Gotye

Gotye is many things to many people, and, at once, many things to just one person (himself for instance), although, at times, he may be a few things to a few people. At once.

Sometimes, he may mean something to some person or people (and we all know you can fool some people, some of the time) but it must be said: his aim is to fool himself, all of the time. Which he does.

Sometimes

Italics

But seriously. by Phil Collins was an album that informs pretty much all of Gotye's songwriting to date. Any sounds in his tracks that sound familiar are of course, exactly that.

They come to Gotye in his dreams, and he gathers them round him like little children round a campfire, desperate (although they don't know it) for visions of a glorious future, where all children (that is, "sounds"_) can play (read: "resound") together harmoniously. in a world where love rules and everyone will gladly lay their body down for the groove.

Is that how they say it these days?

Hmmm.

Variously described as (i) a reclusive hunchback with a penchant for blue cheese and a horrible flatulence problem, (ii) a leading Soviet authority on ancient and early modern Russian political, economic and social history or (iii) a debilitating affliction of the neck (resulting from a childhood inattention to spelling), in actual fact, Gotye is just a young Australian fellow named Wally De Backer who makes music in his bedroom.

But which account do you find more interesting huh? I mean, really!

Boardface (2004) and Like Drawing Blood (2006) are two lps he has released independently. You can find them in Australian music stores courtesy of Creative Vibes or buy them directly from www.gotye.com via credit card/debit card/barter of precious shells. Op shops, of course, also carry a good deal of Gotye stock, albeit alternately credited and in component form.

Oh, and fyi, Aussies should pronounced Gotye as "gore-ti-yeah"_, using that inimitably dry and elongated sound they call an "accent"_!

Wally can say that because he was born in Belgium (and he speaks English good).

Parties from overseas wishing to "name-check" Wally's musical moniker should employ a complex system of pops and clicks, or alternatively, engage in a series of hand symbols that represent the following character: §.

This is because their accents are even worse than those of Australians, and they do not make English. Good.