Ones to Watch: Omri Smadar
In our Ones to Watch series, we spotlight artists who are redefining the boundaries of electronic music while carving out their own unique sound.
Producer, DJ, and live performer Omri Smadar is well known for his kaleidoscopic, club-ready dance-floor filling bangers that blend the psychedelic and the soulful. Now, he’s entering a brilliant new chapter with the release of his debut album as a songwriter and recording artist: Interplanetary Affair.
Where it Began
Music is Omri Smadar’s first language. Classically trained in piano and composition, his early years were rooted in jazz and theory; an education that would later inform his meticulous approach to production and DJing and fascination with connecting harmony and emotion. “I wanted to understand what makes two notes work together,” he says.
He wrote, produced, and self-released his first album when he was just 17, and started touring the world as part of the Caribbean-fusion collective Abuya Sound. That’s when Smadar’s name exploded onto the global stage, and he began merging his global influences with the sound of Europe’s underground dance scene.
His first release came in the form of Muzika Salim on Ostra Discos — a worldly blend of Middle Eastern sounds and club rhythms that set the tone for what would become his signature style: electronic music infused with warmth, soul, and storytelling.
Winning Fans Over Worldwide
Over the years, Smadar’s name has become synonymous with experimentation and innovation. “My sets are full of harmonies and melodies and vocals,” he says. “I want it to be an experience.” His releases on Correspondant, Disco Halal, Hard Fist, and Motordiscs found him fans across the globe, earning support from the likes of Jamie xx, Jennifer Cardini, and Gilles Peterson.
His breakthrough album Collage came out in 2020. “I remixed all these classic songs from new wave 80s to Yemenite disco to alternative rock and made my own interpretation of it,” he says. This won him worldwide acclaim, further cemented by his follow-up EP En Safak, which received a 9.5/10 from Mixmag, reached #1 on Beatport’s Indie Dance charts, and featured in Jamie xx’s BBC Essential Mix.
But Smadar has never been one to stand still. After years of producing club-focused tracks and filling dancefloors, Interplanetary Affair sees him returning to his songwriting roots — and in doing so, completing a creative circle.
The Sound of Interplanetary Affair
Released on September 12th 2025 on Ganuz Records, Omri's new album is the sound of an artist expanding his universe. Built around vintage analog synths and rich live instrumentation, including brass, strings, drums and percussion, the album is a bridge between worlds. Taking influence from disco, synth-wave, soul, jazz, and indie-pop, he harnesses the energy, emotion and groove of electronic music Godfathers Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk.
For the first time, Smadar’s voice takes center stage across three tracks – “Interplanetary Affair”, ‘Lose Your Soul” and “What Would You Do” – marking his debut as a recording vocalist. He’s joined by a stellar lineup of collaborators, including Roy Avital (Garden City Movement), Kayma, Dafna Shilon, Brazilian musician Udi Fagundes, Berry Sakharof, Sun Tailor, Megaphonim, and the Nona Youth Choir — alongside Sefi Zisling on trumpet and Ofer Bymel on drums.
A standout track is "Lose Your Soul”, a collaboration with DJ Jenia Tarsol. It reimagines Dead Man’s Bones’ 2009 cult favorite and transforms it into a timeless dance anthem. Already a sought-after ID in DJ sets worldwide, it perfectly encapsulates Smadar’s gift for turning nostalgia into something thrillingly new.
The Live Evolution
If Smadar’s studio work is celestial, his live show is intergalactic. Fans who’ve caught his performances at venues like fabric and Rex Club know his transition from DJ to live performer was destined to be extraordinary.
Performing with a four-piece band, Smadar blends analog synths, keys, percussion, guitar, and guest vocals into a dynamic live experience that’s part electronic hafla, part cosmic jazz session. His sets shift seamlessly from afro-infused 4/4 rhythms to soaring guitar riffs, all tied together by an atmosphere of unity and intimacy.
“Each show is different,” he says. “It’s about creating moments that can’t happen anywhere else.”
After scores of sold-out performances and growing demand for his new live setup, Smadar is cementing his status as one of the most exciting live electronic artists in the world.
Looking Ahead
With Interplanetary Affair marking his official debut as a songwriter, Omri Smadar stands at the intersection of composition and club culture — bridging live performance with electronic precision, the cosmic with the deeply human.
For an artist whose journey began behind a piano and led him to the world’s dancefloors, this album isn’t just a new chapter. It’s the culmination of everything he’s learned — and a launchpad toward new worlds.
