OMIKI

INTRODUCTION — FROM LOCAL DANCE FLOORS TO THE WORLD STAGE OMIKI is the stage name of Omri Amar, an Israeli DJ and electronic music producer best known for his distinctive take on progressive psytrance. Over the course of his career, he has also moved into melodic techno and other styles that bridge the boundaries of electronic dance music. His story is one of steady artistic growth: from a teenager performing in Israeli clubs, through an increasingly recognizable body of original productions, to international festival appearances and collaborations with some of electronic music’s most familiar names. THE EARLY YEARS — DEVELOPING AN INSTINCT FOR THE DANCE FLOOR In an April 2025 interview with Mega Tickets, Amar recalled that he had started performing at just 15 years old. He became a resident DJ at Israel’s Forum club and performed at local festivals. According to an artist profile used for event listings, he began producing electronic music at around 16. Studio experimentation and direct experience of crowds therefore developed side by side. That combination would become an important part of his musical identity: his productions were shaped not only by ideas developed in the studio, but also by his understanding of the energy and dynamics of a live dance floor. An early turning point came when Amar was 17. Working with a friend under the project name Analyzer, he entered a remix competition for a track by Astrix. According to Amar, their remix won the competition, attracting attention that led to an invitation to perform in Russia. It was his first show outside Israel. He later described the experience as the moment he knew he wanted to devote himself to music and performance. Because the available sources do not firmly establish the dates of all these early milestones, they are described using the ages Amar provided rather than assigned speculative calendar years. BUILDING THE OMIKI CATALOG — 2012 TO 2015 OMIKI’s documented discography includes “Never Say Never” from 2012 and “Pump It” from 2013. Across 2013 and 2014, his releases also included “Zombie FM,” “Bass In Your Face,” “Nuclear Duck,” “Progressive:On,” “Psychedelic Woods,” “Rasta Basta” and “Joker.” This sequence of singles and EPs reflects a period of experimentation, catalog development and growing visibility among trance listeners. These were not all full-length studio albums; the distinctions between singles and EPs matter when tracing his output. In 2015, the catalog included “Indianix,” made with Avshi, and “Black Hole,” a collaboration with Yahel featuring Liya. These tracks illustrate that working with other producers was already an important part of Amar’s creative process. Musically, the foundations of the OMIKI sound were taking shape: club-focused rhythms, forceful basslines, relentless forward motion and melodic ideas designed to remain recognizable within high-energy arrangements. A RECOGNIZABLE PROGRESSIVE PSYTRANCE SOUND — 2016 TO 2019 Between 2016 and 2018, OMIKI released a series of productions that helped define the identity of his project. “Zulu” and “Dark Side” appeared in 2016. They were followed by “Krishna,” a collaboration with Planet 6 featuring Ankit Sharda, and “Balkan,” which is cataloged as a 2017 release although OMIKI had already shared promotion for it in late 2016. The following year brought “Na Le” and “Shivaya,” the latter a collaboration with Melicia. “Balkan” and “Na Le” became particularly recognizable titles in his catalog. Both later received new interpretations: Mandragora remixed “Balkan” in 2020, while Phaxe remixed “Na Le” in 2021. The appearance of these subsequent remixes reflects the continuing importance of the original tracks within OMIKI’s repertoire and his network of collaborators. His 2019 output included “Yumba” with Sagi Abitbul, “Part II.” with Pop Art and “Defining Future” with White Noise, alongside other releases. By then, his career was much more than a collection of solo tracks. Collaborations across the psytrance scene were broadening both his creative range and his exposure to new audiences. His releases and artist materials also connect him with Spin Twist Records, a label associated with progressive trance. CROSSING OVER TO A WIDER INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE — 2020 TO 2023 During the early 2020s, tracks and releases associated with OMIKI included “Devil In Me,” “Psycho,” the later remixes of “Balkan” and “Na Le,” and collaborations with increasingly prominent artists in trance and festival-oriented electronic music. A major example arrived in 2021 with “Far From Home,” a collaboration between Timmy Trumpet, Vini Vici and OMIKI. The release brought his psytrance identity into direct contact with the broader EDM festival circuit. In 2022 he reunited with Vini Vici for “In The Middle,” released through Alteza Records. Rather than staying within the conventional boundaries of psytrance, the production incorporated ideas associated with melodic techno. In an EDM Identity interview, Vini Vici explained that the collaboration began with a vocal OMIKI brought to the table, and that the resulting production combined different musical colors. In retrospect, the track was a significant early indication of the stylistic direction Amar would explore more fully later in the decade. International touring remained an essential part of his career. OMIKI performed across Europe, Asia, South America and other markets, building an audience far beyond Israel. Brazil emerged as a particularly important territory. In his 2025 interview, he spoke of the country almost as a second home, emphasizing his relationship with Brazilian crowds and the frequency of his performances there. CHALLENGES FOLLOWING OCTOBER 2023 The war that began on October 7, 2023 also affected his international career. In his 2025 interview, Amar described show cancellations involving both promoters and himself, a loss of social-media followers, and the need for substantial security arrangements during the first period of overseas appearances. He also recalled receiving an enthusiastic welcome from audiences at a German festival several weeks after the war began. These accounts represent his personal experience rather than independently measured trends across the music industry. They nevertheless reveal some of the particular challenges faced by an Israeli artist performing internationally during a period of conflict. A NEW CREATIVE DIRECTION — 2024 AND 2025 In 2024, OMIKI’s releases included “Todo,” “Queen” with Neelix, “Toxic” featuring No/Me, and “Dimension” with Vini Vici and Liquid Soul. One especially significant collaboration was “RITMO” with Argy and Son of Son. More than another high-profile pairing, “RITMO” represented a change in musical emphasis: a slower tempo than much of OMIKI’s psytrance catalog and a sonic palette more closely aligned with melodic techno. Amar told Mega Tickets that his connection with Argy developed after they met backstage at an A State of Trance event in Amsterdam. The idea was to connect their two musical worlds. In the same interview, he said “RITMO” had received support from DJs including David Guetta, John Summit and Anyma. That support is presented here as Amar’s own account, not as an independently audited statistic or verified chart achievement. Artistically, it marked his willingness to evolve without confining his work to a single genre or tempo. In 2025 he was particularly active, both in the studio and onstage. His releases included “Sofia” with Sighter, “WIND” with Argy, “Gloria” with Kevin de Vries, “Kawaya” with Melicia and “Ayla” with Omnya. These collaborations reveal two complementary sides of his work: a continued connection to the psytrance scene that established him, and a growing presence among producers associated with melodic techno and progressive electronic music. The year also brought major festival milestones. His performances included Ultra Miami, EDC Las Vegas and Tomorrowland Brasil, according to his own account and event documentation. Speaking in April 2025, he described Ultra as a meaningful achievement, while his scheduled EDC and Tomorrowland Brasil appearances represented long-held ambitions. Later festival records confirm his appearance at Tomorrowland Brasil in October 2025. He also identified his first US performance at Dreamstate as a deeply emotional personal landmark. 2026 — THE WORLD’S BIGGEST ELECTRONIC MUSIC STAGES OMIKI continued releasing new music in 2026. January brought “Wana” with Vegas (Brazil). On January 30, Argy released NEWORLD II, an album whose track list includes several OMIKI-related contributions: “DONA,” “WIND,” “RITMO,” and an OMIKI remix of “Aria,” originally by Argy and Omnya. In May, he released “MANTRA” with Argy and Lell Nahar; September brought “Timony” with Faders. The Beatport catalog and the album information provide documentation for these releases. As of this biography’s October 12 cutoff, Beatport also listed a future release, “Sunny Days” with Armin van Buuren and Josh Cumbee, scheduled for October 23, 2026. It is not counted here as an already released track. His festival presence continued to expand. He is documented as performing at Tomorrowland in Belgium on July 17, 2026, and the official Rock in Rio lineup featured him on September 11, 2026, on the New Dance Order stage in Brazil. Rock in Rio’s official artist profile described him as a psytrance producer who had expanded into techno. By this point, the shift was clearly not confined to studio releases; it was taking shape in front of audiences across multiple strands of electronic music. SOUND, IDENTITY AND ARTISTIC SIGNATURE A central characteristic of OMIKI’s productions is their focus on dance-floor impact: powerful kick drums and basslines, carefully escalating energy, repetitive yet memorable melodies, selected ethnic or vocal textures, and drops designed to provoke an immediate crowd response. This is a musical characterization of his work, not a technical description directly quoted from the artist. Over time, his discography shows a movement from fast, progressive psytrance toward a broader tempo range and a more pronounced melodic-techno sensibility. What makes this evolution notable is that OMIKI has not abandoned his original artistic identity or launched a completely separate project to explore those sounds. The artist behind “Balkan” and “Na Le” is the same producer now collaborating with Argy and Kevin de Vries. There is continuity between those worlds: his trance background continues to inform the rhythm, intensity and structure of his music even as the stylistic setting changes. CONCLUSION — A CAREER BUILT THROUGH EVOLUTION As of October 2026, OMIKI’s story is one of sustained development rather than overnight success. From his first club performances as a teenager and recorded releases dating back to 2012, through his work inside the psytrance community, collaborations with Vini Vici and Timmy Trumpet, and more recent connections with Argy, he has steadily expanded the scale and variety of his career. Appearances at festivals such as Tomorrowland and Rock in Rio underline that international reach. His defining strength lies in keeping the drive and identity of trance at the center of his work while allowing that identity to evolve alongside the changing sound of global electronic music.