In our CasinoBeats Rhymes and Life feature we are revealing the soundtrack that provides a backdrop for the gaming industry.
In this edition, we spoke to RubyPlay’s Chief Product Officer, Dr. Eyal Loz, as he shared unique stories from New Zealand radio and why he has an unwavering love for ABBA.
CasinoBeats: What was your first-ever gig, and what was it like?
Dr. Eyal Loz: Being a musician myself, I’ve had more gigs than I can remember. I think the most memorable one was playing live on the Jim Mora show on Radio New Zealand with my band Ishta. The year was 2006, and all seven of us were crammed in the Nelson Street studio with him for the live broadcast.
The show lasted for about an hour and included live music, a Q&A and the odd solo on our collection of unique instruments. It was exciting, but also a bit stressful to know that more people than can fit in a football stadium were listening. Any word we said or sound we made was live on air, so we had to get it perfect.
CB: What’s the best performance you have ever seen live, and why was it so good?
EL: Back in the mid 90’s, Ian Paice, the legendary Deep Purple drummer, was visiting Tel Aviv for a private session with up-and-coming young Israeli musicians. The event was organised by Halilit Jaffa, which was not only a music shop, but an indie music institution. I was fortunate enough to be invited to this exclusive event, and it was truly inspirational.
Not only was Ian a force of nature when seated behind a drum kit, he taught us a valuable lesson – “find your inspiration, and do as they do, but better”. In the words of Steve Jobs, “good artists copy, great artists steal”.
CB: Is there an artist who, in your eyes, can do no wrong? If so, why?
EL: ABBA! It is one of the very few bands that is both forever fresh and has lyrics that have passed the test of time with flying colours. I really do believe the best judge of a great artist is the test of time and so many famous songs from my early years, the 80’s and 90’s, have failed this test. In ABBA’s music, they did no wrong, and I bet they never will.
CB: What is your most cherished album, and what makes it so special to you?
EL: Making Music by Zakir Hussain is and will always be my all-time favourite. It was the first album that introduced me to the fusion of classical eastern music with western jazz. This album has inspired me to travel to India and study music. Later on, I even met Zakir Hussain in New Zealand when he visited the University of Auckland music school.
CB: What song always makes it to your gym playlist? What activities do you usually do in the gym while listening to it?
EL: Dance Monkey by Tones and I has a magical effect on me. I can lift, run, jump and press 20 per cent more when this song is playing. I believe there should be some studies on this, to understand this phenomenon better. The fact that Toni Watson is an internationally recognised Australian artist is a bonus.
CB: Which artist or song helps take your mind off work? Why have you chosen this artist and genre?
EL: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics is my go-to brain reboot song. That is, whenever I’m stuck in a thought loop or have an unwanted tune stuck in my head, I just let this song play and a few minutes later, good as new. We should all have a go-to brain reboot song – if you don’t have one yet, just try some Sweet Dreams.
CB: If you could go on a night out with any musician, who would it be, and where would you take them?
EL: I would like to take the young Chet Baker out for a few drinks by the Sydney Opera House and find out more about that sweet sadness driving the creative theme in his Chet Baker Sings album. I would probably ask Johnny Cash to join us too and tell us all about that Boy Named Sue.
