Gonzales Exclusive

In case you haven't heard of him before, Canada's own Gonzales has been in cahoots with homegrown superstars like electro-rapper Peaches and family-friendlier indie star Feist. But it's his solo work that screams 'mad genius'. Who else could put rhymes like "Gonna rape that face/And erase the bad taste" over a muffled Korg and electro drum machine kit and still make it sound good? Now he's in our fair city playing with Feist for the Cultural Olympiad and V-Rag got to speak to the musical maniac...

SUPERVILLAINY
Interview by Jeff Lawrence

What kind of a kid were you? 

I spent most of my free time fantasizing about being a super villain whilst jumping up and down on a trampoline. Then I discovered the piano and that became my outlet for supervillainy.

Where are you living now and why? 

I've been living Paris now for some time. French professional culture is a bit indirect for my North American capitalist tastes. I feel more and more Canadian as the years drag on here. Although when I come home to Canada people say I "look European", go figure.

You're a classically trained pianist, but some of your first recordings were of you MCing over minimal electro beats. What drew you away from the piano to that? 

I had already been disillusioned with the piano when I left Canada, mostly to do with a lingering distaste for the masturbatory tendencies of young "virtuosos". So it was quite inspiring to discover the electro scene in Berlin in 1998. Not only did it feel more relevant to my philosophy and age (at that time), but it was easy and cheap to make that kind of music. Moving to Paris in 2003 in relative comfort opened me up to re-incorporating the piano into my music. 

You have worked with some huge names, including Peaches, Daft Punk and Jamie Lidell. I've read that you're very particular about who you choose to work with; what are some of the criteria you look for in a collaboration? 

First of all I have to find something to contribute. Collaboration is also a lot of psychology, so I need to have a decent rapport with them. Sometimes friendship and mutual respect are the best basis for work. But I also generally prefer playing my own shows, and producing is very time-consuming and takes place in dark rooms with no windows. So in the end I can afford to be choosy because I don't produce full-time.

How did you meet Peaches anyways? And for Teaches of Peaches, were you both predisposed to that same minimal electro sound, or did one of you introduce the other to it?

Well I would like to clarify that I did not produce that album. But we both were attracted to that sound for practical, even economic, reasons. I would say Peaches' sound is extremely minimal, whereas mine still allows for a lot of old-school musical elements. Doing "minimal" music isn't really a big deal, most good music is about a single good idea anyway.

In regards to your world record for longest solo-artist performance, do you think you were successful in proving music requires athleticism, or just that musicians are insane geniuses?

That's for the audience to decide, but I do know that no one complained that I was using the public as a "prop" to get a world record. It was a simultaneously ego-driven and generous act. I am not insane, I just pretend to be onstage.

What's your take on Canada's musical palette? You've previously said you were "disappointed" by your experiences in Canada, do you still see it that way?

For personal reasons I was disappointed. I love Canadian culture. We really do have the best sense of humour along with our former colonial masters. Musically things are a little outside of my wheelhouse, but I have enormous respect for Canadians who manage to make music that sounds Canadian. Working with Feist gives me a window into that community.

Where do you think the trend of Canadians moving to Berlin to pursue their art comes from?

Well it doesn't matter where you go as long as you leave, right? The trend is that exile is inspiring.

Feist and yourself are playing the Cultural Olympiad on February 17th. How did this performance come about?

Who could turn that down? A captive audience in a beautiful theatre is impossible to refuse. Plus I will be in New York City doing shows for the whole month of February, so the travel isn't quite as murderous as it would have been from Paris.

Who would you love to work with that you haven't yet? 

Lenny Kravitz or The Clipse.

What can we expect to see from you in the future? 

I am shooting a feature length movie about Canadian chess champions that I wrote and will star in, together with Canadian underground stars Peaches and Tiga. It's the companion piece to my new electro album "Ivory Tower". The album and movie will drop this September.

Fesit and Gonzales play the Orpheum Theatre tonight (Feb. 17) at 8pm.