Thu, 10 Feb 2011 / Post a comment
Israel, if you think about that the first thing that comes to mind is not the music, perhaps is not even the second thing. Located in the middle of a crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa can be cosidered a little centre of the world where cultures, ideologies and thoughts are mixed in a cosmopolitan vortex that we’ve never seen before. You’ll probably be sourprised that i’m talking a lot about certain topics but i want to underline that is not a coincidence that an artist like Guy Gerber is born in this land. Crystalline and pure talent like each Israeli diamond is now one of the more complete and cultured artist of the electronic music world. Guy Gerber was not born musican, his first love was another. Like many children he can say no to many things but not to a ball. Football was is first passion, and he was good player too, one of the best of his nation. You’ll never forget your first love, but probably football was not in his destiny. When he was 15 he descovered the music starting to play guitar and from that moment football was replaced with probably his best gift. During his first steps in the music Guy riceived important influences: alternative rock, indie, punk like The Beach Boys, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and many more. Currents that leave their mark in his musical growing and let us know why in his music we can see sounds that go form past to future through perfect melodies. In his country he received many awards but with his album Late Bloomers, released in 2007on Cocoon, and the sigles Belly Dancing and Sea Of Sand he got his consecration. Guy Gerber is not only a performer, but he lives the music world in 360° way. With his label Supplement Facts gives an opportunity to many artist around the world to have some space and get some visibility.
Hi Guy, welcome on Soundwall!
The music was not your firs love, although you’ve been kidnapped. How did it happen?
I started listtening to The Smiths and The Cure. And The Cure song The Stranger is based on Alber Camus‘s book L’Étranger and it’s talking about outsiders and it’s the beggining of existentialism and it kind made me ask questions about being a soccer player
Alternative Rock, Indie,Punk. What do thant musical generes mean to you?
I‘m a fan of Joy Division and The Cure and Sonic Youth so basically i would say that i listen at home to more stuff like that rather than techno or house.
All was born around a guitar. How was the transition froma a classical instrument to the electronic music?
At the begginning very frostrating because it took me some time to be able to express what i wanted with music that is based a lot of the instruments rather than just the melody. I mean,i wanted to do things that sounded more warm but i didn’t have the right equipment and i was really struggleing to try and get that warmth i was looking for out of digital instruments.
In your career you produced a lot, what’s, in your opinion, your best work?
Mmm,to honest ,i think that my best so far is exactly what i’m doing at the moment which is combining many live elements together with my vintage drum machines but if i have to name one track that really touch me always is “Late Bloomers” from my first album.
Besides your producing activity you do an intense work on remixes.What do you feel when you do that?
In general ,im not a big fan of remixes because i have to make something that another artist have to approve or a label rather than just do what ever i want. But it’s nice to make a diffrent point of views on tracks that u like .
Your works appeared on important labels like Cocoon, Bedrock, Cadenza, and you have a label too: the Supplement Facts. What is Supplement Facts?
But my label is for deeper stuff ,more after hours muisc rather than my peak time anthems .It’s also a platform for me to be creative with my graphic vision and also a chance to release and support muisc that i like that it’s mostly made by my friends.
Listening to “Hate/Love”, released on Supplement Facts, we see that your music is more House style nowadays. How is changed your music during your career?
I think that i‘m constantly evolving because i like to be chalanged rather than use the same trick all over again. Usually i dont think of what i’m gonna do ,i just experiment with sounds and the outcome represents what was in my mind at these moments i was writing it.
And now how is Guy Gerber’s music?
I would say ,Roland 808 and CR 78 drum machines ,a lot of high notes bass lines like new order ,and many analog polyphonic synths like arp Omni,Prophet 5 and so on.
Before we talked about Cocoon, and it makes me think about “Late Bloomers”,what can you tell us about this album?
This album was a great challange for me ,in a world of minimal music that was dominating at that time i had to brave enough to be loyal to my self and make an album that is dreamy and melodic and in a way very naive. I miss these days sometime ,when i was on my roof top in tel aviv ,isolated from everything and just trying to make something diffrent.
One of your last work was Arcenciel, released on Cadenza. How was working with Luciano, and the collaboration whit Cadenza Records?
Working with Luciano was a great experience and i learned a lot from him. Using random patterns and also his whole aspect of spritual sound that is not so agressive but still very powerful.
From 2007 you have been around the world doing your Live Set that rocks all the places. How is for you playing Live, and how is your connection with technology?
Till now i was mainly jamming with my lap top and some controleers but i decided to make a new concept for 2011 and play with an 808 drum machine clone (that actually sounds much better) and with some guitar fx pedals and make a whole new sturcture for my live which in general something that really caotic and raw. I will try and keep that feeling but i will limit myself to a few instrument s rather that using samples of everything.
Many questions, but we are ending this interview. Now we would like to know what is there in Guy Gerber’s future. New productions, new projects?
Working on my live act,which is a great challange. Recording singers to my next artist album and of course going to New York next week to finish my secret project with P.Diddy that will be exposed slowly during this year. I also plan a club single around may and of course some really cool releases on supplemnt facts from dop and also one really lovely package of 3 remixes to Hate/Love by Deniz Kurtel, Maayan Nidam and Kate Simco.
Thanks for the time that we stole to you. Good luck for the future!
My pleasure.
