Romano // The Eisenberg Review Interview
Lior Romano’s debut solo album Güle Güle doesn’t just blur borders—it joyfully scrambles them. Raised in a Turkish-Egyptian household in one of Israel’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods, Romano grew up immersed in the music of his surroundings: Arabic classics, Turkish telenovelas, and the hybrid Mediterranean sounds that spilled from record players and street corners. But alongside this deep well of heritage came a different kind of obsession—vintage synthesizers, groove records, and the psychedelic possibilities of global funk.
Best known for his work with Middle Eastern surf group Baharat and collaborations with artists like Ester Rada and Yossi Fine, Romano has long been a behind-the-scenes wizard, building worlds from behind his keyboard. But Güle Güle, released on Batov Records, marks a turning point: a cinematic solo voyage built from stacked gear and a lifetime of musical wanderlust. Across its nine tracks, the album dances between disco basslines, Ethiopian rhythms, and Moroder-style synth runs—bridging sounds of the Levant with the ghosts of ‘70s dancefloors.
I talk with Romano about his evolving relationship with collaboration, the tactile joy of analog gear, and how his mind acts as a kaleidoscopic musical sponge.