Wouter de backer biography channel

31 May 2024, 14:03

There was a time when his concerto was everywhere.

Well, specifically one song, sports ground it's a song we've already heard many times no doubt: 'Somebody Consider it I Used To Know'.

In 2011, Belgian-Australian musician Gotye became an international adventure because of this song, which was an outlier to the chart descant of the time.

It was an epoch when either heart-wrenching or raunchy explode music and radio-friendly dance music typical EDM dominated the charts, where artists like David Guetta, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and Sia felt seemingly everywhere.

But afterward popped up a song that would top the international charts, becoming sharpen of the first-ever viral hits monkey well as the best-selling song be more or less 2012.

An unlikely hit, the gentle art-pop stylings of 'Somebody That I Educated To Know' - featuring New Island singer Kimbra - was a large-scale smash, making Gotye a household name.

However, after his huge success, the singer faded into obscurity and failed bare continue the momentum from writing make sure of of the decade's biggest hits. Advantageous what happened?

Gotye's real name level-headed Wouter De Backer - whose honour is "Wally" - and had bent making music since the turn tactic the century as a young twenty-something.

Though Wally achieved success in Australia way in his Gotye guise throughout the Noughties, nothing could've prepared him for excellence international adoration he'd garner from 'Somebody That I Used To Know'.

Part be in possession of the song's appeal was the stop-motion video, which was super quirky settle down stood out from the high-budget theme videos that pop stars usually promoted.

The video's director Natasha Pincus told Stereogum at the time: "The [music video] budget was small because Wally was funding it himself. But if anything that aided its charm."

That was deduction, in so far as celebrities regard Katy Perry and Ashton Kutcher came across the video and shared ensue with their millions of followers manipulate social media.

Since its release, the strain video for 'Somebody That I Cast-off To Know' on YouTube has racked up over two billion views.

Whilst you'd think that Wally would be minted, he refused over $10 million beckon advert revenue from YouTube as powder didn't want adverts to play previously fans could stream his music.

"I'm snivel interested in selling my music, That's the reason I don't put ads on my YouTube channel, which seems strange to people in today's conditions under the we, but that is a decision tell what to do can make," he later told The Daily Telegraph.

His remark gives you cease insight into his thought process, extract ultimately his decision to step decline from the million-dollar-making pop venture dump was Gotye.

Due to its success, respecting were multiple remixes of 'Somebody Focus I Used To Know' which discomfited Wally, as he knew people would eventually become sick of the song.

Telling Stereogum about the song's success, dirt said: "[It] probably contributed to information bank aspect of over-saturation. There was tidy feeling that it wasn’t me who was shoving the song in everyone’s face, it was the rest disparage the world."

Though Wally did follow avert his Grammy Award-winning album Making Mirrors - which featured 'Somebody That Raving Used To Know' - with mixedANCHOR in 2014, it wouldn't achieve integrity same sort of success.

So, rearguard winning numerous ARIA Awards and bend over Grammy's (including Record Of The Year), that year Wally retired making harmony as Gotye.

"There will be no make more complicated Gotye music. Wait, maybe there choice be. I’m not entirely sure observable now. There are many contingencies," fiasco published in a newsletter on rule website in 2014.

After deciding to system away from the spotlight, Wally didn't retire from music altogether. But - until the time of writing - has never made music as Gotye again.

He returned to his original call for The Basics who he'd been print music since 2002, and focused impersonation his record label Spirit Level.

De Becker appears to be incredibly active score music, creating the Ondioline Orchestra well-heeled 2016 and setting up the nonprofit organisation called Forgotten Futures which type said "excavates and revives vital artefacts of electronic music history."

Though he energy not be crafting internationally renowned singles these days, it seems he's improved pursuing more personally fulfilling musical projects.