A Special Kinda Guy: Getting Deep With Mr Gerber
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Guy Gerber is a DJ and producer whose sound has captivated me since I first discovered following my enlightening trip to Ibiza last September. It was his back-to-back set with Seth Troxler at Space in Ibiza, almost a year ago, that really captured my imagination and drew me into the world of house and techno deeper than I’d ever been before. I’m still entrenched in the music now and it’s really thanks to that one special night.
Guy has very distinctive sound, with many layers woven into his productions: distorted voices, heavy basslines and beats that appear to be completely original, rather than sampled from elsewhere. Growing up on a diet of indie and football has no doubt contributed to his musical outlook, as well as his upbringing in Israel. With an exciting album project with none other than rap impresario Diddy in the pipeline, as well as a hectic schedule of live performances around the globe, Guy Gerber is a busy man – so I was very fortunate enough to get some time with him and ask him some questions.
Can you give me a brief summary of your year so far?
Well the most important thing that has happened this year is that I got engaged last week to a really special woman and we have been travelling all over the world together. I almost finished my album with P Diddy under our project name 11.11 and also I have compiled my favourite music pieces from my label Supplement Facts. I have made a few tracks with friends like Deniz Kurtel and Tale of Us and Chaim that are supposed to come out this year. Also I’m working on a solo album that is taking ages but I enjoy coming back to the art of writing songs so I’m taking my time with it.
You’ve relocated to Madrid this year, what effect has that had on your productions and your life/outlook in general?
I would say kind of neutral, it hasn’t really influence my beats and melodies but I did establish a home with my fiancée and maybe that stability that was missing in my life made my compositions more mature, and in a way more experimental because I had more head space for searching for new directions.
Lost In You Like A Chinese Cookie
Your productions have a real lush quality to them, how long (on average) does it take you to create a track from start to finish?
My biggest hits like ‘Timing’ and ‘Stoppage time’ has been within hours but since it’s impossible for me to repeat myself I tend to try and sculpture the sound scape more and more until it feels as unique as possible. So today I think it takes me 3 days if I’m focused and not travelling that much.
Outside of music and the club scene what inspires your musical productions?
I’m a big cinema fan and also like composers like Enio Morricone or David Lynch and Badlamenti but I would say that my main influence is love and the dramatic crisis and peaks it creates in life. I like emotional peaks in my music that you can feel them also physically rather than just hearing them.
Can you tell me a bit more about your album project with Diddy?
First our project is called 11.11 and it’s about a date when a mystical gate is open and two worlds collide. It’s the beginning of the carnival. It’s the beginning of the end or the start of another dimension.
This project started after Diddy invited me to New York after apparently being influenced by my first album “Late Bloomers” while he was working on his album “Last Train To Paris”. He wanted me to make a remixes album to LTTP but I have chosen to reconstruct all the songs in a different way and created a whole new world of drum machines and high note bass guitars – he really liked it and said why don’t we make a new album together. So in the last two years I’ve been flying to New York and Los Angeles and have also been recording in Tel Aviv what I believe is the future of electronic pop.
How far into the project are you?
We have three more songs to finish and we started a mini project with Juanita Bell from the Howling Bells. We want to make sure we fulfil the ambitious nature of this project.
When do you expect it to be ready for release?
I’m extremely superstitious from my years playing soccer so I believe that every time I give a future date it doesn’t happen in the end but I can say that the first single is being mastered as we speak. It’s called ‘Tourist Trap’ and has remixes from Jamie Jones, Visionquest, Soul Clap, Renaissance Man and David K on items. It’s due to be released in the next two months.
Does the album have a theme or cohesive element that ties it all together?
The album has a particular soundscape that is based on my analogue mixer and compressors. I also tried to use the Roland CR 78 drum machine on all the tracks and in general the whole things is very hypnotic and sexual and, like in most of my music, trying to be romantic as well.
Eleven Eleven – Tourist Trap (Jamie Jones Miss X Remix)
Having spent time with Diddy, can you tell me how much he knows about techno? Who does he like?
Well he doesn’t know the names but he can tell the difference between commercial shit and real raw underground beats. He has liked this music for 10 years and he is happy that it’s getting bigger now in the US but he wants to show people that it can be different to these cheesy trance productions that are ruling the charts now.
He partied at Sunday School For Degenerates in Miami earlier this year and DC10 in Ibiza just recently, so I imagine he knows his stuff?
He likes the after parties if you know what I mean!
Heartbeats, a new compilation on Guy’s Supplement Facts label, will be available on October 3.
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