Shazam Meets… Gonzales
Chilly Gonzales is one of the most intriguing characters in music today. A (self proclaimed) musical genius from Canada, he relocated to Berlin in the nineties after his previous band disbanded. Since then Chilly Gonzales has delivered a clutch of albums which veer between rap, electro and instrumental piano. He has also collaborated, as a producer and writer, for a number of artists including Feist, Peaches and Tiga. If this wasn’t enough, Chilly also holds the Guinness World Record for the longest solo artist performance. In 2009 he entertained crowds in Paris for over 27 hours, with only a piano for company.
His current project, however, may be even more outlandish than anything he’s done before. His new album ‘Ivory Tower’ will also be accompanied by a film. About chess. In the film Gonzales and Tiga play brothers who battle each other on the chess table and also for the affections of a woman. The trailer, seen below, promises something between Dodgeball, Rocky and Purple Rain. It looks nothing short of amazing.
If that wasn’t enough, the album itself sees Gonzales working with electro producer du jour Boys Noize. The video for first single ‘I Am Europe’ (currently available to pre order on iTunes) also couples as a great teaser trailer for the film.
We were lucky to have a few minutes with the prolific musician to talk about the project and also how he managed to recover after that hand crippling world record.
Your latest single, ‘I Am Europe’, was produced by Boys Noize. How did you end up working together?
The key to that was that great Feist remix he did (‘My Moon My Man’), that’s what put him on my map at least. I heard something he was doing and started to fantasise that if I had spent the last ten years figuring out what I’m doing with electronic equipment, I’d probably dream of being somewhere near where Boys Noize is now. Admiration and jealousy are the main things I look for when I want to work with someone. A lot of people have talent but you have to stay up at night going “wow, who is that person, how can I be around that how can I grab some of that”. It’s quite a selfish choice actually, to collaborate with someone. It was great because I did a movie with this album, (and since) Boys Noize was producing my music suddenly there was all this energy that was freed up and I could spend my time like a military general running my film set.
The single itself, what inspired it?
I’ve been living in Europe for 13 years now and for a long time it was easy to complain about things. Then after a while you realize everything you’re saying about a place, you’re saying about yourself. I kinda feel like maybe I am part of the European family, it’s not a criticism born out of being disrespectful or culturally insensitive – I am those things! That’s why I’m able to talk about them. I don’t think it’s a cruel song, I think it’s a positive thing.
As you mentioned the album, Ivory Tower, is being released alongside a film. Why did you decide to make a movie as well?
Just getting into my Purple Rain faze really. There’s a lot of ideas that I had that I kept rehashing in songs, which is good, but a movie can transport people to a more emotional reaction to what you’re doing. For me, I talk so much about ego and the idea of being an artist over an entertainer – I talk about this in my songs and interviews forever. The movie kind of explores a different side of it; the story is lifted from a moment when I was in my early 20’s when I was deciding if I wanted to be an artist or an entertainer. In the movie, believe or not, I play the artist character; kinda my worst enemy. I want people to know I understand the temptation to say ‘yes, I am an authentic artist’ but we all have to move past it. The history of music has mostly been written by the entertainers, last 15-20 years we’ve become side tracked and this ‘myth of the artist’ has come up. I’ve been rallying against it in my songs for ten years and now I’m rallying against it with a movie.
Can you tell us how the film plays out?
It’s a movie about chess. Even though I’m taking about these ideas, I didn’t want it to be about music. It’s set in the world of Canadian chess, a world that no-one knows about. Including me. It’s an eccentric world where stakes are very high in the championship between these two brothers, because they’re both in love with the same woman played by Peaches.
The video for the single sees yourself and Tiga engaged in a chess battle. Was this so fans could get a taste of the film?
Yeah, there is going to be a real trailer when we start showing the movie properly. But for now, yes the video is the first teaser.
Looking at the video it seems like you guys had a lot of fun making it, was the filming process a stressful one?
No, I like the stress. You’re moving large amounts of money and people, I really like that. Sometimes I feel with making an album, some people take it too easy. I run my album setup, when I’m recording with someone, as efficiently as possible. I choose the moment when to get heavy into the artistic album then choose a moment when to step back and think like a business person. During a movie it’s like that, there’s a lot less pretention. People know they’re making an illusion, I guess that’s why I’m attracted to it. In music I’m the only one saying c’mon, it’s all a lie, it’s a wonderful lie now let’s move on together. Movies figured that out a long time ago.
You and Tiga are the main characters in the film. Who’s the better chess player?
Tiga and I played pretty often. He started off winning in the beginning, then I got pretty ambitious, because I didn’t like that he was winning. Then he went on tour and had a baby and found it hard to win, but I think fundamentally he’s a better chess player.
Do you think that people will have to watch the film to appreciate the album or vice versa?
You never know. I’m always of the mind that for some people the music is enough. Some people come to my piano lecture and are almost sad when they find there’s this world of beautiful bulls**t behind it. It would’ve been better if they just heard the music, but then some people need the story. I’m one of those people – music isn’t enough for me. I fully need the mythology of Daft Punk in order to appreciate what they do. If a faceless musician made what they do, I might enjoy it. But I wouldn’t get obsessed with it like I do with Daft Punk. I need the full package.
Throughout your career you’ve embraced a range of styles, is there any genre left you haven’t tackled that you want to?
Well, what I tend to do is observe my life as if it’s a movie, sometimes it’s a very boring movie but once in a while something comes along that seems like that next scene for the “Gonzales Movie”. Not Ivory Tower but my career let’s say. Once I know where the story is gonna go, then the musical style will follow. I mean I’ve never done much country music, but there was a point on Feist’s album where I ended up playing some country piano so you never know. I guess the only music I wouldn’t do is music without rules, I don’t believe in anarchy.
You hold the record for the world’s longest solo musical performance, over 27 hours; do you think it’ll ever be beaten?
I’m sure they will. Records are made to be broken. There’s a quantity and quality issue, I was really trying to deliver on both fronts. I knew that my ego would get me there and the quantity of songs; with my musical memory luckily I had this hard drive of songs. But, where I tried to go further – and this might be harder to break, I hope – is deliver a 100% entertainment like a normal hour and a half show, without dipping in quality. The struggle to maintain that was the real challenge, actually playing 250 songs? Almost anyone can do that.
After performing for so long, how did you recover?
It was traumatisng in a really positive way. When I came out of it, after catching up on sleep, you kind of wake up to this world record and it really awakened me to all my fans in England that I’d kind of neglected. Since then I’ve been really globetrotting and putting in the time. I got a flat in London so I can take care of this place that really launched me and get back to my vocal side. Become an underdog again; because that’s what people want to see.
Why do you think that is?
Because, I’m not a great candidate to be an entertainer. I’m a musical genius; I have a technical ability for music that makes my taste nonexistent. Everyone that we idolize out there, they’re coming out with a really strong statement of taste. I don’t have taste in music; I have taste in images, in ideas. But actual music I have a problem. Being a genius, as everyone knows, it’s a handicap. I’d much rather be like Peaches, who doesn’t actually know the names of the notes she plays, she grabs a banjo and it sounds Peaches. I’m jealous man; I wouldn’t choose to be this way.
‘I Am Europe’ is released 15th August.
