Tzvika Force – Open Rehearsal

Voice, heart, and piano. The first time I heard Tzvika Force, I felt an immediate impact and connection. Dark, intimate, songs that speak of raw pain, rough and yet somehow refined, and all with an undeniable rhythm, an energy that draws you in.

Tzvika has been performing solo, accompanying himself on piano or keyboards; gathering momentum, and gathering his forces. Over the past couple of months, he has been working with a new ensemble: Eden Liberman on keyboard and computer, Nir Leist on bass and Ilan Tenennbaum on drums. Celebrating the release of his debut EP, Petit Nature, produced by Ben Spector with a festive launch at Tmuna Theatre on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, Tzvika Force will be in full force, with the new band.

A lucky few were invited to the inner sanctum of the Sonic recording studio to share the pre-concert jitters and thrill of performing together before a live audience for the first time. Being there was like hearing the music from inside the source, the heartbeat, tender and overpowering. Muperphoto was there to capture the intimacy and power of the moment and the music for all of us.

Who’s the mystery woman? Daniela Spector, who will be a guest at the launch. Yes, I did hear them rehearse together, and yes, I know what they will be performing at Tmuna, and no – I’m not telling.

I did learn the story behind the EP’s title: Petit Nature. Tzvika told me that he had been enjoying an indulgent visit at the home of Betty Wormser, spending his time sleeping and eating. At one point Betty asked – where is Tzvika – and was told that he had gone back to sleep. Her response was: petit nature, which, Tzvika explained, is a French term for someone who is fragile and spoiled, a kind of prince. For Tzvika, the album’s title symbolizes his desire to stop being spoiled, and take on the challenge of recording an album, to “present and give expression to the world I had created inside my head.”

Making the album with producer Ben Spector was a creative process with all the accompanying joys and pain along the way. A lot of listening goes into it. Before singing I Believe, Tzvika told us that this was the first song he began recording for the EP, and the last he finished recording, somehow, something always didn’t feel quite right. This is where the refinement comes in, that complements Tzvika’s raw emotional energy – the insistence on finding the right mode for each song, the right feel and soundscape. Watching Ben during the studio rehearsal, seeing him feel the music, attuned to each nuance and color, was an experience in itself.

Although they have only been working together for a short while, the band feels very much ‘together’ – bringing the songs into live action. Come hear them at Tmuna Theatre on Wednesday, May 22nd at 22:00, to reserve your tickets call  03-5611211. There will also be a performance at the Abraham Hostel (67 Hanevi’im Street) in Jerusalem on June 13th. Links: Tzvika Force bandcamp, facebook page, concert event page.