Taftir introduces Od layla ba ayara

Taftir introduce Od layla ba ayara, their debut release on Batov Records, a four-track EP shaped by place, spontaneity and the dynamics of a small, isolated community. Rooted in psychedelic rock but drawing from Middle Eastern traditions, instrumental soul and groove-led analogue music, it captures a band forming in real time, guided less by intention than by environment and shared instinct.

The project began with guitarist and producer Tomer Ben, whose move away from city life to a remote desert town marked a turning point both personally and musically. Home to a few thousand residents, the town brings together artists, musicians and those living slightly outside the mainstream, its scale and surroundings encouraging a kind of creative openness. Taftir emerged from that setting, not as a planned recording project but as a group of players meeting in a room to explore sound without expectation.

Originally a trio, the band has since expanded into a five- piece: Tomer Ben (production, guitar), Mor Stanislav Porat (bass), Gal Costa (synthesizers), Gilad Sirota (drums) and Roni Goldstein (percussion). All come from backgrounds in louder, more structured bands, but here lean into something looser and more collective. Much of the EP was recorded live, preserving the immediacy of those sessions and the chemistry between players.

Opening track and lead single “Ayara” (meaning “town”) is the clearest statement of intent. Recorded live in a single take, it locks into a raw, groove-led flow, balancing repetition and movement with a distinctly analogue feel. It reflects the band at their most unified, drawing together the EP’s core elements: modal playing, cyclical rhythm and a subtle but persistent psychedelic edge.

“Ahhh... Raj!” unfolds in two parts. It opens slowly, led by synth textures and a wandering guitar line that leans both Middle Eastern and faintly Hendrix-like, with a loose, almost country-psych feel. The second half shifts into something heavier and more fluid, driven by thick drums and worm-like synth lines. Backing vocals begin to surface and build, growing into distant, wailing phrases that sit just behind the mix, before the track closes on a final stretch of synth-led release.

“Tavasim” (“peacock”) offers a more atmospheric counterpoint. Mellow and spacious, it leans toward instrumental soul, its phrasing and pacing recalling the slower end of Stax-era recordings. A gently picked guitar line carries a faint folk-blues quality, somewhere between solitary acoustic introspection and a hazy, seaside soul ballad. It remains one of the more inward- facing pieces on the record and is rarely performed live.

Focus track “Yaris” brings a different energy. Opening with monotone synth chords reminiscent of a lost Hacienda cut, it quickly locks into a dembow-leaning groove of percussion, bass and handclaps. Layered guitars and synths trace Eastern scales and maqam phrasing as the track shifts in and out of half-time, at times feeling like multiple compositions unfolding at once. The result is volatile, pushing further into the band’s freer, less predictable side.

Across the EP, there is little sense of over-planning. Ben, who previously spent years accompanying singer- songwriters and working within more defined structures, approached Taftir as a way out of predictability, prioritising interaction over outcome. The recordings reflect that decision, favouring feel over precision and collective movement over individual display.

If Od layla ba ayara documents anything, it is not a finished idea but a process, musicians responding to each other, to their surroundings, and to the particular atmosphere of a place that sits slightly apart. It is raw, sometimes unpolished, but consistently present, a snapshot of a band finding its language together.

You can follow Taftir in their Euorpe tour, in the following dates and venues: