Career Gotye

1 career

1.1 2001–2004: boardface
1.2 2006–2009: drawing blood
1.3 2010–2013: making mirrors , international success

career
2001–2004: boardface

in 2001, de backer recorded first tracks using samples. put four-track cd included song out here in cold . made approximately 50 copies of first collection, handwriting track list , colouring in cover sleeve in pencil. drew on cultural history inspiration when naming new project; wouter translates french gaultier (or gautier or gauthier), pet name used mother (who gave french classes) when child. chose own spelling of variation , named project gotye. sent cds out every radio station , recording industry contact find in phonebook, followed each phone calls ensure delivered. feedback on first release positive melbourne street press , australian alternative, youth orientated radio station triple j taking notice, giving him confidence continue further sample-based recordings.

around time, gotye met fellow singer-songwriter kris schroeder @ party in mt eliza, , 2 began performing under name basics. formed enduring songwriting , performing partnership , became regulars on live music scene, giving de backer outlet passion live performance. basics have continued tour , record alongside gotye, releasing 4 albums between 2004 , 2010.

de backer went on produce 2 more four-track gotye collections met positive reviews, several tracks getting onto rotation @ youth radio station triple j. cds made in same style first, de backer hand crafting each 1 , tenaciously chasing every opportunity audience work. interest in gotye project growing, , de backer offered distribution deal label company creative vibes album, collection of tracks 3 earlier releases. album art painting of de backer s father salvaged home garden discarded. album released boardface in late 2003.

2006–2009: drawing blood

in 2004, de backer s parents opted sell frat house , de backer moved shared house in south east of melbourne. took work @ local library, while continuing perform basics , record own gotye tracks. on next few years, de backer moved several times, each time shifting home recording studio new location new acoustic qualities. culmination of second gotye album, drawing blood—named in reference difficulties de backer experienced in recording music in ever-changing environments. album marked beginning of working relationship long term manager danny rogers – manager of australian indie band temper trap – whom had first approached via email.

like drawing blood featured triple j in may 2006 , voted no. 1 in listener poll of best album of 2006. album nominated j award year. 2 tracks album, learnalilgivinanlovin , hearts mess , ranked no. 94 , no. 8 respectively in triple j s hottest 100 2006. drawing blood has been certified platinum in australia sales of on 70,000 copies. first single, learnalilgivinanlovin , released in august 2006.

in september 2006, gotye nominated aria award best independent release album drawing blood. in 2006 gotye won outstanding new independent artist @ inaugural australian independent record (air) chart awards , drawing blood amongst 9 shortlisted finalists in 2006 australian music prize.

in 2007, de backer won aria best male artist. result of publicity of nomination, drawing blood re-entered aria albums chart @ no. 36, surpassing previous peak of no. 39. also, mixed blood debuted on aria albums chart @ no. 44. both of these entries came first week after aria awards. in 2008, drawing blood won itunes album of year in uk.

in 2009, hearts mess came in @ no. 77 in triple j s hottest 100 of time, voted australian public. gotye s first european success came in 2008, when learnalilgivinanlovin , hearts mess charted in belgium, followed in 2009 single coming . learnalilgivinanlovin received air play on dutch radio stations. in 2011, drawing blood came in @ no. 11 in triple j s hottest 100 australian albums of time. amidst lead-up gotye s third album, drawing blood re-entered aria charts in mid-2011, peaking @ highest ever position of 13.

like drawing blood officially released in u.s. in 2012.

2010–2013: making mirrors , international success

after success of drawing blood, de backer able establish permanent home, still in melbourne s south east. in 2010, set recording studio in barn @ parents farm , set recording tracks third album. released new single, eyes wide open , online , on 10 vinyl in mid-october 2010. eyes wide open single received positive reviews , reached number 25 on triple j hottest 100 of 2010. eyes wide open shortlisted 2011 apra music awards in song of year category.

in late march 2011, de backer revealed next album s title making mirrors. title inspired artwork father painted in 1980s, discovered de backer among old bills , newspapers in parents barn; later edited in photoshop become album artwork. mirror reflects on artwork , related self-reflection , introspection on album. de backer revealed album see release in june or july 2011, single precede release. de backer stated album similar predecessor in terms of diversity.

on 19 may 2011, announced album released on 19 august, launch following day @ sydney opera house part of graphic festival feature animators , 10-piece orchestra part of gotye s performance. de backer released follow-up single eyes wide open titled used know featuring new zealand musician kimbra, released on 6 july 2011 , debuted @ number 27 on aria top 50 singles chart. single moved aria singles chart despite lack of airplay on commercial radio stations. song further boosted endorsements ashton kutcher , lily allen via twitter, exposing gotye s music millions of followers. single has gone on reach 11× platinum status (700,000 units sold) in australia , 8× platinum status (8,000,000 units sold) in us. has peaked @ number 1 in 18 countries including australian aria singles chart, belgian singles chart, dutch megacharts, german media control chart, official uk top 40 , billboard hot 100. used know has been number 1 single on itunes in 46 countries.

gotye in montreal on 30 march 2012

on 5 july 2011, gotye released film clip song used know on youtube , vimeo. directed natasha pincus, video has been viewed on 815 million times (as of october 2016). on 6 october 2011 video awarded melbourne design award. video number 15 viewed video of all-time on youtube , number 4 liked video of all-time.

on 15 july 2011, announced used know had come in third in 2011 vanda & young songwriting competition. on 8 august 2011, gotye released film clip song bronte on youtube , vimeo. visuals animated , directed ari gibson @ mechanical apple. on date, gotye released video title making making mirrors , short documentary recording process of making mirrors . video directed james bryans , wally de backer. on 13 august 2011, gotye released film clip song state of art on youtube , vimeo. visuals animated , directed greg sharp & ivan dixon @ rubber house.

in first week of release, making mirrors @ number 1 on australian aria albums chart, making gotye first australian act simultaneously hold both number 1 single , album since silverchair in 2007. album became international success, charting in top 10 in 17 countries , reaching number 1 in six. charted on u.s. billboard 200 (number 7) , in canada. album 3x platinum status in australia, platinum in france, poland , belgium, , gold in us, new zealand, germany, uk, ireland, canada , netherlands.

on 11 october 2011, announced gotye had been nominated 7 aria awards. due release date restrictions of eligibility period, making mirrors not nominated, , 7 nominations related used know . gotye nominated highest selling single, single of year, best pop release, best male artist , 3 awards in aria artisan category: best video (natasha pincus), engineer of year (francois tetaz) , producer of year (wouter de backer). on same day nominations revealed, winners of artisan categories announced, gotye , album personnel winning three. on 27 november 2011, gotye won 3 aria awards: best male artist, best pop release , single of year used know . kimbra, collaborated gotye on song, won aria award best female artist.

on 18 october 2011, gotye released film clip song don t worry, ll watching on youtube , vimeo. visuals animated , directed benjamin drake , eddie white. on 20 november 2011, gotye released film clip song don t worry, ll watching on youtube , vimeo. visuals animated , directed greg sharp , ivan dixon @ rubber house.

gotye in front of fractured heart (2013)

on 1 february 2012, gotye made american television debut on jimmy kimmel live!, performing eyes wide open , used know kimbra , state of art . on 12 february 2012, used know reached number 1 on uk singles chart. next week fell top spot on 26 february reached top spot second time, remained total of 5 weeks. on 24 february 2012, gotye released film clip song easy way out on youtube , vimeo.this video won award of best music video @ 2013 byron bay international film festival. visuals animated , directed darcy prendergast , oh yeah wow.

gotye performed used know on saturday night live on 14 april 2012 along eyes wide open . these collective performances helped single reach number 1 on billboard hot 100 week ending 28 april 2012, giving gotye first u.s. number 1 single; first australian artist reach number 1 in u.s. since savage garden in 2000. in april 2012, used know broke 47-year-old record in netherlands becoming successful song in history of dutch charts. gotye interviewed on 7 april 2012 broadcast of national public radio s things considered.

the magazine american songwriter named gotye writer of week week of 6 february 2012. on 31 may 2012, gotye announced release digital compilation of 10 official remixes of used know on 8 june.

gotye announced world tour in may 2012 covering many parts of world had not played. tour began in august 2012 in korea , wound through japan, north america, europe, middle east , finished in australia in december 2012.

on 15 february 2013, fractured heart, interactive sound , light sculpture designed , built illuminart in collaboration gotye, launched @ national film , sound archive (nfsa) headquarters in canberra, australia. gotye curated , presented special screening of works of favourite animators, including have worked him on music videos hearts mess , easy way out , state of art .