Home-grown, Orange County native Brian Harmatz was once a typical young Jewish man. Harmatz worked his way into a Fortune 500 company and wore a suit to work. Like many young professionals, Harmatz had his life mapped out and right on track. However, two years ago, he decided to throw out his conventional occupation and follow something much more meaningful to him, his music.
Harmatz took a risk and reinvented himself. He became a Jewish artist from OC named Distract-Ion.
Distract-Ion comes from Harmatz’s philosophy that “life is filled with constant distractions surrounding us, some more gravitating than others. It’s also full of positive and negative charges, like an ion, in scientific terms, and ultimately shapes our perspectives. Combine the two and you have an aspiring local hip-hop artist.” Harmatz’s lyrics often address his views on a cultural level and venture into a new frontier of independent Hip-Hop for Orange County.
In order to cultivate his talent, Harmatz spent six months in Israel. During his time there, he immersed himself into Israeli culture, learning about the many layers of the nation, as well as utilizing his surroundings to write creatively. His newest material, not yet released, expresses his commitment to the Jewish people as well as expressing his Zionism. However, Harmatz reminds his fans he’s an emcee who happens to be Jewish, and his music is not intended solely for the Jewish community, covering myriad issues not specific to one particular subculture.
Harmatz released his debut album “Moving in New Directions (M.I.N.D.)” in 2011 and was produced by another local talent in the Jewish community, Josh Friedman. M.I.N.D. was released independently under First Class Records, owned and operated by Harmatz. He has committed himself to his craft and believes that artists should not deviate from their creations. These principles are the catalyst for Harmatz’s creating his label and associating himself with like-minded artists in the OC music community.
In addition to his album release, Harmatz won the 2011 Urban Underground Award for “Best Male Emcee” and was a 2012 nominee for “Best Live Performance.” Powerful and energetic vocals have set Harmatz apart as he continues to establish himself as an original artist. His enthusiasm is evident on stage as he works the crowd and creates a personal rapport with his fans after each performance. While working on another album and taking the underground by storm, in the last 18 months, Harmatz has performed at more than 30 concerts from Orange County to Tel Aviv.
Currently, two projects are in the works: Harmatz is giving his fans a free promotional album, also known in the industry as a “mixtape,” titled “The Formula for Homage” that will be made available on his website in February 2013. His second official album, title unknown right now, will be made available on vinyl, CD, iTunes and on his website upon completion. The projection date to launch the album is in April 2013, though you will want to keep an eye out for more live shows and music videos much sooner than that, including a special music video shot in Israel to be released early next year!
Learn more at distract-ion.com.