Skazi
Skazi, the Israeli psytrance project of Asher Swissa, has released music since forming in 1998 alongside Assaf Bivas. Swissa's musical roots trace to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv's punk scene, where he played guitar in the group Sartan Hashad from 1990, before pivoting toward trance music in the mid-1990s while retaining hard rock elements, including live electric guitar riffs, in his productions. Adopting the stage name DJ Skazi in 1998, he released his debut album Animal in September 2000, combining guitar riffs with hardcore-influenced techy sounds that placed the project at the intersection of psytrance, hard house and techno.
Skazi produced four compilation albums between 2001 and 2004, titled Zoo1, Zoo2, Zoo3 and Most Wanted, and collaborated with other artists including a group project called WARRIORS with DJ Mr. Black, which released the EP Who's Afraid of 138!? on Armada Music.
In recent years Swissa has performed and released material under his own name, sometimes stylized as ASHER SWISSA, alongside the Skazi alias. His long tenure within psytrance, spanning over 25 years, and his guitar-driven approach have kept the project a recognizable name within the genre's harder-edged wing.