Jeremy Hulsh & Oleh Records
Shemspeed Daily Exclusive Interview!
Shemspeed has bumped into Jeremy Hulsh in many different countries and on many different conferences, we took a few minutes to interview him about his co. Oleh Records and why the word Record is in the title if it’s not an actual record label.
Shemspeed: What exactly does Oleh Records do?
Oleh: We sign acts to development deals…but never take exclusivity away from them. our goal is to develop the artists we sign in various markets primarily in the US/UK/Europe/Australia…
(We still don’t have a handle on the ins and outs, but what we gather is they are a music company that helps artists tour outside of Israel and get record deals.)
Shemspeed: So what’s Oleh got going on now?
Oleh: Tamar Eisenman is going on tour to NYC in Jan and newly signed Useless ID just came back from a really strong tour in Japan and China.
Shemspeed: We know Matis has a tradition of playing some shows while he is in Israel for Tishrei every year, in the past it was with his good friend Danny Zamir at Levontin. Word is this year he played with one of your groups, LFO? , tell us about that. and how it came about and went over…
Oleh: Yes, last weekend Matis guested with DUB L.F.O. on Jerusalem…it was great…very in the moment…I believe they met up at danny’s show.
(From Matis’ blog: Matis sits in with DUB L.F.O. “I sat in with a group called DUB L.F.O. on Erev Shabbes. It was pretty cool. We were just walking around Ben Yehuda and heard some really tight reggae music playing. Went down an alley and there were like 200 kids rockin’ out an hour before Licht Bentching (candle lighting)”….Matis sang verses from Close My Eyes, Dispatch The Troops, Aish Tamid, Exaltation, and the Shema over the DUB L.F.O. grooves.)
Shemspeed: Was this your first time meeting him? What did you think of the impromptu performance?
Oleh: I wasn’t actually able to make it (i was in Tel Aviv) but DUB posted photo’s and video online..it was great from what i heard…Shemspeed, did you know that Funknstein is going on their first ever Australian tour and that Coolooloosh is releasing the sophomore record produced by David Ivory next month…they are touring Europe pretty soon as well! and Oleh! Records is involved in TIAA (The Israel Artist Agency); it is the first of its kind Israeli Booking Agent to dedicate 100% of its efforts to booking Israeli acts abroad.
Shemspeed: We did not know that. Do you find it hard to book Israeli acts that only sing in Hebrew outside of Israel because so little people know Hebrew and conversely, do you find it hard booking Israeli acts that sing in English outside the US with world music bookers and Jewish colleges because people are looking for Israeli acts that sing in Hebrew?
Oleh: Therein exists the challenge and part of the mandate the Oleh! Records stands to remedy; until now the sytem in place to develop these acts abroad has been backwards. My goal is to educate the bands hear and the communities/industry abroad about what is really possible.
Shemspeed: What do you see as possible?
Oleh: There is no reason that Israeli acts cannot impact markets abroad..their music is often times more dynamic and interesting than what exsits in the mainstream and has enormous cross over potential.
Shemspeed: Do you see any of the bands becoming as big as Matisyahu or as having as wide of an appeal as Idan Raichel?
Oleh: of course…
Shemspeed: Really, Matisyahu? You don’t see that as a one time sort of thing?
Oleh: Matis, i believe is one of a kind. We are not promoting “Jewish” minded music, we support Israeli acts of varying genres…
Shemspeed: So, how does Judaism play into Oleh?
Oleh: Is Israel a name of a place you only read about or discuss in temple? Oleh! support’s Israeli artists…
Shemspeed: So, you hate Jesus?
Oleh: If you are a great hip hop act from Jaffa and are Israeli/Muslim. We want to help you…
