Interview with Yuvi Gerstein at the Slick Studios

A few years ago, I sat down for an interview at my studio in Florentin, Tel Aviv—The Slick.

Florentin is a place where things clash in the best way. Run-down buildings stand next to new glass towers. Street art, galleries, studios, and music spill out onto the sidewalks. On any block, you’ll likely meet a musician or an artist—or both. That’s where I’ve built my creative home.

In the interview, I talk about how it all started: playing guitar and trying to become the best guitarist I could be. That changed when I got deep into production. I wanted to understand how to produce a full band, how to shape sound from the ground up. From there, things evolved fast.

I toured with my band—a funk/hip-hop project called Coolooloosh—and played shows across the U.S. and Europe. I soaked up influences, not just from the music I heard, but from the people, the scenes, the cities.

The music that comes out of Florentin—and Israel more broadly—isn’t one thing. It’s small, tight-knit, and full of edge. Everyone is trying to do their own thing, not fit into a mold. You’ll hear jazz, rock, Middle Eastern grooves, electronic music. Some of it leans into tradition. Some of it breaks it completely.

I also shared a project that’s close to my heart—GRIDI. It’s a massive electronic instrument I built with a few friends. Imagine a giant grid where placing balls triggers sounds as a scanning light moves across. It’s visual, playful, and it teaches people—especially kids—how music is built. Melody, rhythm, harmony, arrangement. All in one physical space.

You can watch me build a beat and play “Billie Jean” on it in the video.

That day at The Slick, we spoke about more than music. We talked about the creative spirit in Florentin, how fast the city has changed, and what it means to build something in a place that used to be just sand and wind a hundred years ago.

Watch it here: The Interview at The Slick