The Face Behind: Interview with Rising Dust
- Asaf Remler
- Apr 28
- 10 min read
Updated: May 6
John Aharon and Ami Dahan, better known as the powerful trance duo Rising Dust, have been shaking dance floors around the world for over a decade.
The Israeli duo has gained a dedicated following thanks to their ability to fuse deep, organic tribal sounds with cutting-edge electronic production. Their unique musical identity blends emotional melodies and an undeniable drive to move crowds, delivering a mix of nostalgia and modern innovation, capturing the essence of classic psytrance while pushing boundaries with every release. From playing at the world’s biggest festivals to collaborating with some of the scene’s most respected artists, their journey has been one of constant growth and reinvention.
Whether it's a closing day set at Ozora, a peak-time slot at Universo Parallelo, or an intimate gathering somewhere off the beaten path, once Rising Dust takes the stage, they leave behind a trail of euphoria and unforgettable moments.
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with John, one-half of the duo, to dive deep into the evolution of their music, their creative process, and the personal experiences that have shaped their sound. As someone who followed the project for years, I was looking forward to interviewing Rising Dust, and I was very excited and quite nervous to get in touch with them. However, when I reached out to John, he immediately invited me to his studio, which is a part of his house. Unlike previous interviews I’ve done over the phone or on video, interviewing him face to face was the perfect setting for a warm and honest conversation. His openness and hospitality created an atmosphere that made this talk feel personal, authentic, and truly special.
I'm proud to share John and Rising Dust story with you, you're gonna love it! System, Change, Inside, First.... Here is The Face Behind The Artist - Rising Dust.
Interview with John Aharon, Rising Dust
Where did you grow up, John?
I grew up in Pisgat Ze'ev, Jerusalem. My parents divorced when I was in the 3rd grade. I moved to the center of Israel with my mom and then returned to Jerusalem to live with my dad in 9th grade. We had a “buddies house” kind of vibe, and these years were the time when I developed my independent life.
That’s also when I met my wife at a Purim party in a club called Underground - and where it all began at the age of 18.
What kind of guy were you in the hood?
I was hanging out with the local 'tough crowd'—you know, the street-smart, flashy guys - but I was more like the nerdy one among them. I was curious and clever, not the leader type, more like the funny guy everyone liked.
Funny enough, today most of those friends are religious.
I know you also quite 'religion' yourself...
I feel very connected to that world - I lay Tefillin and love the spiritual side of Judaism.
However, I'm totally open to spiritual ideas in general.
What first led you into the world of electronic music and trance in particular?
I’ve always loved electronic music. I started playing guitar at 16. My dad was a radio technician for Israel’s national radio, and one day he brought me some audio editing software for the computer. I used it to record songs with my guitar and my original lyrics. I already felt a deep connection to production back then, even if I didn’t fully understand what I was doing.
When you heard it, back then, did you know that it would become such a big part of your life?
Absolutely. It ran through my veins - it just felt natural.
So, how did you evolve to be a DJ? How did that even start?
We used to party in Pisgat Ze’ev. I’d go to parties and get absorbed in the music and the vibe. The sound really pulled me in.
At the age of 19, I started organizing parties myself and bringing in DJs. It didn't take long until I decided I wanted to play too. I started by the name Mojo Jojo, like the monkey from Powerpuff Girls.
I knew that I wanted to produce my own music, but I didn't have a clue how. It wasn't like these days that you can search on YouTube and learn in B.P.M college.
It was while traveling in India that I met someone who taught electronic music using Cubase. I took just two lessons, and that was enough to get me going by myself. It felt like I was born to do that.
When I started to release my own music, it was under the shortcuted name Mojo.
Did you work in other jobs, or did you just do that?
Yeah, I was a waiter and later a shift manager in restaurants.
How did your family react to your job at that stage?
My dad was super supportive - he even helped me financially, bought me monitors and software. He saw how happy I was and believed in me. My mom was a bit more hesitant, worried about the nightlife that came with it.
At this point, we are taking a cigarette break to the interview and John's wife, Assi Esther, joins us. Well... They have 2 kids, and I actually took the opportunity to ask them both about work-life balance. Here is what the 'Aharons' family has to say about that: John: "What balance? I find it very hard to cut clear between studio, shows and family time. In the last few years, we moved the studio to my home, which is comfortable, but I find myself struggling to find my muse and get into deep creation sessions for a long time.
Assi Esther: "Being a top class DJ/Atrist's wife won't work for anyone. John and I have been coupled since we were 18, so I couldn't really understand what I'm getting into and life proves it is challenging. On the one hand, he can fly to Mexico to play just 1 hour set. But, he is in Mexico... I want him to stay a few days to enjoy the trip... Then he calls me, from the sunny beach, while I'm preparing the kids for school/Kindergarden.
On the other hand, what's more satisfying than see your man doing what he was borned to do and fulfilling his dreams?"
John: "There are DJs that somehow succeed in this, I didn't figure it out yet. I hope that one day I will".
Then we went back to the studio.
OK, so you tried to break through as Mojo Jojo...
Yes.
I struggled to play my own tracks because I didn’t feel they measured up to the artists I was spinning. Around 25, I started playing some of my own stuff. At 27, a trance party I produced got shut down by the police, and that was when I promised myself to avoid party productions. However, at that stage, I already had a full set of original music and was playing gigs abroad. I was signed on Mushy Records, a label by Guy Sarnat, A.K.A Bubble, who was also a friend.
After three years of pushing myself, at the age of 30, my wife got pregnant, and I still wasn’t making real money from music.
I’d always worked in the restaurant scene, so I partnered with a friend and we opened a place in Jerusalem. At that point, I made techno at home just for fun and decided to step away from the idea of making it a career.
Since I was related to many people in the Trance scene in Israel, and since Guy (Bubble) moved to Berlin, he asked me to help him with his bookings in Israel. I did that in parallel to my coffee shop business.
It was just when Bubble took off and as I managed his bookings, I witnessed that there was money in it. That’s when I told myself: I have to try again, I can make it. BUT, I can't do it alone. That's when I marked Ami - I just knew he can be the perfect partner.
Wow...
What a willpower, that's so inspirational.
Ok... So, why Ami?
Ami owned bars and organised parties in Jerusalem.
I saw Ami as someone well-connected and active in the scene, and I figured working with him could be smart.
He was also DJing, and I thought it’d be cool to do something together.
I invited him to meet with me so I can play him some sketches. Luckily, he liked them. We agreed to create a band and started looking for a name. There was a bar we loved in Jerusalem called “Stardust” and we knew we wanted “Dust” in the name. Then I got the idea of “Rising Dust,” and it just clicked for both of us.
And how was it to pave your way again, this time as Rising Dust?
It was fast from the beginning.
We released a sample of three tracks as a first EP - “Dust Everyone”, “Rising Bubble”, and “Sticks of Glory” and Blue Tunes, a German label, signed us. The sound was pretty European.
In addition, as Ami was throwing parties, we had gigs, including nature parties and festivals.
How did it feel to suddenly share your work with someone else?
It was tough. I had to swallow my ego because, obviously, going solo just wasn’t working for me. I went along with Ami’s vision because he got things moving. I learned that I needed to serve a shared philosophy.
What did Ami bring to the studio that you were missing?
Vision. Ami could complete whatever I brought to the table, offering both a futuristic perspective and balance. Ami was very familiar with the crowd, he just knew what was gonna work. To me, it was important to implement a strong coaching vibe in the lyrics and motivational messages. That was our handshake, and it's our handshake with the audience.
What a handshake! What about sharing the stage with someone? As for sharing the stage, that’s why I brought in the Maschine controller - to have my own role up there. It also makes every set sound unique and creates a lifetime experience for the crowd.
I don't know why. But I have something in mind about Rising Dust exploding as Darwish's students/friends or so...
No haha. David (Darwish) is such a great person and a huge performer and luckily, he liked playing our tracks, which gave us great exposure. Seeing our music in his sets at big festivals was a real thrill.
When producing music, is it John and Ami in mind or the crowd? In the beginning, it was all about the dancefloor.
Our second album, Purify, was filled with tracks we tested at parties and observed the crowd, then came back to the studio to trim the “dead” parts and extend the energetic ones - we wanted the set to work from start to finish and make people go wild.
Do people react when you perform solo?
Sometimes, yeah. But in this industry, it’s a known scenario - it happens. Also, think about a producer who wants to bring Rising Dust to play, he needs to pay double flights, double hotel rooms, etc. It's fair to have one of us play. However, if we can play together, we'll do it.
I'd like to share with you my first experience in Rising Dust set. It was at the allmighty Desert Adventure festival by Darwish (2016 edition). Rising Dust played right after a break, and I had that face of "What am I just listening to right now?"... Which is probably the best reaction I can have, it's that moment when you hear something new and it clicks, it was so much fun and intriguing. Then, when I looked at you and Ami on the stage, something in the performance was missing to me, it was like you two didn't understand how deep and far your music goes, you were dancing like crazy...
10 years forward, I see your performance, I listen to your music - and I see how much you two have grown up.
Do you resonate with this?
Totally.
We grew up in the underground, where the crowd comes for half a day to get nuts. That crowd was our target audience. Suddenly, we found ourselves at big festivals, we meet crowd that comes for a few days experience, it's a different vibe. It made us understand that in order to fit a wider audience we need to extend our music range so we fine-tuned our musical journey accordingly.
Would you connect your personal life experience with Rising Dust’s sound evolution? Yes, of course. Everything is connected. Life, kids and nature shapes us. And as mentioned, being at festivals, meeting artists and cultures - all of that opened us up.
What are your future goals, artistically and personally?
As of Rising Dust, we’ve seen great success in Israel, in Brazil, and in Europe - I’m proud of that.
We want to perform at Boom Festival and in Australia. Personally, I’d love to score a Hollywood movie or work with huge talents and huge productions... Think like Beyoncé, with a proper budget, making Grammy-level stuff. I know I’ve got what it takes.
What would you advise young DJs about marketing?
Throw parties - that’s DJing 101. See dancefloors, meet crowds, get into the vibe. And if you don’t know how to market, pay a media company. No shame in that.
Is there a message you are trying to deliver to the audience?
Absolutely—messages of connection, dream-chasing, encouragement. That’s what my songs are about.
What do you like to listen to?
It comes in waves. Lots of ‘80s and funk.
Eviatar Banai is a foundation for me. Björk was a big influence during my India trips. Thom Yorke and Radiohead taught me to think outside the box and make weird, beautiful music.
What should we expect in the next 2–3 years?
A new album is on the way in the coming months.
Yes!
Thoughts on the Israeli Trance scene?
I love it wholeheartedly – flaws and all. The veterans, the newcomers - when the crowd is hot, that’s my joy.
OK John, wow... that was so marvelous, it was such an honor to speak with you this far.
As our time is about to end, you still have to play a quick association game: I ask, you fire an answer.
Ready to go?
Being it on!
What track can you use that will always do the job?
What's your favorite track?
Simon Posford - everything
A DJ you would like to play with?
Daft Punk could be very cool.
As a trance set, Infected Mushroom.
What is your peak moment as a D.J.?
Ozora 2019.
What is your most embarrassing moment as a DJ?
In Brazil, I had a 1-hour set that grew to 3 3-hour set since the DJ after me couldn't play.
Now here’s the catch — I really had to pee, but I had to hold it the entire time. So when I finally wrapped up, the only spot I could find was right near the stage, where a bunch of people were waiting to say hi. I literally had to turn my back at them and just... let it happen. Not my finest moment!
If you were a pop star, which star would you be?
Brad Pitt—Fight Club style.
Message to the audience:
To the artists - if you love this, don’t stop. Go all in.
To the crowd - be kind and united. Our strength is in unity. Just like we are at our parties, let’s be like that outside too. Embrace and respect differences.
John... First, I'd like to thank Ami, as although he couldn't join us, he let that interview happen.
Second, thank you so much for this honest, inspiring conversation. It’s been a real pleasure diving into the Rising Dust story (well, half of it), and learn how your personal story blends into it. I can’t wait to hear where your journey takes you next — and I know the world will be listening.
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