Gotye and 10,000 BC

Today I have some music by the artist known as Gotye. His most popular song was heard all over the world and is actually deemed one of Australia's most influential artists. However, I am not here to talk about a song that pretty much everybody seems to know. Gotye is an artist who has a very interesting an unique style. While none of his songs sound the same, there is this commonality in the way they are produced and performed that makes them stand out as clearly one of Gotye's. Whether it be a more energetic or subdued song, there always seems to be an underlying motif that connects all the songs together. Gotye creates music that can be seen as a bold move in the realm of pop music. He is not afraid to make the music completely his and totally out there. This is one of my favorite songs off the album for that very reason. This song in particular is incredibly intriguing because it has this intense energy to it that kind of captivates and holds you tight in its grip that you can't let go. This song boasts pounding tribal drums and orchestral flourishes accompanied by sweeping harp strokes, which creates this juxtaposed sound that leaves the song up for your interpretation. There are moments that can only be described as sonic booms and moments that are smoother and more subtle. Comparing the opening to the end, we start out with a darker guitar melody and end with the throbbing of intense percussion work. Gotye takes the "pop" out of the equation of this song. There is almost this kind of restlessness with which Gotye created this song, a creepy kind of retro sound that keeps you so intrigued. Gotye sings with this powerful yet soft voice that offers up this feeling of mystery and intrigue. His voice finds power in how expressive he is with it. Throughout the song, you can feel the highs and lows he sings about because of the way he sings. Even in live performances, Gotye sings with so much feeling. He is someone who thinks about what the song means to him before singing it in order for us to feel it. It is one thing for us to get lost in the music as listeners and another to hear the song when the musician gets lost in the emotion of the song. With this song, I think we all get lost in the musicality of it all. The hypnotic tribal waltz comes to life with a haunting melody and striking vocal harmonies all performed by Gotye. We get that sense of high and low from the way Gotye's voice switches from a deeper sound to a beautiful falsetto, with layered harmonies falling in between. We hear that high and low in the way the trumpets blast their fanfare in comparison to the pulsating tribal beat. We hear it in the way the harp sings and soars above the rest of the instruments. Gotye has this way about his music that makes it something strangely touching, refreshingly emphatic, and just downright genius. He pulls from influences all over the world, from Turkish drums to West African thumb pianos, to normal keyboards. Its is quite amazing to know that Gotye produces all of his music which makes the originality and human-esque quality of the album heightened. I really really enjoy this album and I cannot wait to hear what is in store for his next album! Today's instrumental song is from the movie 10,000 BC. While I have never seen the movie, the score for it is quite incredible. This is a score that is supported by the heavy percussion work. This score definitely has the tribal sound down to an art. Each song has some aspect of what we would consider "tribal" sounding, and the composer, Thomas Wander, did a phenomenal job of capturing that tribe style of music. Considering the subject matter of the movie, it seems like an appropriate sound to go for. Few have been able to compose a score that stays true to that intensity that comes with tribal and nomadic kind of sound, but this score is a beautiful example of what that music should sound like.  From the pounding drums to the soft flute melodies, each song has something that fits. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!