On Monday, April 2, indie rock musician Gotye will be making his Michigan debut here at Eastern Michigan University. The all-ages show will be held in Pease Auditorium. Tickets for the show cost $30, but are only $10 if you pre-order.
Gotye, AKA Wally de Backer, was born May 21, 1980 in Belgium before making his way to Australia at the age of two. He developed his love for music at an early age rifting though various instruments such as the drum and piano.
On Dec. 6, 2011 Gotye released the album “Making Mirrors,” featuring the hit song “Somebody That I Used To Know.” Bassist Lucas Tarauto offers up most of the base licks in this CD. Tarauto and Gotye have collaborated previously, working in their first band, Downstares.
When Downstares broke up, Gotye started moving toward cut-and-paste electronic music. Being a multi-instrumental musician and singer-songwriter, he was able to release his first album Boardface in 2003.
The album “Making Mirrors” was mainly recorded at Gotye’s parents home in a room in their barn. While looking though some old papers, Gotye came across a picture painted by his father.
“It had a beautiful balance of emotion and mathematics,” Goyte said. “It just seemed to match the diversity of the music… I had my album art.”
During the making of “Making Mirrors,” Gotye listened to old vinyl records, exploring music from half a century ago, exposing him to different sounds that would be applicable for future songs.
In his YouTube documentary of “Making Mirrors,” Gotye said, “I love finding my own peculiar path though this history of recorded music.” He continued, “I think I’ve always got an ear out for any sounds that elicits and immediate response from me.”
This past year at the 2011 Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards, Gotye won Single of the Year, Male Artist and Best Pop Release for his song “Somebody That I Used To Know,” featuring Kimbra. This recent success has helped Gotye procure five ARIA Awards in addition to receiving a nomination for an MTV EMA for Best Asia and Pacific Act, plus four iTunes Rewind 2011 Awards such as the best Alternative Album of the Year.
Gotye’s Making Mirrors tour schedule is packed with sold out shows in both Los Angeles and New York. Besides his U.S. tour dates, Gotye will be heading up to Canada and also traveling to Europe for shows in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and other various cities.
Apart from “Making Mirrors,” Gotye has independently released three albums and also a remix of his first two albums. Besides working on his solo career Gotye is also one-third of the indie-pop band The Basics. The Basics have been around since 2002, releasing three albums and still touring together.
With this kind of résumé, Gotye is making a name for himself both in the U.S. and Europe. Marcy Szabo, assistant director of the Convocation Center and Pease Auditorium, said, “Gotye is in the top 10 most downloaded songs in six different countries and we’re excited to bring him here.”
Tickets can be purchased at www.emutix.com or by phone at 734-487-2282. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m. and the show begins at 8:00 p.m. Pease Auditorium is located at College Place and Cross Street.
