I am brought to a certain level of surprise and shock, I dare admit. I suppose I had little conceptualization of just how explosive this has become. And that is from the entirely remote perspective of a dedicated fan. Can you imagine what Wally must be sensing right now? What his harried management team must be considering? Did they know the nature of the beast?
What happens when something that generated from a seed of obscurity and creative isolation suddenly shoots up into a great, towering beanstalk the likes of fairy tales? What monster hides above the cloud line? Further, what feelings and thoughts must roam about in the once insular mind of the artist when the work soars beyond even their reach? Damn....the very minimal imagination I can muster for this evinces feelings of quiet terror. What anxious reality must Wally be mired in at this moment? Actually, he's probably asleep right now, so perhaps the newsreel has yet to be absorbed. It will be, I imagine.
I am thankful to have obtained tickets for the Denver opening show in August, despite the somewhat horrid timing. However, I am simultaneously disappointed for the other fans/friends who exerted equal emotional energy and were left wanting. That is a genuine shame. My hope is that there are chances floating in the ether, somewhere, that might be made available to those who were never afforded a chance.
It is a bitter turn of events, indeed, and suddenly the words of the song perhaps most responsible for this state of inaccessible super-stardom come to mind; "But you didn't have to cut me off...."
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
A Little Miffed...
Wow....
Just surfaced from the dramatics of the pre-sale release of N. American tour. Technical difficulties and fiery-swift sell-outs abound!
I am genuinely disappointed for my fellow Wall-nuts who hit the...well...wall. Several venues ran dry within seconds or minutes. In the case of one fellow friend/fan, tickets were gone before she could finish logging into the website.
~~~~
I am brought to a certain level of surprise and shock, I dare admit. I suppose I had little conceptualization of just how explosive this has become. And that is from the entirely remote perspective of a dedicated fan. Can you imagine what Wally must be sensing right now? What his harried management team must be considering? Did they know the nature of the beast?
What happens when something that generated from a seed of obscurity and creative isolation suddenly shoots up into a great, towering beanstalk the likes of fairy tales? What monster hides above the cloud line? Further, what feelings and thoughts must roam about in the once insular mind of the artist when the work soars beyond even their reach? Damn....the very minimal imagination I can muster for this evinces feelings of quiet terror. What anxious reality must Wally be mired in at this moment? Actually, he's probably asleep right now, so perhaps the newsreel has yet to be absorbed. It will be, I imagine.
I am thankful to have obtained tickets for the Denver opening show in August, despite the somewhat horrid timing. However, I am simultaneously disappointed for the other fans/friends who exerted equal emotional energy and were left wanting. That is a genuine shame. My hope is that there are chances floating in the ether, somewhere, that might be made available to those who were never afforded a chance.
It is a bitter turn of events, indeed, and suddenly the words of the song perhaps most responsible for this state of inaccessible super-stardom come to mind; "But you didn't have to cut me off...."
I am brought to a certain level of surprise and shock, I dare admit. I suppose I had little conceptualization of just how explosive this has become. And that is from the entirely remote perspective of a dedicated fan. Can you imagine what Wally must be sensing right now? What his harried management team must be considering? Did they know the nature of the beast?
What happens when something that generated from a seed of obscurity and creative isolation suddenly shoots up into a great, towering beanstalk the likes of fairy tales? What monster hides above the cloud line? Further, what feelings and thoughts must roam about in the once insular mind of the artist when the work soars beyond even their reach? Damn....the very minimal imagination I can muster for this evinces feelings of quiet terror. What anxious reality must Wally be mired in at this moment? Actually, he's probably asleep right now, so perhaps the newsreel has yet to be absorbed. It will be, I imagine.
I am thankful to have obtained tickets for the Denver opening show in August, despite the somewhat horrid timing. However, I am simultaneously disappointed for the other fans/friends who exerted equal emotional energy and were left wanting. That is a genuine shame. My hope is that there are chances floating in the ether, somewhere, that might be made available to those who were never afforded a chance.
It is a bitter turn of events, indeed, and suddenly the words of the song perhaps most responsible for this state of inaccessible super-stardom come to mind; "But you didn't have to cut me off...."
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Thoughts On The Road
This is a nice little piece about the very dualistic nature of fame and the touring orbit, especially poignant as Wally prepares to embark again:
www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/music/a-certain-kind-of-stardom-20120316-1v9zq.html#ixzz1wntE8GiA
~~~Now that I have surfaced from this morning's migranous oppression, I can reflect a bit more, which I am eager to do in light of the anxious anticipation of my chance to purchase tickets to the Denver show. I loved the insights of the author of the above article, throwing into sharp relief the ho-hum musings Wally offers in interview as compared with his apparent euphoria onstage. An ordinary person like myself can hardly understand the bone-aching fatigue such a life must cause. But, on the other side of the enigmatic coin, one can also imagine the joy that must be felt by Wally when he fully engages with his art as he does on stage. Can you imagine-looking out onto the ocean of faces, each one viscerally connected to your product? The power must be somewhat enslaving. In fact, I appreciated that Wally eeks out a brief admission that sometimes he wonders what the ecstastic state of the stage could lead him to. It is my sincere hope that he remains genuine, especially to his most dear and loved ones. I find myself recoiling at the thought of him becoming the archetypal 'rock star.' I suspect I would notice a bitter tast in my mouth. Perhaps one so acutely sour I could be compelled to turn away entirely. His humble nature and quiet humanity are a part of his simple magnificanece as an artist.
It is my hope that Wally continues to enact those things which keep him grounded, be they a bit of exercise before a show, a good book, or a phone call home from yet another remote hotel room. My therapist persona would also suggest he take some time to talk out his dialectical feelings about the world in which he exists. He has chosen this path, and now must negotiate the lanscape. I think it would serve him to seek the skills of a well-grounded counselor...I'll admit I am biased on that matter.
For all my fellow Wall-nuts out there also wringing their hands tonight, awaiting their chance for admission to the upcoming tour dates, let's be thankful that our guy is 'giving us (another) chance.'
~~~Now that I have surfaced from this morning's migranous oppression, I can reflect a bit more, which I am eager to do in light of the anxious anticipation of my chance to purchase tickets to the Denver show. I loved the insights of the author of the above article, throwing into sharp relief the ho-hum musings Wally offers in interview as compared with his apparent euphoria onstage. An ordinary person like myself can hardly understand the bone-aching fatigue such a life must cause. But, on the other side of the enigmatic coin, one can also imagine the joy that must be felt by Wally when he fully engages with his art as he does on stage. Can you imagine-looking out onto the ocean of faces, each one viscerally connected to your product? The power must be somewhat enslaving. In fact, I appreciated that Wally eeks out a brief admission that sometimes he wonders what the ecstastic state of the stage could lead him to. It is my sincere hope that he remains genuine, especially to his most dear and loved ones. I find myself recoiling at the thought of him becoming the archetypal 'rock star.' I suspect I would notice a bitter tast in my mouth. Perhaps one so acutely sour I could be compelled to turn away entirely. His humble nature and quiet humanity are a part of his simple magnificanece as an artist.
It is my hope that Wally continues to enact those things which keep him grounded, be they a bit of exercise before a show, a good book, or a phone call home from yet another remote hotel room. My therapist persona would also suggest he take some time to talk out his dialectical feelings about the world in which he exists. He has chosen this path, and now must negotiate the lanscape. I think it would serve him to seek the skills of a well-grounded counselor...I'll admit I am biased on that matter.
For all my fellow Wall-nuts out there also wringing their hands tonight, awaiting their chance for admission to the upcoming tour dates, let's be thankful that our guy is 'giving us (another) chance.'
Mucking About in Preparation
Wally and the Gents are laboring away at rehearsals for the upcoming massive world tour. Here we have an odd little clip courtesy of MIDI keyboard and synth master Tim Shiel (or as I've dubbed him, Timshel-he was complicit in accepting that moniker after a back-and-forth string of tacky Jew jokes.) This vid is very fresh, as in hours ago!
http://www.twitvid.com/RRRHX
~~
I would offer more thoughts and tidbits this morning, but alas, I'm midway through a migraine, so I'll be back later with more Wall-nut cookies.
**Yep, Wally...that's about how I look right now, with less cheeky half-grin. Thanks for the visual.
image courtesy: Tumblr
**Yep, Wally...that's about how I look right now, with less cheeky half-grin. Thanks for the visual.
image courtesy: Tumblr
Monday, June 4, 2012
Giving Blood
Quoting Gotye HQ: Like Drawing Blood to be released in the US
2012-06-04 12:14 by Kate
"We're pleased to announced Gotye will release his cult album Like Drawing Blood on CD and vinyl for the first time in the US this July; it is available digitally now. Like Drawing Blood, originally released in Australia in 2006, is the album that first put Gotye on the map.
In his homeland it was the ultimate indie 'word of mouth' project; eventually going platinum without ever making the top 40. It eventually earned Gotye the Australian equivalent of a Grammy and went on to top numerous critics polls in Europe before being named iTunes “Album of the Year” for 2008 in the UK. The album features his cult classic "Hearts A Mess" with its unforgettable video."
>Love Love Love those Heart's a Mess creatures!!!<
~~~
Dammit....already spent way too much to have the magical shipping kangaroo deliver the Aussie import to my door. However, my instincts are that >perhaps< the new US release will come with the Frank Tetaz remastered "Only Thing I Know" which was, without a doubt, one of the most acute and promising tracks from Boardface. The digital album contains the remastered version, with auditory proof that a few tiny adjustments and sophistications can really bring a track to life. For those of us who bought the Aussie release, I suspect a second cop or download will be in order.
~~~
In Other News:
Wally Just wiped the floor at the 2012 APRA awards, and is looking a bit tired and unkempt, I must admit. Also, the auction of the one-off Emma Hack/Gotye art piece "Voices in the Mirror" wrapped recently. Here are some gems I have sussed from the ether, and simply must share! Image citations may not be evident (please don't delete me, oh internet deities.)
>Love Love Love those Heart's a Mess creatures!!!<
~~~
Dammit....already spent way too much to have the magical shipping kangaroo deliver the Aussie import to my door. However, my instincts are that >perhaps< the new US release will come with the Frank Tetaz remastered "Only Thing I Know" which was, without a doubt, one of the most acute and promising tracks from Boardface. The digital album contains the remastered version, with auditory proof that a few tiny adjustments and sophistications can really bring a track to life. For those of us who bought the Aussie release, I suspect a second cop or download will be in order.
~~~
In Other News:
Wally Just wiped the floor at the 2012 APRA awards, and is looking a bit tired and unkempt, I must admit. Also, the auction of the one-off Emma Hack/Gotye art piece "Voices in the Mirror" wrapped recently. Here are some gems I have sussed from the ether, and simply must share! Image citations may not be evident (please don't delete me, oh internet deities.)
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Time Traveling
The words of the ever-clever Matthew Inman come to mind;
"Jesus Rollerblading Christ!"
Why am I compelled to take the lord's name in comedic vain? International post finally delivered the parsimonious glory of a copy of Boardface, the raw freshman album of our dear Wally. I expected tiny sparks of brilliance punctuating aural confusion. Perhaps I was imagining an early-twenties Wally, cloistered in a dark bedroom, positioning old mattresses precariously to mum as many noises of the world outside as possible. I imagined a collection of bemused tracks conveying the fumbling, winsome young artist grappling with those matters we all remember were so deeply relevant at that time in life.
Instead, I was awash with constant waves of emerging beauty and complexity that I would never expect from a mind so youthful. Truly, at such a tender stage in life, some ten or so years past, Wally De Backer, under the guise of his mother's affectionate moniker "Gotye" was piecing together the first parts of an awesome puzzle (now in its third stage, a decade later.)
I made the rash mistake of playing Boardface while driving 70 MPH on a crowded bypass. Were it not for the cognitive jolt I forced upon myself midway through the pre-Frank Tetaz remastered "Only Thing I Know" I am certain I would have drifted through three lanes of traffic in a state of ignorant ecstasy. That was close...and a bit thrilling, I must admit.
If you've yet to absorb this first, green sprout of the statuesque bloom that is the contemporary Gotye, I implore you to download it or be stubbornly antiquated like me and purchase the CD from the source, Gotye.com. I consider myself a decently educated fan (or at least I have deluded myself into said state) yet I was thoroughly stunned while listening to Boardface. I am still a bit shaken and dubious that such talent and imagination could have already been stirring about in Wally's brain so early in his development. For a moment I pause and daydream that I was one of the earliest followers in Melbourne in the days when he scribbled the designs of the liner notes for each disc. The seventeen year old girl I was then-having grown up listening to the likes of The Beatles, Depeche Mode and Portishead as much as Sesame Street-would have rapped on his door indefatigably, with Australian bills in hand, ready to exhaust my summer-job budget for a few copies. Part of me finds it a bit melancholy; that young girl I was missed out on discovering this amazing music at a time when I needed my mind to be opened so badly. Now, ten years on, I finally touch in with the work, and see it in its brilliantly-colored spectrum. From Boardface to Like Drawing Blood to Making Mirrors, the aural artwork of our fine Wally stirs the soul in the finest fashion.
Thanks, as always, Wally. I know you're out there brimming with more beauty to share. See you soon, in August! Much love.
Friday, June 1, 2012
"A part of me, Apart from me"
Ah, Bon Iver, you say it well. I love your music, too, but partly because one line sums up the sentiments of my "fan" state for the Wall-rus...
I recently had the joy of some mental meanderings with a fellow lover/inspiree/committed researcher who shares a similar interest in deconstructing the nature of what Wally does with his music, and the reflections it casts upon his interpersonal truths (although he retains a certain level of ambiguity and privacy, which I can respect.) My 'conversations' with my fellow devotee bring about further introspection from the lens of the 'fan.' As a function of creating this blog, and my commitment as a follower of the art, I stumble upon other pieces of the grand puzzle through that good/evil wonder called the internet. My reaction to some pieces is pleasant and agreeable, to some I find myself unsettled. I especially find bother in the seemingly endless commentaries on Wally's sex appeal and unusual good looks. There's a shocking rash of downright rude comments regarding his looks. I won't disagree with the general sentiment-he has a certain angle about him-I think it's his "smiling eyes" and sheepish expressions that swiftly disarm and fascinate. However, the litany of commentary on the carnal interests of some fans begins to irritate a bit; what about the work? What about the music? Is there not a greater segment of the soul that has been colonized by his beautiful art? I know that is my feeling-that a part of my "spirit, soul, heart" (whatever you wish to call it) has been forever annexed by Wally's work. And yes, undoubtedly a part of the artist themselves comes with that-I cannot deny a love for him as the brilliant brain-factory behind my favorite music. But I cannot "love" him, nor do I feel the right to profess such a deeply intimate sentiment. I cannot love "him," I don't really know him. My direct contact to him has been brief and transient. I haven't the honor of real "knowing." I have that honor with others in my life, one person specifically, and it is a gift that is only given to very few in one's life. My fact-heavy 'fan' brain makes an educated guess about who shares such "knowing" with Wally (Tash, hold onto that man, he's a treasure.)
The counselor in me wonders about the nature of transference, a phenomenon that is all to real when people make deep emotional connections to others. At first, my insatiable interest in Wally's music and life worried me a bit, from the therapeutic perspective. Was I placing on this person some intimacy I was missing in my own life? Since some deeper reflections on those questions, I have come to a more stable foundation of self-awareness on the matter. I am experiencing the unique shift of being truly touched by art-to be shaken to the core. It happens, and I think if one never feels that way about anything in their life, they have been bereft of true passion. I have stumbled across other great muses, although Wally serves as one of the most durable and complex-sortof' a personal paradigm shift, I suppose.
I digress. What I mean to convey with these thoughts-to my fellow fans and perhaps to myself-is that there are boundaries, indeed. But inspiration must not be caged, lest the product of it be denied to the world. if you are inspired, let it be a part of you, but remember that it is also "apart from you."
Oh The Bliss for Us Yanks....
Good news for the N. American crowd, not just a massive tour, but some sure-to-be-amazing remixes and the first release of LDB officially in the states! Guess demand has become too much to ignore! Part of me feels a bit bad for Wally, he must be so overwhelmed. Hope he's had that sherry...and that nap.
http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/05/gotye-announces-massive-north-american-tour/
image courtesy: Tumblr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)