RSSA Chat With : Gui Boratto
He doesn’t dance, prefers The Cure to buying records and would rather spend time eating food with his family than become a member of electronic music’s A-list. Yet his debut album, ‘Chromophobia’, catapulted Brazilian Gui Boratto into the spotlight, winning plaudits from across the spectrum: from trance fans to Kompakt pop kids to Pitchfork and even Rolling Stone (well, the Brazilian edition). As he prepares to release his second album, ‘Take My Breath Away’, Bodytonic spoke to the reluctant almost-superstar.
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Your debut album was a huge success. Did you expect the record to be so well received? You did not have that many releases beforehand, yet now are one of bigger names…
No, I did not - I think it was well received by both critics and the public because it was a very melodic album in the middle of other very cold records.
How has your sound progressed in the two years since ‘Chromophobia’ was released? What has changed?
Nothing. The process is the same, the mood too. But of course I’m more mature maybe. Everybody changes constantly.
Did you feel any pressure making ‘Take My Breath Away’?
No, no pressure at all. But of course, I know my fans are expecting the same vibe from ‘Chromophobia’. And you can have that on ‘Take My Breath Away’.
There seems to be two separate sides to your sound on this record: the more dancefloor-orientated output (‘Atomic Soda’, ‘Ballroom’) and a poppier, commercial side (‘Colors’, ‘No Turning Back’). Do you think they sit well together on one release?
I don’t see like that. I don’t think ‘Colors’ is pop. I think ‘Atomic Soda’ is more pop. You can play ‘Atomic Soda’ on a festival with 20,000 people, ‘Colors’ not. So, ‘Atomic Soda’ has the power to reach more people. So, it’s definitely more pop, right?
The trance influence is more pronounced on this record, specifically on ‘Opus 17’ and ‘Atomic Soda’ – is this deliberate? Will this record cross over from Kompakt fans to more traditional trance fans?
I love synthesizers. I love melody. If the result was a bit trancey, I don’t mind. I really like the result of ‘Opus 17’. If this or any other similar trancey track will reach trance guys, I’m fine. I don’t think much about styles or whatever names and categories when I’m creating. That’s what I love about Kompakt. I feel super-free to do what I want!
Do you plan on examining a more pop/song-based direction on any future releases? The vocal on ‘No Turning Back’ is a stand-out…
Well, I’m doing the new Bomb The Bass album with Tim Simenon. It will have lots of collaborations, vocals, etc. I’m super excited with that. It’s cool to be on the radio. I didn’t come from the underground, I came from pop.
There appears to be some influence from the harder edge of modern electro in some of the tracks too...
Not at all. I think The Cure is more present on my music.
Melody plays a very important role in your music. How do you start a track – with a riff, or a beat, or a couple of notes?
Harmony and melody first. Then, the beats and stuff. Always.
I know you work full-time in studios – do you find it difficult to switch from working on a variety of projects to working on your own music?
Last year, even with the project with Tim Simenon or other remixes I always do, I was really focused on my album, between my weekend gigs. No, I can handle that very well.
Can you tell me the thinking behind the gasmask imagery on the album cover and your promotional pictures? Does it relate to the title of the album?
Yes it does. It’s ironic. ‘Take My Breath Away’ has many meanings. It can be a critic of everything - music, politics, social problems worldwide, or even the music inside. That’s why the kids are wearing the masks in such an apparently “beautiful”, perfect, plastic and fake environment.
Do you go out dancing to nightclubs very often?
Never. Only when I play. I don’t like to dance much. But even when I’m there (in a club), I enjoy the music a lot… even not dancing.
Do you pay much attention to what other artists are doing, and how their sound changes with fashion?
I wish I could. Actually I don’t buy records. I don’t follow much my fellow producers. And this kind of music changes a lot everyday… there’s a bunch of newcomers every week.
What do you hope for from this record? Are you aiming for a level of success similar to that of, say, the Chemical Brothers, or do you prefer to remain a more underground act?
I want to stay like this now. It can be really hard to become a sort of Chemical Brothers or Daft Punk these days. I will have no life for my family then…
How is life in Brazil?
Beautiful. That’s why I still live in there. The weather, the very friendly people, the food (I’m a foodie), and of course, my family and friends.
‘Take My Breath Away’ is out on Kompakt on March 23.
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