mark at home, in Tel Aviv. He began a weekly party at Maxim Club which he nurtured for 5 years to become one of the premiere parties in the country. Around the same time, he began to collaborate with fellow artists, notably Astronivo, to make his own tracks. Signings to Sprout, Vapour, Flow and more confirmed his attention to detail and ear for a tune. By 2008, he had teamed up with Felix Nagorsky and began the Weekend Heroes project which became a runaway success. Dipping their toes in the more commercial side of the industry brought them into the orbit of artists such as Deadmau5 and Criss Willis from whom they learned a great deal, it also allowed them to play bigger and better venues for international brands such as Pacha, Ministry of Sound and Global Underground. After a few years, DJ Zombi once again felt the pull of the underground and decided to create a new record label, Beat Boutique. Now in its sixth year, it is ranked in the top 15 progressive labels and boasts a wealth of talent among its back catalogue including D-Nox, Cid Inc and Dousk, and it’s showcase events at some of Israels leading venues, The Cat & Dog, The Block, Bootleg, and Terra Open Air. His strong work ethic and commitment to the scene has cemented the label and DJ Zombi in the hearts and minds of music fans the world over. DJ Zombi has also enjoyed solo success in recent times with tracks signed to Anjunadeep, Sudbeat, Chapter 24, Armadillo, Plattenbank, Sudam and top 100 singles such as ‘Breakfast of Champion’, ‘Una Musica’ , ‘Internal Affair’ and ‘Broken’. Reinvigorated for the new decade, DJ Zombi has never been more ready for success.