The Face Behind: Interview with Domestic - Ido Ophir
- Asaf Remler
- 2 days ago
- 11 min read
Ido Ophir, a.k.a Domestic, is a studio mind. A sonic engineer. A perfectionist who hears what most of us don’t even know exists.
From early teenage experiments in Rishon LeZion to mixing and mastering some of the most influential names in trance, and later reshaping the sound of Israeli pop, Domestic quietly became one of the architects of modern electronic music.
No branding strategy. No constant self-promotion. Just sound.
You won't see him on every flyer, and he will not necessarily be the loudest name on it, but here is the thing - If you’ve danced to trance music in the last two to three decades, most chances are you’ve felt Domestic's fingerprint in your bones.
To me, making this interview was some sort of a glitch in the matrix... Ido usually lives in the shadows (or perhaps in the neon glow of the studio) and has never given an interview before.
One of the special things I learned is that, believe it or not, behind the precision, behind the kick-bass obsession and the 10,000-hour philosophy, there is a curious kid who once bought a cheap guitar with 300 shekels… and never stopped digging.
In additon, I knew that Domestic is a mix and mastering maestro and the mind behind some legendary tracks (to name a few: Hallucinogen - Shamanix (Domestic & Spacecat remix), Art Of Trance - Octopus (3 Of Life & Domestic Remix), Infected Mushroom - Psycho (LOUD & Domestic remix), Union Jack - Two Full Moons & A Trout (Freedom Fighters, Domestic & Pixel remix)) but I actually revealed that his touch is all over the worldwide trance scene, mixing and mastering for famous labels such as Iboga, Nano Records, Hommega, Shamanic Tales, Stereo Society & Mutant Disco.
I feel very lucky that this interview came to life (thank you, Noa!), allowing others to discover the magician working behind the curtain of an entire musical culture.
I hope this truly mind-blowing conversation resonates with you as much as it did with me.
That's The Face Behind the Artist - with Ido Ophir - Domestic.
Interview with Ido Ophir, Domestic
Where did you grow up, Ido?
I grew up in Rishon LeZion until I was 18, and then I moved to Herzliya
How was your childhood?
It was a good childhood.
My connection to music started very early; when I was about five, I’d hear songs on MTV and just go to my sister's piano and play them. I never learned formally—I just heard the notes.
At 12, I bought a cheap guitar for 300 shekels, but my dad eventually saw it and got me a proper one. Moving to guitar felt natural. I realized early on that I had a very good ear. Already back then, I was quite obsessive about technology and research; I dug into things in a way that’s not proportionate.
As a child/teenage, what did you use to listen to?
I loved heavy metal, and ‘Death’ is still my favorite band today. However, I also loved Radiohead, Metallica, Depeche Mode, and The Prodigy, to name a few
What first led you into the world of electronic music, and in particular, trance?
I remember hearing the Union Jack album at the Arad Festival (in southern Israel); it was mind-blowing. After that, I started going to trance parties in my city and began getting exposed to the trance world.
When you heard it, back then, did you know that it would become such a big part of your life?
Yes, without a doubt.
How did you evolve to be a producer and a DJ?
When I got my guitar, I started playing and joined three different rock bands. We were quite busy, rehearsing in a municipal shelter. My dad already understood that school probably wasn’t my path, so I dropped out in the 8th grade, just as music was becoming something serious for me.
I ended up enrolling in Yoav Gera’s music school in Israel to focus on my craft. During those teenage years, after hearing the Union Jack album, I found Impulse Tracker and started connecting with others through BBS servers. I set up my own little server to upload sounds and samples, and I’d connect to other people’s servers to use their sample machines for my own creations.
It was a small community of music nerds exchanging ideas long before social media. That circle included Roi Sasson (Shidapu), Erez Eisen (Infected Mushroom), Oren Kislev, and Miki Litvak.
That’s how Domestic started as a duo with Miki when we were about 16 or 17.
At the time, Miki released a monthly "internet pack" called ‘trip out’ through Impulse Tracker, which was a collection of tracks being produced in Israel. All the scene’s nerds were involved: Astrix, Psysex, Illumination, and others. Through those packs, Astral Projection and Eyal Barkan noticed Domestic and wanted us to release music with them, guiding us on how to improve our process. Later on, most of us, including Astrix, Goblin (Psysex), Yoni Ace Ventura, Pixel, Sub6, and Eitan Reiter, ended up living in Herzliya, creating a real trance community.
Do you remember your first track, your first shows?
My first track came out when I was 15, collaborating with Erez Eisen and Roi Sasson. My first gig was at a party in Kfar Shmaryahu, where I had to mix using mini-discs and the play-stop buttons. .
When did you start playing abroad?
I was 17 when I played my first show abroad in Portugal as Domestic. It was a wild outdoor party and pure fun. Later, around 2003, I also started playing techno as Ido Ophir
Which artists shaped your trance consciousness the most?
X-dream, Simon Posford, Union Jack.
In your career journey, when did you stop having other jobs?
I didn't really have other jobs, aside from working as a teenager in a music store selling audio equipment and at Radio 100FM, mostly just switching CDs during broadcasts.
Well, when I was 13, I worked as a dishwasher. But I didn’t really need to keep doing it for long, so it doesn’t count.
So you started to perform at a very early stage, developed friendships with Israeli Trance roots and legendary names, initiated Domestic, and created your own music.
How come you end up the mix and master guy of the entire scene?
I always loved studio work. It fits my researcher personality perfectly and happened very naturally. It started in the late 90s when I did the mixing and mastering for Astrix's first album. I’ve actually handled all of his albums since then. Then I worked on the albums of my late friend, Cosma, followed by projects for friends like Pixel and Sub6, and eventually labels like Iboga and Hommega. I even worked with Infected Mushroom on three of their albums; they wanted a fresh ear they could trust.
In the last five years, without any promotion, I’ve been approached by the Israeli pop scene as well. I’ve since worked with Jordi, Noa Kirel, Mergi, Static, Ravid Plotnik, Yasmin Mualem, Ishay Swisa, Evyatar Banai, Avraham Tal, Ivry Leader and many others.
So, yes, doing the mixing and mastering is the natural place for me, and I'm very happy about it.
How does it feel to shape other people's ideas rather than your own?
It’s actually much more comfortable than working on my own music because I’m less emotionally involved, which makes me more decisive. With my own tracks, I get too attached.
Can you shortly explain what Mix is and what Mastering is?
Think of mixing like cooking - it’s about balancing the ingredients and deciding where everything goes.
A project has many layers, and mixing is about adjusting the volume and balance of each to get the perfect result.
Mastering is the final touch; the goal is to ensure the song feels like a polished product that sounds right on any sound system.
How long does it take you to mix & master a trance track?
It depends on the complexity, but usually takes me between 1 and 3 hours. Some complex projects can take up to a few days.
I have 30 years of experience in the field - it helps.
Why don't artists do it themselves?
Beyond just having a "good ear," it often requires a dedicated professional mastering studio and an expert with years of deep technical experience to truly push a track to its limit. Even for the most talented producers, there comes a point where you need a fresh perspective from another room and another set of speakers.
That’s why, even when they have the skills to do it themselves (like Reshef (Captain Hook) or Jordi (Yarden Peleg- a key figure in modern Israeli pop/reggaeton, having created numerous #1 hits)), they still seek out that specialist touch.
What makes you so good at it?
It really comes down to a combination of time and a constant drive to evolve.
I’ve been fortunate enough to spend over 30 years immersed in this field, which has allowed me to develop a deep, intuitive understanding of the nuances of sound. Experience teaches you things that you simply can't find in a manual; it’s about the thousands of hours spent listening and refining.
However, I believe the real key is never stopping. Even after all this time, I still consider myself a student of the craft. I make it a point to research and learn something new every single day, ensuring that my technical knowledge stays as sharp as my ears. That balance of long-term perspective and a "day one" curiosity is what allows me to help artists truly realize their vision.
You mention that you've started mixing and mastering mainstream music too.What's the difference between mainstream and trance? They really are two different worlds.
In trance, the foundation is the kick and bass - everything is built around that driving energy. In pop and hip-hop, the vocal is the absolute centerpiece, and the entire mix must revolve around it to support the performance.
It took me years of deep study to truly master vocal-centric mixing. I spent a long time analyzing the work of top producers like Ori Shochet, Michael Swisa, and Ravid Plotnik, "Nechi Nech" (all top hip-hop Israeli producers) to understand how they achieve such high-level results.
At some point, I started working with Jordi, and it really blew my mind; He is so talented in every step of the production; he amazed me.
Ultimately, I found the unique technical challenges of mainstream music incredibly attractive, and I love the balance of working across both genres.
As an observer from behind the scenes... Can you describe how trance music evolved in terms of sound production? For example, who would you point at as a pioneer and making new things that impacted others along the way?
PsyTrance is a genre that constantly evolves.
For me, in the early 90s, creativity was at its peak - Simon Posford’s synthesis was legendary and remains some of the best production ever.
Following a more uniform period between 2003 and 2008,
The last decade brought a technical revolution. The mix - specifically the kick and bass - has become incredibly fine-tuned, delivering a physical punch that older tracks often lacked.
Today, we’re seeing a creative resurgence. Producers are blending the soul of old-school melodies with modern, high-level production. It’s a powerful era where technical precision finally meets the genre's original artistic depth.
Both Eitan and Kobi a.k.a Loud told me in their interviews about the influence of hip hop and techno on their kick-bass. As someone who grew up in the scene in the years of the 2010s, it really feels that Loud invented something new - a genre within trance (and it took the worldwide scene a few years to understand and follow that).
That’s right.
Working with Kobi and Eitan, and later Dekel and Nimrod, we were able to make that leap in sound production. It was a significant shift for the whole scene.
You see, I said Loud, and you said "we," but most people don't know your part in this. That's why I so wanted to interview you. How does it make you feel?
I really don’t care about the credit. My natural place is in the studio. I just genuinely enjoy the process of making music and creating great sound, which is warm and embracing.
That's very humble of you to react this way. It is a 'trance way' to look at it, and I don't take it for granted. Thank you for this inspiration, Ido!
I must ask, what does Domestic stand for? Cause as a studio person, it obviously matches you.
Haha... Yeah, well, I actually don't remember. I think Mickey brought the name idea from a dictionary, haha.
Are you working on new music?
I try to produce one or two tracks a year, though I don't always release them. It’s a flexible process, as I’m usually very busy with work in the studio.
Yeah, I noticed how busy you are when I saw what Shahaf Freedom Fighters and Asaf Modus, a.k.a Uncharted Territory, had to say about their last collab with you:
When you produce music, are you thinking of yourself, the crowd, or both?
I think of myself as the crowd. I just focus on what would sound good to me if I were out on the dancefloor.
Why does Domestic show as a producer in some tracks while in others it doesn't?
If Domestic's name is involved, it means I brought my own things into the track.
Lately, I see your name on lineups more than in the last few years... What made you get back to live shows?
I don’t know. It comes in waves.
Every five years, there’s a new crowd discovering me and names like Oforia as we are new in the scene. That's funny.
How do you pick your track selection?
I maintain a tracklist that has evolved with me over many years, renewing itself organically. Only the tracks that truly stand the test of time remain, and the set naturally refreshes every year or two. While I go in with certain intentions, I prefer to let the performance flow. For me, a 90-minute to two-hour set is the perfect duration.
Name a few tips you recommend young producers learn/implement in their creation process?
The most important thing is to focus on your own creative identity and pursue it with absolute dedication.
Mastery in sound production isn't achieved overnight; it requires consistent practice to reach a high technical level. While it's tempting to follow current trends for quick success, doing so often leads to a short-lived career.
Developing a unique, authentic style is a much slower process, but it results in the kind of originality that lasts. Ultimately, long-term persistence is the most critical factor in building a sustainable career.
These words are wonderful, and I'm sure the young producers who read this just took note!
How do your personal life experiences directly influence your career?
Balancing a global touring schedule with family life is incredibly complex. I used to live that lifestyle, but I eventually decided to focus on the studio to lead a more balanced, normal life.
I just saw that you are married to another artist, Noa, a.k.a. Astrogano, a trance producer herself.
That’s actually how we met: Noa reached out to me for a mastering. It’s not every day you run into someone that talented making such incredible music, so I was definitely impressed.
What's your next dream?
To win the Grammy in Mix and Mastering.
As someone who shaped a whole genre, I'm sure you can get there, man.
Last question before we move on to the association game:
What do you think about the Israeli trance scene today?
It’s incredible that such a small country sustains such a massive scene.
While commercialization has its downsides, the parties here remain world-class.
Even as other scenes have faded, ours stays vibrant with dozens of events every weekend. It’s truly remarkable that it continues to thrive here.
Ido... It's such an honor to speak with you this far. We have been talking for about two and a half hours now, and I'm basically speechless.
Let's recap with a playful association game: I ask, you fire an answer.
Ready to go?
Sure thing!
What track can you use that will always do the job?
What's your favorite track?
It's unfair. I can't answer. I have 200!
Ok, I'll let you be the only one to pass this question...
But, what Artist?
Simon Posford
A Back2Back you would like to play with?
Richie Hawtin
Your DJ career peak moment:
I played this summer at Own Spirit - that was marvelous!
Embarrassing DJ moment:
I’ll never forget playing with Pixel in Brazil. One moment he was right there beside me, and the next, he had completely vanished - it turns out he’d actually fallen right off the stage.
If you were a famous star, who would you be?
Albert Einstein.
Message to the audience:
Keep dancing. And make sure you listen to good music
Ido... Speaking with you felt like speaking with one of those rare figures whose touch reaches far beyond what most people realize, a true craftsman of sound, whose influence lives in countless tracks and artists.
I'm both inspired and grateful for the conversation - thank you very very much!
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