Intervista Christopher Goze

Francese di origini catalane -elemento affatto irrilevante visto una certa influenza della "musicalità" iberica sulla sua musica-, Christopher Goze è cresciuto artisticamente nella chiccosa Parigi, nutrendosi di musica fin da piccolo, avendo avuto la fortuna di nascere in una famiglia che vanta numerosi musicisti. I suoi studi (tra cui una preziosa parentesi al CIM, scuola nota per aver formato i più importanti jazzisti francesi) e la sua passione l'hanno portato in vari angoli del mondo, da cui Christopher sembra aver importato cartoline sonore nella sua musica, un misto di lounge, world music e chill-out, sfornando gingilli facilmente rinvenibili qua e là su diverse compilation. Recentemente -forse anche per slegarsi dalle logiche pubblicitarie convenzionali- ha fondato l'Anything Goze, una sorta di collettivo di musicisti che condividono parte del suo stile world e chilly. Abbiamo fatto di recente una chiacchierata con Christopher, che crediamo possa essere lettura di sicuro interesse per molti di voi, che coincide con la pubblicazione del suo nuovo lavoro sulla stessa Anything Goze -disponibile il pre-ascolto sul sito personale-. Christopher Goze "Turning Inside" (Anything Goze, Audioglobe) 01.Breathing 02.Hi Honey 03.Sensually Yours 04.Close To You 05.Turning Inside 06.Around Midnight 07.I Got You 08.Ce Que Tu Veux 09.Some Day I Will 10.If Only You Knew 11.Our Secrets 12.Red Green & Blues 13.People Smiling 14.Suki Desuka

Hi Christopher. First of all how are you? Hello, I’m great thank you. Just coming back from holiday actually so I could not be better

A lot of music columnist consider you as the creator of the so-called "arambient", i.e. a combination of chilly sounds with elements from arabian music. Do you recognize any predecessor? Peter Gabriel. One of the first “rock” artist who understood that mixing the west and the east together could actually bring something different. I mean other musician did it before him too and in different styles. Ravel with his Bolero for example. Actually that was one of the first piece I performed live in that style of fusion world. I was playing live a lot in Japan and I would play the ravel Bolero Arabian melody to a lounge , new age arrangement and people loved it. So you see , all those artists had done it before. Peter Gabriel is maybe the first one who took the time to develop the concept. And I’m proud to hear that I might be following his path.

First of being a music chemist, you are a guitarist, aren't you? What about your masters? What did they teach from them? I started to practice the guitar at the age of 9. I wanted to be a drummer , but my Grand dad and my Dad both convinced me to go for the guitar as it was easier to carry around .. ha ha ! Over the years I have been practising and listening to various guitar music . from Classic to country , jazz , rock, flamenco ... So I think I pick up some influence a bit everywhere. In chronological order guitarist who have really blew my mind and influenced me were André Segovia , Djengo Reihnard , Joe pass , Al di Meola, david Gilmour, Steve Lukather, Paco De Lucia, Larry Carlton and pat Metheny. I never study their style or solos , but I listen to them like crazy and try to get into their skin, trying to understand where they are coming from, pick up their energy. Now if I had to keep one name from that list , well it would be Pat Metheny ... and Paco De Lucia ... that’s 2 names .... those 2 are the most incredible guitarists I have heard and the one I feel the closest to musically.

Speak us about the iter you normally run to compose a track.... Does it change if you compose for an album or for advertisers? I’m a guitarist but I write my music on a piano. I sit down at the piano and start playing. what ever comes to me. I improvise like this for hours until I hear something I like. A chord sequence, a riff , a melody . Whatever inspires me. Then I work on the groove. Once I have those elements I turn on the computer and I start arranging something to give my idea some kind of structure. Then I pick up the guitar and again start playing along for hours until I come up with a good melody or a solo. I turn go back to the arrangement and finish the track.

For advert it is a bit different . The agency usually has a good idea of what they want. They often give you examples of a song , a piece of music they would like you to get inspired from. So from there you try to write something original , but close to what the agency has in mind. It is a very different approach of writing music.

What's the best compliment you received from a colleague? Well , not long ago, Someone in Italy actually wrote that I was the Pat Metheny of Lounge music. That really made me feel proud .

And what's from a woman? And from a man? That she loves me ! From a man , well actually from a boy ...my oldest son not long ago told me I was his hero ! I don’t think you can wish for a better compliment than that in life !

Normally musicians got bothered by categorization of their workouts within a specific genre. But sometimes music shoppers did so to better reaching customers' tastes. What's your opinion on this aspect? Well , I don’t care too much actually, but with me they are having a hard time putting a label on my music because it changes all the time. Sometime I go world , sometime I go lounge , the new album is more Jazzy ... good luck putting a label on me .. ha ha ... having said that I understand that you have to give some kind of clue of what to expect . The cover is not enough most of the time and pre listening to the album not always possible.

Have you ever been bothered by an improper categorization of your music? Hum .. yes actually once . I found my album at Virgin Megastore in the jazz department , on the G section next to Erold Garner and Dizzy Gilespy. I mean I love those guys but I thought I had nothing to to in there next to those genius. But mainly I was feeling bad for the people who would buy the album thinking this is a new jazz guitarist they had never heard about to find out that the album was in fact some kind of mix between lounge , world and yes some jazzy guitar but probably not enough Jazzy for a true Jazz fan.

What's your favourite city? There are a few cities I really like to go to. London for its musical vibe, Barcelona , Tokyo ... but I think today I would say Paris is the one I really enjoy the most. I was born there , but I feel it is only now that I’m starting to discover it . It is an amazing place .

Have you ever composed some tracks inspired by a travel? Well, I feel I have always been on the move. I have lived in 4 Capitals, moved flats over 25 times and when I actually live somewhere I spend my time driving somewhere else for a couple of weeks. I hate being in the same place too long. So I guess my music is all about this mixture of culture and vibes. So yes .. japan, England , France , Spain all those countries have inspired me. Funny enough I have never been to North Africa ! This is my imaginary travelling . I feel that culture deep inside , and I’m sure I lived there in a previous life.

If you should chat with a musician supposedly sharing Paradise with angels, what about your choose? And what about those supposedly in Hell mansion? Well I would take my guardian angel first. I was told she was a woman once. But I think now they are 2 looking after me. They are doing such a great job I could not leave without them. Then if you mean who I would like to share Paradise with then Pat Metheny will have to be there for sure, Peter Gabriel , Einstein , Leonardo Da Vinci, Zidane , Paolo Coelo and of course my family hell ... I don’t even want to think about it. I don’t believe in hell anyway. It is a cruel invention to scare little kids.

Beauty in you own words: ... The right chord and the right note at the right time .

What's the purpose of the association Anything Goze? Christopher Goze like Chip Davis? :) Anything Goze is a new label concept that invites downtempo, lounge and world fusion independent artists to unit and work together to sell and promote their music. In the past years the music business has been thru a lot of changes and many artists have started to leave their labels to start their own office. It is possible to be independent today and control your catalogue and copyrights. But you will soon some problems. Finding the right distribution , promoting your last album, pressing your new album .. all this can be very much time consuming especially if you do not have all the contacts and a limited budget. With anything Goze I have invited some of those independent artists to join and put our catalogue and data base in common . That way we have a stronger catalogue easier to sell to good distribution companies, a good and strong distribution net work around the world, we share promo contacts and we share promotion campaign costs and we all benefit from each other success in a way. Our image as a group is stronger and in state go hitting the market once a year with our individual albums we hit it several times a year . The major difference with a traditional label is that the artists keep all the rights to their music. and they can come and go as they want . No long term contract here.

I’m hoping that soon the public will recognise this new trade mark and will know that whenever they see the Anything Goze logo they know they are buying high quality down tempo and independent music.

What are the most relevant troubles music promotion is experiencing in your opinion? Too many records , and mainly too many times the same records. So many artists sound the same, so many compilation even have the same title or the same covers . Distribution and promotion companies are receiving thousands of those every year and simply do not know what to do with it anymore. Also , the quality of the music produced has to improve. It is hard to sell an album based on one good track . You need 10 good tracks on an album. Music is loosing its soul . The only thing people in the music industry want is profit. A record label should be like a laboratory. One project out and a few in the laboratory being tested. You need to leave the artists learn and grow. It is a lot of work to produce a good album and not every one is capable of doing it. You would not go to a restaurant where the chef is still learning how to do the sauce ... Well I feel this is how the music business is today. They keep putting unfinished products out hoping some one will pick it up and thinking it is better to put it out than keeping it in on the shelves. Wrong ! It is better to learn the recipe first , and only when the artists is ready and has learned ... put it out .

Do you know Friedemann Leinert? Any influence of the so-called Flute Power movement in your music? I know Friedemann Leinert the owner of Blue Flame Records. I have a project signed with him. I don’t know if this is the same guy we are talking about now. But no there is no influence of the Flute power movement in my music

A propos of Chip David, he was maybe the main responsible for the idea standing behind critics on newageian music. He produced a series of cds, which should be fitted to different moments of a day and begun selling them with different recipe (a coffee packet, cookies, champagne and so on). What did you definitely argue against people defining music like yours in different controversial ways - "situational" music, cocktail music, sofa music, balearic and so on- ? Well , music is an art , and in art you need experimentation. Art needs to progress. Music is a part of our every day life. A piece of music we have heard in certain moments of our life would always remind you of that moment latter on in life. So in that sense , why not sell it in a pack of coffee , or a bottle of champagne.

It is the same old game . Music and visual go together . you would not sell a record without a cover. (Well some have done it but emptiness is also a visual concept). I mean an artist always has an idea of what his music looks like. even if he thinks it looks like an empty box ...

So why not go further and connect a piece of music with a piece of life , and tell people actually this music is great to have with coffee. Or this is perfect for taking it easy on your sofa.

Why not sell the music at Ikea with the sofa . Actually this is an idea I have been working on for a while. I would love to make a deal with ikea and tell them here is an album you can only listen if you are nicely seated in a confortable and nice looking sofa. So why don’t you give one copy of this album every time you sell a sofa !

I love all those crazy concept. It helps moving forward with the way we access and we live with music in our life. After all why only go to a record shop or now the internet to get your music.

What's boiling in the AG pot? Any forthcoming release? A new deal with Ikea ... ha ha .. i wish No seriously , the new Bob Holroyd album is coming out soon. 20.000 copies of his last album sold. The new album is wonderful Then the new Amanaska album , An artists from Australia and our Australian partner One World music. Then we have the new Nicola Hitchcock (ex mandalay singer) album The new Flipside all the way from Scandinavia and latter on a new album from Al-Pha-X And we will soon also put a compilation of all those artists who are now supporting this new concept. The comp is called Horizontal Grooves and includes 12 exclusive , never before released tracks from 12 of the best down tempo / lounge artists of the moment.