Gotye

At 43 years old, Gotye has this physical status:

Wouter "Wally" De Backer (born May 1980), also known as Gotye (GOH-ay), is a Belgian-born Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter.

The word "gotye" is a synge of "Gauthier," the French cognate of Gotye's given name "Walter" (English "Walter), which gives the meaning "Wally" in English (the word "Walter). Gotye has released three studio albums and one album containing remixes of tracks from his first two albums.

He is a founding member of Melbourne's indie-pop band The Basics, who have independently released four studio albums and other items since 2002.

His voice has been compared to those of Peter Gabriel and Sting.

Gotye's 2011 single "I Used to Know" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the fifth Australian-based artist and the second in Belgium (after The Singing Nun in 1963).

He has received five ARIA Awards and been nominated for an MTV EMA for the Best Asia and Pacific Act.

On February 10, 2013, he received three Grammy Awards for his work "I Used to Know" and Best Alternative Music Album for Making Mirrors, as well as Best Alternative Music Album for Making Mirrors.

Gotye has said he sometimes feels "less of a singer, more of a tinkerer."

Early life

De Backer, who was born in 1980 in Bruges, Belgium, immigrated to Australia with his family two years later. They first lived in Sydney before settling in Montmorency, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. Based on "Gauthier," the French equivalent of his Dutch name, his mother named him "Gotye." When enrolling him in kindergarten, his parents used Walter, the English equivalent of his name.

De Backer, a boy, displayed a passion for music and learned several instruments, most notably piano and drums. "I could single-handedly credit that album with wanting me to make music" as a kid, according to De Backer's album Songs of Faith and Devotion. De Backer formed the band Downstares with three of his high school classmates, including Lucas Taranto (who now appears on his Gotye live shows), in his teens. The members of Downstares split up after high school, leaving De Backer with no musical outlet.

In 2001, his parents moved to a new home, leaving their old family home in Montmorency, so he could continue his studies at the University of Melbourne, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Two friends followed him, and the house became affectionately called The Frat House, where friends would often drop by and hang out. When De Backer was given a slew of old records, the first seeds of Gotye were planted. De Backer gave his then-dead wife's LP record collection to an elderly neighbor who had heard Downstares rehearsing over the years.

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Career

De Backer's first albums were recorded in 2001 using samples. The album "Out Here in the Cold" was included on his four-track CD. He made about 50 copies of this first collection, handwriting the track list and shading in the cover sleeve in pencil. He named the venture Gotye. He sent the CDs out to every radio station and recording company contact he could find in the phonebook, followed by phone calls to ensure they were delivered. Feedback on the first issue was mostly positive, with Melbourne's street press and Australia's alternative, youth-orientated radio station Triple J taking notice, giving him permission to continue with further sample-based recordings.

Gotye met fellow singer-songwriter Kris Schroeder at a party in Mt Eliza, and the two began performing together under the name The Basics. They developed a long-running songwriting and performing partnership that became a regular on the live music scene, giving De Backer a platform for his live performance passion. The Basics have continued to tour and record with Gotye, releasing four albums between 2004 and 2010.

De Backer continued to produce two more four-track Gotye collections, which were welcomed with rave reviews, with several tracks entering the rotation at youth radio station Triple J. The CDs were produced in the same way as the first, with De Backer handcrafting each one and tenaciously seeking an audience for his art. The Gotye project's interest was growing, and De Backer was eventually offered a distribution contract with the label company Creative Vibes for an album, which would be essentially a set of the tracks from his three previous releases. The album art is a painting of De Backer's father that was salvaged from his home garden, where it was originally lost. In late 2003, Boardface was released his album.

In 2004, De Backer's parents decided to sell The Frat House and De Backer, which then became a shared house in Melbourne's South East. He began working at a local library, continued to perform with The Basics and record his own Gotye tracks. De Backer's home recording studio has migrated several times over the next few years, each time shifting his home recording studio to a new location with new acoustic qualities. Like Drawing Blood, De Backer's second attempt at recording his music in ever-changing environments, was the culmination of this album. Danny Rogers, the project's producer of Australian indie band The Temper Trap, was first approached by email at the start of his career with him.

Triple J featured Drawing Blood in May 2006 and was voted No. 1 by the people of the World. In the listener poll of the Best Album of 2006, there is no. 1 on the list of the Best Albums of 2006. That year, the album was also nominated for a J Award. The album's two songs, "Learnalilgivinanlovin" and "Hearts a Mess," were ranked No. 1. 94 and No. In Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2006, there are 88%. In Australia, Like Drawing Blood has been rated Platinum for the selling of over 70,000 copies. In August 2006, Learnalilgivinanlovin, his first album, was released.

Gotye was nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Independent Release of the album Like Drawing Blood in September 2006. Gotye also received the inaugural Australian Independent Record (AIR) Chart Awards in 2006, and Like Drawing Blood was one of nine finalists in the Australian Music Prize.

De Backer was named the best male artist of the ARIA in 2007. Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA albums chart at No. 1 as a result of the public's coverage of the nomination. 36, more than triple the previous record of No. 1. 39 years old. In addition, Mixed Blood debuted on the ARIA album chart at No. 1 at No. 1. 44 people have died as a result of the Iraq war. Both of these entries were submitted the first week after the ARIA Awards were announced. Like Drawing Blood, the year's best-selling album, received the iTunes album of the year in the United Kingdom in 2008.

"Hearts a Mess" came in at No. 1 in 2009. In Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time, voted by the Australian public, 77 people. "Learnalilgivinanlovin" and "Hearts a Mess" were two Belgian songs, followed by "Coming back" in 2009. On Dutch radio stations, "Learnalilgivinalovin" was also on the radio. Like Drawing Blood came in at No. 1 in 2011 in 2011. In Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time, 11 songs feature. Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA charts in mid-2011, racking at its highest ever position of 13.

In 2012, Like Drawing Blood was first released in the United States.

De Backer was able to establish a permanent home in Melbourne's south east following the success of Like Drawing Blood. He built a recording studio in a barn on his parents' farm in 2010 and began recording tracks for his third album. In mid-October 2010, he released "Eyes Wide Open," an online and 10" vinyl single. The "Eyes Wide Open" single received mainly glowing feedback and debuted at number 25 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2010. In the 2011 APRA Music Awards, "Eyes Wide Open" was also shortlisted in the Songs of the Year category.

In late March 2011, De Backer announced that the next album's name would be Making Mirrors. The title was inspired by an artwork his father created in the 1980s, and De Backer found it in his parents' barn among old bills and newspapers; it was later edited in Photoshop to become the album artwork. "The mirror depicts artwork, and it's all very linked to self-reflection and reflection on the album." De Backer also announced that the album would be released in June or July 2011, with a single announcing the event. According to De Backer, the album will be similar to its predecessor in terms of ethnicity.

On 19 May 2011, it was announced that the album would be released on August 19th, the following day at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Graphic Festival, which will feature animators and a 10-piece orchestra as part of Gotye's appearance. "Something I Used to Know" by De Backer, a New Zealand musician, was also released on the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart on July 6, 2011. Despite a lack of airplay on commercial radio stations, the single quickly climbed to the top of the ARIA singles chart. The song was also boosted by endorsements from Ashton Kutcher and Lily Allen, who shared Gotye's music to their millions of followers on Twitter. In Australia, the single has earned 11 Platinum status (700,000 units were produced) and 8,000,000 units in the United States, with the single achieving Platinum status (900,000 units sold) in Australia and 8th Platinum status (8,000,000 units sold) in the United States. The Australian ARIA Singles Chart, the Belgian Singles Chart, the Dutch Megacharts, the German Media Control Chart, the Official UK Top 40, and the US Billboard Hot 100 have all ranked No. 1 in 18 countries, including the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, the Belgian Singles Chart, the German Megacharts, the German Media Control Chart, the Official UK Top 40 and the Official UK Billboard Hot 100. In 46 countries, "Somebody That I Used To Know" has been the top single on iTunes.

On July 5, 2011, Gotye released a video clip for the song "Somebody That I Used to Know" on YouTube and Vimeo. The video, directed by Natasha Pincus, has now been watched more than 1.7 billion times (as of August 2021). The Melbourne Design Award was given to the video on October 6, 2011. The video was the most watched video of all time on YouTube and the most popular video of all time.

In the 2011 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, "Somebody That I Used to Know" came in third place. Gotye and Vimeo shared a video clip for the song "Bronte" on YouTube and Vimeo on August 8, 2011. Mechanical Apple's Ari Gibson animated and directed the graphics. On this date, Gotye also released "Making Mirrors," a short documentary about "Making Mirrors"' recording process. James Bryans and Wally De Backer produced the video. On August 13, 2011, Gotye released a film clip from the song "State of the Art" on YouTube and Vimeo. Greg Sharp and Ivan Dixon of Rubber House animated and directed the videos.

Making Mirrors was already ranked number one on the Australian ARIA albums chart in its first week of debut, making Gotye the first Australian artist to simultaneously own both the Number 1 single and album since Silverchair in 2007. The album became a worldwide success, charting in the top ten countries and debuting at number one in six. It was based on the United States chart. In Canada, Billboard 200 (Number 7) and the United States. The album is 3 Platinum in Australia, Platinum in France, Poland, and Belgium, and Gold in the United States, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland, Canada, and Netherlands.

Gotye had been nominated for seven ARIA Awards on October 11, 2011 - the first time. Making Mirrors could not be nominated due to the fact that date limitations of the eligibility period were not clear, and the seven nominations were all related to "Somebody I Used to Know." Gotye was nominated for Best Selling Single, Single of the Year, Best Pop Release, Best Male Artist, and three other accolades in the ARIA Artisan category: Engineer of the Year (Francois Tetaz) and Producer of the Year (Wouter De Backer). The winners of the Artisan categories were announced on the same day as the nominations were revealed, with Gotye and the album staff winning both three categories. Gotye received three ARIA Awards in 2011: Best Male Artist, Best Pop Release, and Single of the Year for "Somebody That I Used to Know" and "Somebody That I Used to Know" from "Somebody That I Used to Know" on November 27, 2011. Kimbra, who worked with Gotye on the project, has also received the ARIA Award for Best Female Artist.

Gotye released a video clip from the song "Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You" on YouTube and Vimeo on October 18, 2011. Benjamin Drake and Eddie White animated and directed the animations. On November 20, 2011, Gotye released a film clip for the song "Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You." Greg Sharp and Ivan Dixon of Rubber House animated and directed the video.

Gotye appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on February 1, 2012, "Eyes Wide Open" ("Somebody I Used to Know") with Kimbra and "State of the Art"; his American television debut on February 1, 2012. "Somebody That I Used to Know" ranked first on the UK singles chart on February 12, 2012. Next week, it dropped from the top of the charts, but it soared to the top spot for the second time on February 26th, where it remained for a total of five weeks. On February 24, 2012, Gotye unveiled a film clip from "Easy Way Out" on YouTube and Vimeo. This video received the prize for Best Music Video at the 2013 Byron Bay International Film Festival. Darcy Prendergast and Oh Yeah Wow animated the videos.

On Saturday Night Live on Saturday Night Live, Gotye performed "Something I Used to Know" as well as "Eyes Wide Open" on Saturday Night Live. These collective efforts helped the single reach Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending 28 April 2012, giving Gotye his first U.S. appearances. In the United States, the first Australian artist to reach number one after Savage Garden in 2000 was the first Australian artist to reach the top of the charts since Savage Garden. "Somebody That I Used to Know" broke a 47-year-old record in the Netherlands in April 2012, becoming the Netherlands' most popular song in history. On the 7th edition of National Public Radio's All Things Considered, Gotye was consulted.

For the week of February 6, 2012, the magazine American Songwriter named Gotye their Writer of The Week. On May 31, 2012, Gotye revealed that he would have a digital compilation of the ten official remixes of "I Used To Know" on "Somebody I Used To Know."

Gotye revealed a world tour in May 2012 that included many regions of the world where he had never been before. The tour began in August 2012 in Korea and wound through Japan, North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia in December 2012.

The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) headquarters in Canberra, Australia, on February 15, 2013. Fractured Heart, an interactive sound and light sculpture created and installed by illuminart in collaboration with Gotye, was unveiled at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) headquarters. Gotye also curated and presented a special screening of works by some of his favorite animators, including those who have collaborated with him on "Hearts a Mess," "Easy Way Out," and "State of the Art."

Gotye performed with Tex Perkins and Nicky Bomba in 2014 in favor of the Thin Green Line Foundation. Tim Shiel, an independent record label, was also released Spirit Level, a no-nonsense record label that was signed to the American band Zammuto. De Backer said in an online newsletter later this year that "no new Gotye music will be released," but that the project will continue in the future. He remained active as a drummer and singer of The Basics, who released The Lucky Country in 2014 and The Age of Entitlement in 2015. Despite the fact that the band formed "The Basics Rock 'n' Roll Party" ahead of the 2014 Victorian election, De Backer denied claims that he planned to enter politics by himself.

On "The Way You Talk," an English electronic musician Bibio's 2016 album "The Way You Talk" and "The Outfield," the 2017 debut single from American rock singer Martin Johnson's The Night Game project, Gotye appeared as a vocalist. Gotye revealed in 2017 that he did not want to advertise online on his music videos, including "Something I Used to Know" which had since been watched nearly one billion times on YouTube, netting in millions of dollars in advertising sales.

In which De Backer paid tribute to Jean-Jacques Perez, he made his Ondioline Orchestra debut in New York on November 22, 2016. Perpety, who had intended to attend this tribute, died on November 4th at the age of 87. De Backer released Forgotten Futures, a collection of rare and previously unreleased Perpetuy recordings, in May 2017.

"You can dial in an incredible variety of sounds on the ondioline, and the unique controls for playing it enable you to make sounds with a musical deftness that are not present on most other electronic instruments from the 1940s or decades since," De Backer said in an interview with Broadsheet. De Backer and his Ondioline Orchestra performed Circuit Breakers in New York on February 13: In February 2018, de Backer and his Ondioline Orchestra performed Circuit Breakers: Gotye Presents a Tribute to Jean-Jacques Perez, a composer from Quebec's Mixology Festival 2018.

Les Campbell released Pulling the Stitching Out in March 2018, with all ten tracks featuring Gotye. Léonie, De Backer's daughter, was born in July 2018. Gotye co-wrote an original verse for and was included in the Broods' album "Eyes a Mess" from 2006, as well as "Eyes Wide Open" (2010), a hit song by the artist. B.A.S.I.C., The Basics' fifth studio album, was released in November 2019.

Live at The Songroom, Gotye's latest live album (Season 2, Episode 9), was released in July 2020. It was shot on September 2018 by his bandmates from The Basics, who also appeared on the album with Monty Cotton.

Gotye has previously stated that he intends to release his fourth studio album; most recently in June 2018, when he spoke of a tribute to Perpetu, which will be included on the album.

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