Tel Aviv is home to some of Israel’s famous clubs, Now there’s an event and entertainment service that offers mind-blowing musical experiences, especially those who enjoy the electric music genre. The name of that entertainment service is Monochrome, owned by Sean Doron and his partner Barbi, one of Tel Aviv’s most popular DJs. Sean had a dream to provide this type of service that catered to a specific set of people.
Initially, he didn’t get a chance to play for an entire set in some nightclubs. The club owners would give him ten to fifteen-minute slots, and that too in the opening before the star DJ of the night performed. Today, others open for him as he is the main attraction of the clubs.
Sean is an avid electronic music lover. He says, “Electronic music is the future of discos and nightclubs. It sets the atmosphere for disco goers where they can enjoy to their fullest. When we started, we didn’t have the right instruments to play electronic music. But now, I am completely into this genre. It’s what I want to work on, and I hope that my audience will continue to appreciate my work.”
Roadblocks to success
Every DJ from Israel would agree that it took them years to make it big in various nightclubs. The same thing happened to Sean. He had to work harder than the rest because he wasn’t the typical DJ who played song requests. He believed in playing his songs. It took him years to develop his fan base. His first hit song, Cala Comte, now has millions of views on various music streaming sites and apps. But this success happened years later.
Sean says, “There’s hardly any room for mistakes in this industry, especially for DJs from Israel. There is so much competition all around that it won’t take time for another DJ to replace you if you miss your mark a couple of times. I was quite strict about my genre of music from the very beginning. Of course, you have to play a few requested songs in every show. But I don’t make it the focus of my performance. Although I initially faced much flak from the audience, I maintained my stance because I didn’t want to shift from my vision. I think every DJ should follow this process. If you already have a specific genre in mind, such as trance music or electronic music, stick to it, irrespective of what your audiences say. You will reap the benefits later.”
Starting his entertainment service
The Breakfast, The Cat & the dog are two of Tel Aviv’s oldest nightclubs. Sean was a regular performer in these clubs, and he always dreamed that he would one day become so famous and rich that he would start his own entertainment service business. He has finally fulfilled his dream of starting that service where hundreds of youngsters come in every week.
The founder says, “It’s like living your dream. I am ecstatic to see so many people turn up every week. When I used to perform at The Cat & The Dog and The Breakfast, I imagined what it would be like if I had a club like that. But starting a club isn’t as easy as many people think. From getting permissions to overseeing the construction and taking care of maintenance, it’s a lot on the plate that I can handle. Instead, the entertainment service was more suitable for me. It allows me to perform at my best because I don’t need to think of running an entire club. I can focus more on my music. In fact, I would love to expand this service to some of the other cities in Egypt, but it’s a long-term plan. For now, I am happy to make my Tel Aviv audiences happy with my music.”
Sean and Stephan – the iconic duo
It isn’t easy to get a break in the music industry, especially when you are exploring a new genre. 2007-08 was the experimental period for electronic music. No one quite knew what it was and wasn’t paying attention. The club-goers would rock and roll to some of the old songs that the DJs played. There wasn’t anything new to offer back then. Fast-forward to the time when Sean entered the DJing industry. He wasn’t against remixing old songs, but didn’t prefer it. “Sure, you invoke some creativity in remixes, but they aren’t your songs after all. It’s someone else’s creation you are working on. While the remix may sound good on the dance floor, the original song would still be considered evergreen.”
And that’s when Sean started exploring the electronic music genre. He said, “I want to create an audience of my own. The remix is not my thing. I would rather not play anything for a while than remix other people’s songs.” His dedication towards his craft and passion for music made him one of the flag bearers of the change in Tel Aviv’s nightlife.
Sean was not alone in this struggle. His friend, Stephan Bazbaz, also shared the same ideas as him. According to Stephan, “Sean and I have been trying to change people’s taste in music for years. We knew that it was a long shot, but we had the confidence to do something that our audiences would eventually love. Just like you cannot change a habit overnight, you cannot change someone’s musical taste within a few days. It takes months and even years to make a genre popular. And we are fortunate that our hard work finally paid off.”
One of the reasons Sean is such a huge hit among electronic music lovers is he keeps coming with new versions of his songs.
He would change a few tunes here and there and would make the song sound new. But apart from recreating some of his songs, he also spends a lot of time creating new songs. One time he surprised his audience with a completely new song that he hadn’t recorded in any of his albums.
This is the beauty of a true artist. He keeps you guessing what’s coming next. Sean, Stephan, and a few other DJs from Tel Aviv changed the city’s nightlife completely. Their music genres are making headlines around the world, especially after their performances at various festivals.
Rhydian Choi 
Kim Marks 
Nina Smith