Why the world's biggest song caused Gotye to quit

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/ davidhartley94
Somebody That I Used to Know was a global phenomenon for Gotye. For many musicians this incredible success would be a dream come true and a springboard for making even further music, but Gotye hasn't released any new music since. What happen to Gotye?

[@davidhartley94]

Be sure to check out www.lalal.ai/, a next-generation music source separation service for fast, easy and precise stem extraction. Remove vocal, instrumental, drums, bass, guitar, synthesizer, wind and string instruments, and piano tracks without quality loss.

[@2563dicko]

Bit misleading saying it's completely free to use, you only get a sample, you have to pay at least $18 for an actual track.

[@19max84]

It works very well, I tried it last year or so to hear individual instruments from a song and was flashed by the result.

[@Metzok]

Very useful tool, thanx for sharing and for the video!

[@tapeexperiments]

Nice ad integration.

[@color-head1696]

congrats to more and more "copy and paste" ... dont you people have ORIGINAL ideas? Disgusting ... why do you become an artist, if you have nothing to say on your own ...

[@lawrencegreenwood4002]

I knew Wally when I was a teenager. We were in the same small town in Victoria. I've got to say, it looks like fame hasn't changed him - he was always putting music first, helping other bands and just being a generally nice and approachable guy. Unlike the rest of us ratbags he always conducted himself well. A good example of his kindness is he once spent a whole day teaching me about Ableton and helping me cut samples for my band...I had no idea and he turned me on to digital audio - it set up a whole career for me. I'll always be grateful for that. Believe me when I say he's just a pretty normal guy, with above average intelligence and a pretty kind heart. Really proud of a lot of musicians from our little town, and Wally is one of the greats.

[@yesterdaydream]

Now he's just someb--🤐

[@gbormann71]

​@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777So, if I want to cover my walls with wallpaper, you'll insist on me learning to print wallpaper first?

[@timishere1925]

​​@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 I'm sure the person you're responding to appreciates your unsolicited opinion.

[@lawrencegreenwood4002]

@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 I was already an accomplished musician, I didn't need advice on that front - but I wasn't familiar with computer recording. I'd only used tape...don't forget it was the late 90s/early 2000s, so not everyone had a laptop with the latest digital audio software - especially in less wealthy areas. Please post some of your music so I can check it out - always glad to see someone who is so passionate about instruments.

[@ouackstrax7356]

@@lawrencegreenwood4002 I'm in a similar boat, but now. My instrument(s) come natural to me, but music software drives me nuts. Since I can't play drums I would've benefited from being able to use digital tracks (beyond multi-tracking my instruments and basic effects). I know a few people who are the opposite, but getting them to collaborate is like pulling teeth.

[@benedixtify]

If he's still doing what he likes, and he's not poor, I'm happy for him.

[@sebg2086]

he could bedoing what he like.....and be in a better place.......not really a smart move lol

[@Koragh_]

its kinda sad tbh thats like the dreamjob for musician to have that massive recognition

[@olivergengenbach7138]

Was that Prince? I thought it was a symbol rather?

[@margo5919]

You can be addicted to a certain kind of sadness

[@blue-tb2fd]

@@Koragh_ Is it though?

[@Y1001]

Indeed the fact that Prince said he loves this song is an award in of itself.

[@azrael6280]

Prince casually saying he liked a song, not knowing that it is actually a pretty significant thing for a musician to achieve.

[@nullifiedhumanoid]

I had to watch this part again. Imagine how he felt hearing this. Sounds like a great guy.

[@neoshenlong]

Yeah nah that's the real award holy shit

[@siinxx7656]

@@azrael6280 I wouldn't say was casual about it. He said he loved it, not liked it and to plug that on the middle of the announcement says is special. Prince is not the kinda guy that talks without intent.

[@zoomosis]

That would've been a particularly surreal moment for Kimbra since Prince was a big influence on her. She used to do a cover of his song "I Wanna Be Your Lover" in her live shows in early 2011, before "Somebody That I Used To Know" was released.

[@cstoomey]

Let's not shortchange his voice. It's amazing, especially on the choruses. Cuts through like a knife.

[@TonalWorks]

@@r3furbish3dbrain12 First thought I had when I heard the song's chorus for the first time.

[@athomesuperhero]

The range is incredible. I bet he would crush Take On Me

[@enjoybrad81]

His high notes have such power to them, which is hard to do well. But he is so clear and spot on. And when he brings it down to a soft breathy verse, it's just so sweet and heartwarming. Especially on Bronte. I cried to that song recently after not hearing it for years. **Fair warning if you've lost a pet recently**

[@Tony-yd1vx]

Reminds me of early Sting.

[@fonkbadonk5370]

@@Tony-yd1vx Absolutely! Even his mouth is sort of Sting shaped. I likened his voice more towards Phil Collins before, but Sting fits just as well. David Draiman comes to mind as well. The dudes where you thoroughly enjoy their deep and calm voices, but as they grow in pitch and/or volume, they also gain SO much texture and richness, that they almost hug your soul. So pretty.

[@jakobbauz]

He has turned of the ads for a video with 2 billion views. What a fucking legend.

[@gavinator354]

i just loaded the song and there was an ad. i wonder if youtube forces ads even if you turn them off

[@ludwigvonn9889]

To everyone not willing to watch the whole thing: he is still making music, just with his old band that has a different name obviously. Thats all.

[@larma420]

The basics.

[@morgierwin6641]

clickbait

[@coryphillips7945]

Oh thank you...I really expected this video to be more interesting. Actually, when i realized he was just sampling all of his shit...I checked out.

[@Darthcamper]

You are a king among men. The super fluffy padded 10+ minute run time for that sweet revenue is really starting to irritate me. One sentence does not need to be stretched to 14 and a half minutes. OP gets the thumb down, I wish I could give you more than a thumbs up.

[@Pneumanon]

Why did I wait till the end of the video to scroll down?

[@Darrylx444]

His decision to make it a story duet, AND Kimbra's perfect fitness for that role, made this song memorable for me. It's the kind of song that makes you stop what you're doing, and just listen. I still get chills when it reaches her vocal crescendo.

[@HeleneLogan]

Absolutely agree!

[@O-Dawg444]

Hello fellow 444er

[@netpunk5890]

Tbh her part is what makes it for me

[@antonystringfellow5152]

That's what did it for me too. Much more than the music itself. Every love song I can think of, and by love song I don't exclude rock and metal (most songs are love songs), tells a story from one side and there is seldom only one side at fault when a romantic relationship ends. The first time I heard it, Kimbra's voice kicking in really grabbed my attention. It made the song so real and believable.

[@JonSwaim]

She’s the one that made this song a hit. More so than him.

[@369frequencyandvibration]

He became somebody that We used to know.

[@heitor5998]

lol

[@josh_ari]

​@@heitor5998don't encourage him

[@lesbianmustardbottle957]

Have you ever produced an original thought in your entire life?

[@jackshittle]

As I was scrolling through the comments, this comment literally made me lol. Clever :)

[@lesbianmustardbottle957]

@@jackshittle No. It is not clever. The comment is trite at best. How are you all so easily amused?

[@ethanvilla4418]

Where else is there to go when Prince says he loves your song before announcing your award win?

[@merrygrammarian1591]

Disney World

[@ladyibis580]

@@merrygrammarian1591 I like how you think.

[@GeneHamm2]

As an animator, I loved how Gotye gave animators jobs on his music videos.

[@jamesjarrett52]

The reality of fame isn't for everyone. Not being able to go anywhere in anonymity, being talked about, insulted, derided, being asked to fly all over the world and see people constantly...

[@sebg2086]

,yes.....being rich and not have to worry about money ever again......its not for everyone

[@scottsymonds5649]

​@@sebg2086 The monetary aspect is certainly nice, but you essentially give up your privacy. Jason Russell became famous and had a complete breakdown less than a month later. Paparazzi and the media are merciless.

[@jayrussell3796]

George Harrison said it best. Give me the money. You can keep the fame.

[@jasonl1942]

So don't release your music.....

[@susanferretti5781]

Yeah, I have no interest in ever being famous. Amazed that anyone does.

[@rupertcaney]

I just read that Wally, his real name, in French is "Gautier". Mind blown

[@willbrown5478]

makes more sense if you use the unabbreviated “walter”

[@leebrokus5069]

One of the many things this video skipped over. Gotye wasn't a stage name. His mother called him that as a child because it was a diminutive of the French version of his real name, which was important because he was actually born in Belgium, not Australia.

[@noesierra-velasquez8791]

I'm French and... What ? Walter is not an abbreviation of Gauthier, neither is Wally. Abbreviations for Gauthier would be... Got ? Maybe ? We don't abbreviate names as much as English speakers.

[@donjoe2661]

Then to think that 'Find Wally' is worold famous game. Where's Wally??

[@KvltKommando]

@@donjoe2661 it's Waldo, who the hell is Wally

[@dylan78rpm]

I'm a sound engineer and I met Wally at the last AES conference. Great guy. Myself, a sound engineer friend of mine together with the panel he was on (preserving the electronic music of Louis and Bebe Barron) walked through New York for a while and we landed at a Thai restaurant. I sat next to him and he gave me a piece of his duck, which tasted a lot like chicken. I had never had duck before. My friend and I had a conversation with him that lasted over 2 hours. Can confirm he's very down to earth, knowledgeable and just a kind person.

[@g60force]

Personally I think duck is less good then chicken! XD

[@smartalek180]

Thank u for sharing that anecdote that showcases the goodness & decency in the man, and doesn't snipe. About that duck, tho -- May I humbly suggest you find the best Chinese restaurant in your town and order the Peking Duck (in many venues, it has to be ordered a day in advance). If you're even a tiniest bit of a foodie, & you've never had it before, I can almost promise this will change your life. Pls let us know if u do so? Cheers!

[@coreym2336]

7:31 They did Louis Armstrong dirty with that AI voice replacement.

[@ziloj-perezivat]

He's already dirty

[@stupidburp]

Yeah that one was way off

[@NotMorganFreeman.]

@@stupidburp All of them were.

[@sangieredwolf]

​@@NotMorganFreeman. Only Taylor Swift was right.

[@MikeGervasi]

The reason it caught fire is because it's the best song Sting never wrote.

[@60oh]

i burst out laughing, thank you.

[@hellopaule]

There's a joke in here that I didn't get. Now I want to know.

[@STStudios98]

@@hellopauleit sounds like sting maybe ?

[@bioluminescentlyunfolding5716]

@@hellopaule I think it was more an observation - the song is just very evocative of Sting both in the chorus vocals (people often mistook it for him at the time if hearing it on the radio) and by being catchy mid-tempo pop for grown-ups, with lyrics anatomising a failed relationship. It's not that it sounds similar to any of his tunes, but it's got his sensibility for composition and arranging.

[@InsaneHomer]

Sting sings Baa Baa Black Sheep

[@MarcEdwards]

I have so much respect and love for Wally. A new album from him would be amazing, but only on his terms. A friend and I create a bootleg remix of Hearts A Mess. We sent it to Wally. Surprisingly, he replied, liked it, and it ended up on the Mixed Blood album (Wally’s first album to win an ARIA award).

[@k-leb4671]

Wow, you made a remix just as a fan project and it ended up on the remix album? That's awesome.

[@MarcEdwards]

@@k-leb4671 Yep! He ended up sending us the stems, which we tried incorporating, but we ended up mostly keeping things how they were - samples from the full original track. I think we only dropped in a few parts from the new stems.

[@k-leb4671]

@@MarcEdwards damn I'd kill for the stems to Heart's a Mess. Good on ya

[@petaralargic]

Awesome.. Surely youve been overthe moon for it.. Truly kind guy as it seems

[@MarcEdwards]

@@k-leb4671 I should see if I can find them. Hopefully I kept them!

[@DullBoyJack]

He didn't want the fame, so we went back to... The Basics.

[@merfishsandwich691]

But, he was writing music and sending it to radio stations. If he didn't want the fame why not just keep it in his bedroom?

[@DullBoyJack]

@@merfishsandwich691 There's a big difference between being a successful musician and having the level of attention this brought. It's all about how bright that spotlight is, sometimes it's blinding...

[@aperinich]

fame and having your artwork experienced are two different things.

[@bitten1406]

@@merfishsandwich691 you can see wally himself in an interview shown in this video that the fame became too much, to the point where he can't communicate more personally

[@maddannafizz]

@merfishsandwich691 Oh my goodness . You want to share your music with other people, as a musician. Why would you keep music it in a room like you suggest? Fame comes is you are good, and sharing music is vital for a musician. You share your music , but your mind set of you seek fame or money as your motive, is crap for most artists. You need to hone your emotional intelligence and understanding of other people/ artists, tis rather shallow 🙌. You write music to share or live for creating, fame comes sometimes , which can lead to megga fame and riches and why so many crash and burn​

[@DawnHub666]

So not explained at all for the first 11 minutes and when explained it isnt weird and he didnt disappear ?

[@typ044]

Pretty much.

[@aperinich]

clickbait but most likely they didn't even realise they did it. this is where we're at now

[@typ044]

@@aperinich I'm sure they realize it. With so many average joes trying to make money off KZbin this will naturally be the kind of crap they pump out since they're competing for eyeballs.

[@DawnHub666]

@@aperinich agreed

[@orrissonpereira1070]

@@aperinich Nah. This is the average KZbin content. Just pick an interesting headline and blabber on for 10 minutes on some looped edit. E.g "Did Elvis REALLY die?" and then start talking about when he was born, talk about the history of his whole family tree and every associate's background and childhood, and then end with "So did Elvis REALLY die? Comment below on your thoughts. Click subscribe if you want to see more videos on Elvis' disappearance."

[@coldacre]

there are so many Aussie artists who make amazing music, that could make all the money in the world, if we play the USA pop game... but sometimes "no" is the choice of sanity

[@mattcantstop]

Is the idea that these musicians can only hit it big if they specifically started doing USA pop? Because many musicians hit it big while not doing pop. Is there something that prohibits them from getting big in another genre?

[@antsteep]

He has become a collector of old electronic instruments. Some of collection is available at MESS ltd in Melbourne.

[@sophiepooks2174]

Like most middle class musicians.

[@antsteep]

@@sophiepooks2174 Yes. I believe there is an entire genre of middle class electronic music.

[@PoserGalore]

Ok can we all just also see that Kimbra also has some releases and albums that needs some attention

[@TheSteelDialga]

Says on her Spotify page that she's ranked #486 in the world out of all artists, with 16mil monthly listeners. She's pretty popular I guess but I feel like I haven't heard about her much before, so it is kind of surprising to see she's so popular on streaming. Good for her

[@onnileinonen4744]

Primal Heart is a top tier pop record for sure

[@nullifiedhumanoid]

If you haven't explored her collection, you should. I'm fond of Vows, but it's a thing with me and my kids. I met her before a show last year. She is as kind and genuine as Wally seems.

[@HeleneLogan]

Yes! An excellent musician and a great catalog of interesting albums.

[@wafflesmet]

She is fucking awesome!

[@FWChannel-rr1br]

I love this song. Now that I know the backstory of Gotye, it makes me value and appreciate his songs even more. Thank you for staying true to yourself.

[@SoftAsFur]

It really 'starts' at 11:32. ...you are welcome.

[@DavidCrichton]

And the answer is that he is still making music just not as Gotye.

[@InfinitelyQurious]

Thank you. The first 11 minutes of that video was insufferable. I saw Gotye several years ago live and I still think about that show all the time. Several incredible stand-out songs, amazing visuals, and percussion that was out of this world.

[@vw9502]

Thank you, was looking for this. The claims made in the title and early minutes of this video are even shown to be false within the later part of the video. It's a promo for an AI tool stealing 11 minutes of viewers' lives on the basis of a lie - how depressingly consistent with the whole AI phenomenon.

[@mauralancaster]

@@DavidCrichton Thank you. Such an annoying trend in KZbin videos now. The point apparently is to do something other than just f-ing tell the story and get to the point. Makes me increasingly go to other sources. We are being manipulated non-stop. We need to know this. In the end, however, we have choices.

[@playitstrange129]

my old band played a heap of shows with The Basics (Wally's band).. hes a lovely dude..

[@nedim_guitar]

I think it's actually admirable that he didn't want to go out and try to make more music, if he doesn't feel like it. He wasn't bought by big companies and pressured to do things ttheir way and go on world tours etc. He made a lot of money and can live a comfortable life with what he's doing.

[@MaurizioMezzatesta]

Didn't quit, he went straight back to The Basics and he'll be back one day

[@Major-DoMo]

Thank you for the vid, I had been idly wondering. Your coverage was informative and the visuals were well done 👍

[@SOOKIE42069]

What else is there to do after Prince says he loves your song? That's the roof. There's nowhere to go from there.

[@preshvilla5182]

Sure. Prince isn't all that. People didn't even support all his music.

[@CarsonsChannel]

That'd be enough for me to retire on too.

[@alenemarie1726]

I have such a weird connection to this dude. My video professor at art school, Peer Bode, has the largest archive of work by Jean-Jacques Perrey, a French electronic composer, and Goyte is like really into him, like has done tribute concerts for him. He literally spent a few weeks at my professors studio going through the archive and everyone in my class was flabbergasted when my professor casually brought this up. Like we were are just in shock that this dude was hanging out with Goyte in our TINY college town.

[@smartalek180]

And Gotye, too, no less! If anything, that's even more impressive😉

[@helmutbargeld728]

Wow so interesting! One of the best concerts I've ever seen was Gotye & friends doing their Jean Jacques Perrey show in Sydney. He was playing a real Ondioline that he'd had restored.

[@matthewparsons7294]

So you're saying that after finding pop success he ( •_•)>⌐■-■ Went back to The Basics. (⌐■_■)

[@smartalek180]

Heh.

[@essenceofveles]

The answer: Gotye was just a personal project by Wally. He's still making music with a band. Wally didn't quit music.

[@smartalek180]

Well done, thank you. I coulda saved 13:48 of my life if I'd found yr comment first. Pity they don't let u insert sponsors' ads in comments -- YOURS wld actually have been worth it.

[@AaronDavison]

wasn't exactly weird now was it

[@delecti]

Thanks for making this video. I knew there hadn't been more "Gotye", but didn't realize he was involved in other projects. I'm definitely going to look into The Basics.

[@thehotyounggrandpas8207]

Great video. Being an "unknown" songwriter gives you total freedom over your music, writing only for oneself, no pressure. It also gives you no money.

[@lucboellinger7733]

True I have so much of no money, I don't know how to manage it

[@skyhigh_butterfly]

@@lucboellinger7733 lolllz

[@bigbad253]

My son is gifted musically - don't know where he got it from - and followed his passion into adulthood. After finishing his degree in music, I offered to hand down my well worn suits so he could maintain the homeless look throughout his life.

[@SteefPip]

When Mozart died, he became his music. When Gotye quit he became somebody that we used to know.

[@atquinn1975]

Great video. I loved Somebody That I Used to Know and more importantly, it introduced me to Kimbra! But I never knew anything about how the song was constructed or what the artist was up to nowadays.

[@Sash77....oldmanradic]

Skip to 11:38 if you want to know about the disappearance of Gotye

[@jackmedcalf6254]

Really well done! Thanks for posting!!

[@TeeHutchy]

love videos like this! always awesome to learn more about a defining song from my past

[@spiderliliez]

I remember when I first heard the song... I was like, "Did Sting finally made a new album?!"

[@bev9708]

I thought it was Peter Gabriel

[@MajorGrooves]

I also thought it was Sting.

[@AnnetteRoughana]

I thought it was Peter Gabriel...even the video is a lot like PG 'Sledgehammer'... I had to ask the store who it was? It certainly stopped me in my tracks.

[@ximenaholzer]

He doesn't sound like Sting... I respect the man as a person, and he was great at The Police, but solo I find him really boring.

[@Torque546]

The sampling part reminds me a lot of how AI produces art.

[@bioluminescentlyunfolding5716]

I remember playing this song on repeat for hours while doing housework - I used to do that a lot with certain songs I really loved.

[@weezalicious]

This song was all over the radio after I had just broken up with someone that I truly was very close to. Hearing it now floods me with all of those emotions and now she’s just somebody that I used to know.

[@jodielee2310]

A true artist, and an Aussie. Very humble and authentic. Love it.

[@Shitinthemorning]

He has more character and way of being an artist of a belgium one, where he is born and origines are from. Their are alot of artist like him over here, never making it and don't care about money and fame, just want to stay the ones they are and keeping evolving in their own private safe life

[@andyscott5277]

"Somebody That I Used To Know" is one of the best mainstream pop songs that I’ve heard in a long time, and at first I couldn’t figure out where it came from, it’s influences and precursors. Only that there was something familiar about its feel and instrumentation. Then it occurred to me that it’s very similar in some respects to "Cloudbusting" by Kate Bush. Looked it up, and sure enough, Gotye’s heavily influenced by Kate Bush.

[@Mind_Idiot]

He didn't have to cut us off...

[@brianlee360]

You win.

[@jonhelmer8591]

Fabulous story well told, I knew nothing about the background to this tune. I swore I wasn't going to sub to any more channels for a while, but, I'm now subscribed.

[@anthonyodonnell6105]

Second video of yours I've watched and really enjoy your commentary. This is a great story.

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

On Wikipedia it says that he did have plans for a 4th album, but then says that Gotye most recently discussed it in 2018.

[@AncientJetties]

Well done... I've been wondering about this guy for so long.

[@spamsponge]

He made his mark on the music world which is what any artist wants to do. Even if only a one hit wonder he still achieved cultural immortality. Something as simple as a catchy song can become part of someone’s internal life.

[@donjuantrumpetajohnson]

Immortality?? Is that a joke? No it won't. It will die and be forgotten. This music sucks ass. Typical shitty catchy tune.

[@Tigerman1143]

i just wanted to say your use of Gotye's music for ambience was excellent. got goosebumps on multiple occasions

[@soso-1283]

Heyy thanks for making this video!! It gives great insights into what inspired this musician to write these kind of songs. I also think he's a very genuine person.

[@arfyness]

0:31 still my favorite of his from further back. "hearts a mess" from _like drawing blood_

[@cy9nvs]

Dude had one hit and just dipped. Absolute legend.

[@mbrsart]

I'm glad he's still doing stuff. Truly a guy who is in it for the passion and artistry and not the fame and fortune.

[@AstraVex]

7:47 "Somebody That I Used To Know" literally has the melody of "Baa Baa Black Sheep" in the beginning and I'll never get over how genius that is! 😂❤

[@strangastrigo]

That's all I've ever been able to hear!

[@clarkem4119]

Not the melody, just the phrasing. The ending of the melody does have descending notes that are similar but it is not "literally" the same melody at all. However, the phrasing is identical.

[@Norce555]

"literally has the melody", it literally doesn't

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

He's hog tied in my shed

[@tessarae9127]

Kinky 😉🖤

[@g6ter1]

what kinda shed tho?

[@coldacre]

you in Greensborough or Montmorency? I'm coming to set him free! 🤣

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

@@coldacre Nah mate, I'm in outback Western Australia

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

@@g6ter1 A Titan

[@lankyjuggler]

THANK YOU for doing the research and sharing it. I loved Making Mirrors, top to bottom, and it's made me so sad, for years, that I couldn't find more.

[@pomodorino1766]

Thanks David! I was always curious about Gotye and that specific song.

[@jazirsoterodavila9385]

Now he is just somebody that we used to know

[@jabrown]

Best comment

[@tmacmc2984]

He definitely didn't realise how much of a chunk gets taken when you need to sign off on samples on a sample heavy hit, and this was a monster hit. Monster hit means a monster proportion of the money you receive being divvied up to other people, even if it's just a snippet of sound. If it's identifiable it needs to be paid for. He likely didn't care when it was chump change but when it's almost half of what a track brings in it stings. Probably the reason he's switched off adds and returned to a band with instruments. Not saying he's tight, probably more to do with all the bullshit paperwork and lawyer headaches as much as cash.

[@AK-yd9jw]

Turning off monetization just so that regulations don't take financial advantage of you is slaaay

[@SuppersReady8880]

Well it's mixed bag, other peoples' creative IP deserves some level of protection too. Life is a complicated wonder.

[@trysometruth]

Mr. Hartley you are so good at this stuff! Thanks for your excellence!

[@color-head1696]

Nice documentation. Thank you. 🙏

[@Makethereplyaboutthecomment512]

Hes just somebody that we used to know now.

[@BubboPants]

Luiz Bonfá is Brazilian Portuguese, not French. The z is a hard s sound, and the accent over the a means something.

[@SantannaStudios]

up

[@LeonardoLima-nk4fv]

Wally is so inspiring! not to mention the videoclips for his songs! which is another layer, amazing! He is such a great sensitive musician! Bronte, Thanks for your time and so on, such great songs!

[@ringochrist2007]

Great video, gives me a lot of insight.

[@jameshisself9324]

It's not really surprising at all actually. It's quite common for artists to be turned off completely by the commercial aspects of music. I certainly don't want to compare myself to any successful musician, but back in the day my dream was to just make a comfortable living and NOT be mega famous. In the circles I run in this is not that uncommon. In the end I didn't even quite get to that level, but I can take solace in the certainty that you have never heard of me. A bit cheeky at the end there, but I am certain these are common sentiments.

[@pierrebroccoli.9396]

I think the hard part is to make authentic music - genuine, that then becomes successful and not make music for the purpose of success. Even more important now with the advent of AI - although as a creative tool it can be very helpful but as a end to end creative device in its own right - Meh.

[@jameshisself9324]

@@pierrebroccoli.9396 Agreed

[@whatsyoursteezo]

And now he's just some artist that we used to know.

[@HYPERPEACE]

This was a song I heard in my secondary school years a lot, it was on the radio almost every day. Never heard a song like "somebody that I used to know" before, and it still feels unique today. I had heard of Daft Punk and all that stuff, but they were just coming out of fashion. I think I was 14 when this Gotye song came out. Crazy to think about. Now that I'm a musician myself, I have a new found appreciation and respect for the song as well as Gotye. My dream certainly is to continue making music regardless of the fame or fortune it brings. I doubt it ever will because of the stigma against mental health and such. But music is a language I love most. And I'm a metal musician by the way, lol. I think people are surprised when they hear a metal musician liking pop music, but it really isn't uncommon.

[@chriss2295]

He’s a true artist not spoiled by money and fame. Now, he just has the residuals to further his pursuits.

[@johnhenry4]

Nice documentary, man

[@InYourDreams-Andia]

Great channel! The insight is amazing, I had no idea ❤

[@sharingmatters]

Great narration! I have subscribed :)

[@chinapaulo]

Great catch-up on an artist I hadn’t thought about in a while. Somebody That I Used To Know is an absolute banger. Hearing something that soulful and creative on pop radio was a blast.

[@larsscholz3762]

Man, you keep delivering really great videos on interesting topics! Very well done!

[@davidhartley94]

That's very kind, thank you!

[@rogero8443]

Shit man, this was such a good video. You have a good take on this part of his career, put it succinctly and had meaningful edits throughout the talk, bravo! Also, Prince saying he likes this song in front of everyone was so classy!

[@bentfabricator]

So...what's weird about it?

[@plantstho6599]

The world would have so much more creativity if we could figure out how to give everyone permanent housing.

[@strangevisions5162]

it's the struggle that yields the best fruit

[@plantstho6599]

@@strangevisions5162 I would say that's a BS reason. With our technological capabilities at this time, we're creating artificial scarcity in housing because we're holding onto the belief that it's better for people to struggle so they can create better art. Do you see the absurdity?

[@Lauraninjanelson]

I'm a classically trained pianist and now multi-instrumentalist that lived in a car for 10 years with a music studio. I ran away from abuse in my family. I've always been working multiple jobs to survive. I now have a studio apartment and it is the most healing thing ever, but I am still repairing my mental health. You bet I'd have more published music by now if I wasn't fighting to live all the goddamn time. I'm tired of the struggle. I want to have enough energy to make art instead of working all the time and squeezing in scraps when I rarely have the energy to do so.

[@plantstho6599]

@@Lauraninjanelson I feel that on a spiritual level. I live in a van and am trying to make a book and movie here. I am AuDHD and can't keep focused in such a confined space with everything piled on top of everything else. It's reaaaally hard. I'm miserable every day because I'm estranged from my purpose for existing and I don't want to produce anything while in this state of mind because it's not the vibe I want to put out there. Life is beautiful, this planet is amazing, but society has turned this world into a disgusting ish-hole.

[@hpetterson2265]

Where would this permanent housing come from? The house fairy? That's a ridiculous comment. Artists can work and still do their art. I do.

[@MarkHolden73]

Fantastic I hadn't realised there was a family connection to the sculpture/instrument as well. An enchanting sounds and put to great use in the track Red River

[@mirtikaschultz3282]

enjoyed this muchly, thanks

[@DetroitMicroSound]

I've been making music with samples, since 1986. I only just heard of this guy, when I clicked your video. 🤷‍♂️

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

I always preferred Walk Off The Earth's version of 'Someone', where they are all playing the same guitar; it seemed more original and 'organic', less contrived in a way than his own version with Kimbra. Anyway, I'm glad for him, to hear that he's still happily creating music with his friends. He's seen more success than 99.9% of all contenders ever see, and is playing the music biz on his own terms.

[@Christopher-md7tf]

"more organic" "less contrived" LMAO it was a cover relying heavily on a fake gimmick in order to go viral. Hint: in real life, you can only play one note on the same guitar string at a time. They also made HEAVY use of pitch correction because they were absolutely terrible singers live, while Gotye and Kimbra can actually sing. But sure, it's "more organic" 😂

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

@@Christopher-md7tf question; do you play guitar?

[@Christopher-md7tf]

@@PaisleyPatchouli I dabble

[@FedericoLucchi]

The one thing that immediately got my attention the first time I heard STIUTK was the sound. So incredibly crisp, clear and dynamic! Nothing in the over-produced mainstream music world sounds like that these days.

[@oliveary]

Loved this video! Do you think you could do a breakdown on the band Fun.?

[@elsongs]

Wanna know why music sucks so much these days? Because we haven't gotten anything from GOAT-ye.

[@roughcutretrospect7235]

its called a one hit wonder

[@user-lc5ux4ld4z]

This guy is a real, new artist.. What a blessing he has had success. Let's hope he works on some new projects some day.

[@yerocb]

I loved the song and did a deep dive on all of his music and his process. It was in constant rotation in my play list. I scored tickets when he came to town, but had to sell them. I sold them to a friend who only knew the one song and liked the venue, ao they figured it would be a good time. She ended up describing it as one of the best shows she'd ever been to (and she'd been to some incredible shows). I'm still jealous to this day. I'm glad to hear he's still making music, even if it's not Gotye. I'm glad it didn't totally ruin him, which i was kind of afraid to hear.

[@sonofvideo4696]

tl;dr he was infuriated that the music industry took most of the earnings due to his sampling and would forever

[@CreeewDeeeTaaay]

That’s not the overarching takeaway, at all. A 45% cut of a huge song, even the KZbin ad revenue from it alone, is MASSIVE. And he straight up turned ads off on the KZbin vid for his biggest song.

[@guyskillen]

​@@CreeewDeeeTaaayabsolutely! Half of something is a lot more than all of nothing. He seems like the kind of guy that would think that was pretty fair to acknowledge the original creators.

[@babettesfeast6347]

I actually remember this song

[@tangyorange6509]

No shit we all do

[@debracook8859]

Everyone remembers that song.

[@tim0ty]

Great video, thank you for that!

[@KrazyKobold]

I'd love to see you do a video essay like this about the band "fun." that was created by Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost , and Nate Ruess. They made three massive hit songs -- "We Are Young" & "Some Nights" & "Carry On" -- effectively proving "we know how to make massive pop hits" -- and then they just went on a hiatus in 2015 that has just lasted and lasted... all while it's propelled already existing careers even further (Jack Antonoff for instance most recently help produce Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Department double-album).

[@JohnMedved]

Goatse

[@3farruca]

The world's biggest song??? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@calholder86]

Yes...easily

[@johanjonsson2190]

I mean, you could legitimately claim it was the biggest for a few weeks

[@xanblacq]

Great video. Well done.

[@SkyCarlisle]

Great stuff - thank you for putting this together - new subscriber!

[@daccrowell4776]

OK, hagiography over. Reality intrusion in 3...2...1... Gotye has stopped because he hit an unsustainable degree of success. A colleague of mine once told me about seeing Molly Hatchet at his local town celebration in the Chicago 'burbs. Molly Hatchet, for those who don't know, was a marginally-successful Southern Rock band c. 1980 or so, your basic "one hit wonder"...like Gotye. But this festival was in the early to mid 1990s. So, their set went something like opening with some non-hit, nobody paying attention...so they kicked into that Solid Sender hit, "Flirtin' With Disaster". Crowd does usual Pavlovian thing, lots of "WOOOOOO!!!!" and such. Then onto the next song. Audience doesn't LIKE the next song. They want "Flirtin' With Disaster"! So...haul out the evergreen song again, try something else in 5. Nope! They weren't having it! "Flirtin' With Disaster, motherf***ers!!!" Sooooo... After what had to be the longest 40 minutes of their lives, their set...and obligations to the Village of Lombard...was done. On to the next county fair! But first...you love it SO DAMN MUCH..."FLIRTIN' WITH DISASTER"!!!!!

[@bengalinsky4300]

You hit an unsustainable degree of blowhard