Miami has become somewhat of a home away from home for Moscoman, the Israeli producer and DJ who's delivered his dark and funky underground sounds to the Magic City twice already this year. In February, he spun a highly acclaimed Boiler Room set at III Points Music Festival that’s since garnered more than 44,000 views on YouTube. In May, he soundtracked one of the final parties at the now-defunct Electric Pickle. And this Friday, he’ll take his far-flung catalog of Middle Eastern-tinged house, disco, and techno tunes to Floyd.
“Miami really reminds me of my hometown of Tel Aviv, and Israel in general,” Moscoman says. “It's the energy of this place, the weather; of course there are a lot of Israelis, so it makes a lot of sense for me to be here. And the crowd is supersupportive and open, which is something you don't see that much in the U.S.”
Moscoman shines as a variegated selector, dropping rugged thrashers that twist effortlessly into psychedelic grooves and hypnotic world music, alternating tempos and shades but never missing a beat. His DJ sets have taken him around the globe to the stages of festivals such as Primavera Sound, DGTL, and Melt.
“I don’t feel like, as a DJ, you should have any borders,” he says. “I get bored when I hear other DJs who only play one sound. I don't think, in our age, it's enough to have one sound. That's why I like to have a lot of different flavors.”
That wide-ranging sound is heavily influenced by his Israeli upbringing, as well as his current home in Berlin, where he developed his record label, Disco Halal. The imprint was created in 2015 as a platform to support his artist friends’ work and highlight music in which he believes. It's since become a curatorial force in the underground scene via releases from producers such as Red Axes, Simple Symmetry, and Trikk.
“The Disco Halal sound is very simple: It's my taste,” he explains. “If there's something I like, I release it. I don't stick to a specific genre. A lot of people send me stuff and they say, ‘I'm sure this is perfect for label.’ And I tell them very politely, 'The best music for my label is music that I like.'"
Recently, Moscoman launched his Disco Halal Singles Club, a digital series of monthly releases intended to shine a spotlight on up-and-coming producers. In addition to drawing attention to rising artists, the Singles Club has a limited environmental impact because all music will live online and avoid the plastic that comes with physical releases, the label head says.
“I work very hard on the label — even harder than I work on my own career — because that's what's important to me,” Moscoman beams. “I try to help get artists out of their own heads. I know when something could be amazing, so I try to develop and evolve every tune that we put out. I want it to be a stepping stone for their careers.”
That’s not to say Moscoman isn’t devoted to his own studio work. He’s widely regarded as one of the trailblazing producers who brought Israeli electronic music to the forefront of the underground, and he’s released EPs on influential labels such as Diynamic and Life & Death in addition to Disco Halal.
Friday's set at Floyd will be the second stop on Moscoman's Coming to America Tour, which kicked off last weekend in New York and will see him flit through Austin, Mexico City, and Tulum this month.
“I'm excited to get back to Miami,” he says. “I've played at Space, which was amazing, but this is my first time playing at Floyd, and I'm ready for the more intimate, experimental vibe. I curated my Boiler Room set with David Sinopoli and the III Points family, and I really think they’re the leaders of underground life in Miami.”
Moscoman. 11 p.m. Friday, October 11, at Floyd Miami, 40 NE 11th St., Miami; 305-608-2824; floydmiami.com. Tickets cost $10 to $30 via residentadvisor.net.