Our traditional question first - what is your favorite drink?
Scotch.
Do you remember the first time you got drunk?
Oh, I've never been drunk in my life.
Never? How can it be possible?
I can drink a lot, but I never get drunk.
Even when you were a teenager?
I've never been drunk.
You are lucky. What do your regular days look like?
Always checking my email, booking up shows. I'm my own booking agent - that's kind of my all-day job. And then, making beats, writing songs, working on another album right now.
I was on the performances of the Egyptian Lover three times, and I was always surprised by your openness to the public. Are you an extrovert or an introvert?
Both. When I grew up, I was a very shy guy. So when my friends saw me on a stage talking on micro, they were like, "How are you even able to do that?" I said that I don't know. I am just turning to a different guy when I am on stage.
Who is this guy?
He is totally different than I am. I never curse in real life. He curses a lot. I don't even look at my old videos because this cursing guy is not me.
Who is real you then?
I just love to relax, drink scotch, and enjoy my life.
Our traditional question first - what is your favorite drink?
Scotch.
Do you remember the first time you got drunk?
Oh, I've never been drunk in my life.
Never? How can it be possible?
I can drink a lot, but I never get drunk.
Even when you were a teenager?
I've never been drunk.
You are lucky. What do your regular days look like?
Always checking my email, booking up shows. I'm my own booking agent - that's kind of my all-day job. And then, making beats, writing songs, working on another album right now.
I was on the performances of the Egyptian Lover three times, and I was always surprised by your openness to the public. Are you an extrovert or an introvert?
Both. When I grew up, I was a very shy guy. So when my friends saw me on a stage talking on micro, they were like, "How are you even able to do that?" I said that I don't know. I am just turning to a different guy when I am on stage.
Who is this guy?
He is totally different than I am. I never curse in real life. He curses a lot. I don't even look at my old videos because this cursing guy is not me.
Who is real you then?
I just love to relax, drink scotch, and enjoy my life.
What was the most unusual place you have ever been to?
The most exotic is New Zealand. When growing up, I’ve never thought that I would be able to travel. I didn’t even care about traveling. So when I first saw it, I thought, “WOW!”
What is it about Egypt? Have you ever been to Egypt?
Never.
You should definitely go there.
They have camels, pyramids. I love the fact that pyramids were built and we don't know how they were made, and when we created them and if we built them at all. They had no iPhones, no computers, no cranes - just manual labor. So I think this is the most amazing thing on this whole planet. And I love that when I was a kid, I found out about King Tut (Tutankhamun). It was in all books, all magazines, on TV in LA and I really got fascinated about it. You know, the young king who ruled the kingdom. I said, "Wow, young Egyptian king," so that is where I get my name from - Egyptian Lover. From King Tut and another 1920 silent movie film star.
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
I listen to old music. I still listen to old Prince, Rick James, Michael Jackson, old funk stuff, even some rapper stuff from the early '80s.
Is there any song that makes you cry?
Not today, but back in the day. Prince has a song “Way back home.” After he passed away, I was listening to this song and was like “Ahh!” It touched me so much. I actually DJed at the party for Prince and the whole crowd was just crying and my eyes teared too. He found his way back home.
Is there a song that can play in your head all day long?
Planet rock. It is always playing in the back of my mind. I heard “Numbers,” I heard Kraftwerk before, but when Planet Rock came out, that was the day that changed my life. Planet Rock was actually the song that kickstarted me and made me want to make that kind of music.
What was the most unusual place you have ever been to?
The most exotic is New Zealand. When growing up, I’ve never thought that I would be able to travel. I didn’t even care about traveling. So when I first saw it, I thought, “WOW!”
What is it about Egypt? Have you ever been to Egypt?
Never.
You should definitely go there.
They have camels, pyramids. I love the fact that pyramids were built and we don't know how they were made, and when we created them and if we built them at all. They had no iPhones, no computers, no cranes - just manual labor. So I think this is the most amazing thing on this whole planet. And I love that when I was a kid, I found out about King Tut (Tutankhamun). It was in all books, all magazines, on TV in LA and I really got fascinated about it. You know, the young king who ruled the kingdom. I said, "Wow, young Egyptian king," so that is where I get my name from - Egyptian Lover. From King Tut and another 1920 silent movie film star.
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
I listen to old music. I still listen to old Prince, Rick James, Michael Jackson, old funk stuff, even some rapper stuff from the early '80s.
Is there any song that makes you cry?
Not today, but back in the day. Prince has a song “Way back home.” After he passed away, I was listening to this song and was like “Ahh!” It touched me so much. I actually DJed at the party for Prince and the whole crowd was just crying and my eyes teared too. He found his way back home.
Is there a song that can play in your head all day long?
Planet rock. It is always playing in the back of my mind. I heard “Numbers,” I heard Kraftwerk before, but when Planet Rock came out, that was the day that changed my life. Planet Rock was actually the song that kickstarted me and made me want to make that kind of music.
What is your weirdest habit?
I don’t have weird habits.
Maybe something that annoys you?
Nothing annoys me.
I see you are quite pleased with yourself.
My wife would answer that with a whole bunch of stuff.
Do you have any passions besides music?
Arts. I like drawing. I love painting. I have drawn thousands of album covers, and I have been doing it since the 80s. I am actually doing an art show in LA pretty soon, and I bring them to the art show.
What was the worst party experience you ever had?
The worst was actually fun. It was in Arena in Louisiana back in the early 90s. There were six people in the whole Arena. Six people. So me and my band went up there, and we played like there was a full house. And they were like, “Man, this is the best music ever!” Six people.
What about the best one?
The best concert was something that I was not expecting. So, the promoter called me and asked to do a show in Latvia. I had no idea what Latvia was, so I looked up on the map and thought, “Wow, this is in the middle of nowhere.” The festival took place on the beach, so really, in the middle of nowhere, and there were thirty thousand people there and three stages. I did my show on the Red Bull stage. There were people as far as I could see to the left, right and forward. When I run up to the stage the crowd was so hyped, and I said: “This is the Egyptian Lover!” and they just screamed: “Ahhhhh!” Everything I said, was just like that. I said: “Get my album - Bandcamp.com,” and they went “BANDCAMP DOT COM!!”
So I went back to the hotel after the performance. I showered, checked emails, and saw a thousand new emails in my inbox. The following day, in the next city, the promoter called me and said that after the whole festival shut down for the next day, he was walking around to make sure everything was okay. He said that from every tent he was hearing the different Egyptian Lover songs. “These kids loved you!” he said. So I got the phone to check these emails, and by then there were like ten thousand new emails. On Bandcamp, when you sell an album, they email you. For overnight, over five thousand people ordered the album. So I made a quarter of a million dollars.
What was the most unusual venue you’ve performed?
I played in Sydney, Australia, and I broke my camera. I wanted to take a picture in the Sydney Opera House, but we were so short in time that I didn’t have a chance to take a picture of it. And I said to the promoter: “Man, I am so angry, we didn’t have time to take a picture of this work of art. Can you book me another show to another tour, so that I just come back here to take a picture of the Sydney Opera House.” He said: “I will try. Sorry that we didn’t have time.” He called me back: “OK, man, I’ve got some idea. There is a festival, and you are headlining the Sydney Opera House.” And they had Prince playing there. And I was like: “WHAT?!” I had goosebumps, and when I got there, it was like, “Wow!” It was just the best feeling that I’ve ever had - to play in the Sydney Opera House.
What is your weirdest habit?
I don’t have weird habits.
Maybe something that annoys you?
Nothing annoys me.
I see you are quite pleased with yourself.
My wife would answer that with a whole bunch of stuff.
Do you have any passions besides music?
Arts. I like drawing. I love painting. I have drawn thousands of album covers, and I have been doing it since the 80s. I am actually doing an art show in LA pretty soon, and I bring them to the art show.
What was the worst party experience you ever had?
The worst was actually fun. It was in Arena in Louisiana back in the early 90s. There were six people in the whole Arena. Six people. So me and my band went up there, and we played like there was a full house. And they were like, “Man, this is the best music ever!” Six people.
What about the best one?
The best concert was something that I was not expecting. So, the promoter called me and asked to do a show in Latvia. I had no idea what Latvia was, so I looked up on the map and thought, “Wow, this is in the middle of nowhere.” The festival took place on the beach, so really, in the middle of nowhere, and there were thirty thousand people there and three stages. I did my show on the Red Bull stage. There were people as far as I could see to the left, right and forward. When I run up to the stage the crowd was so hyped, and I said: “This is the Egyptian Lover!” and they just screamed: “Ahhhhh!” Everything I said, was just like that. I said: “Get my album - Bandcamp.com,” and they went “BANDCAMP DOT COM!!”
So I went back to the hotel after the performance. I showered, checked emails, and saw a thousand new emails in my inbox. The following day, in the next city, the promoter called me and said that after the whole festival shut down for the next day, he was walking around to make sure everything was okay. He said that from every tent he was hearing the different Egyptian Lover songs. “These kids loved you!” he said. So I got the phone to check these emails, and by then there were like ten thousand new emails. On Bandcamp, when you sell an album, they email you. For overnight, over five thousand people ordered the album. So I made a quarter of a million dollars.
What was the most unusual venue you’ve performed?
I played in Sydney, Australia, and I broke my camera. I wanted to take a picture in the Sydney Opera House, but we were so short in time that I didn’t have a chance to take a picture of it. And I said to the promoter: “Man, I am so angry, we didn’t have time to take a picture of this work of art. Can you book me another show to another tour, so that I just come back here to take a picture of the Sydney Opera House.” He said: “I will try. Sorry that we didn’t have time.” He called me back: “OK, man, I’ve got some idea. There is a festival, and you are headlining the Sydney Opera House.” And they had Prince playing there. And I was like: “WHAT?!” I had goosebumps, and when I got there, it was like, “Wow!” It was just the best feeling that I’ve ever had - to play in the Sydney Opera House.
I read somewhere about your first car. Was it a Mercedes?
Aha.
What other cars did you have?
Jaguar, Maserati, Porsche, Cadillac, BMW, Ferrari, Rolls Royce...
What were you doing with all these cars?
I got rid of them, and I got new ones.
If you would have a possibility to travel in time, would you like to change anything?
No, I would try to keep everything the same.
What is your biggest fear?
That all TV will have become a reality show. I don’t like reality shows. It is my biggest fear.
There is a line in your song “Egypt, Egypt” that goes like this: “Give me a freaky kinky nation with a total female population.” What would you do if you were on a planet entirely populated by girls?
I will do everyone.
And the last question - what’s the best cure for a hangover from Egyptian Lover?
The remedy is not to get drunk. Know your limit, drink to your limit, and don’t drink anymore. That is my remedy for hangovers.
I read somewhere about your first car. Was it a Mercedes?
Aha.
What other cars did you have?
Jaguar, Maserati, Porsche, Cadillac, BMW, Ferrari, Rolls Royce...
What were you doing with all these cars?
I got rid of them, and I got new ones.
If you would have a possibility to travel in time, would you like to change anything?
No, I would try to keep everything the same.
What is your biggest fear?
That all TV will have become a reality show. I don’t like reality shows. It is my biggest fear.
There is a line in your song “Egypt, Egypt” that goes like this: “Give me a freaky kinky nation with a total female population.” What would you do if you were on a planet entirely populated by girls?
I will do everyone.
And the last question - what’s the best cure for a hangover from Egyptian Lover?
The remedy is not to get drunk. Know your limit, drink to your limit, and don’t drink anymore. That is my remedy for hangovers.