MTV News | MTV Push | Gotye

Ask who is Gotye nine months ago and nobody would have a clue, and then in early 2012 his alternative cross-over hit "Somebody I Used To Know" ft. Kimbra had turned mainstream and gone viral. MTV presents Gotye as our PUSH Artist of the Month for March.

When we wrote our article "Who is Gotye With 67 Million Views on Youtube" indeed the man had already found his place in the world of music. Now two weeks later, the hit sits at 93 million hits and counting - all this from a man who hasn't been on a single awards show nor lauded and strutted by any major record label.

Gotye is not only a musician who makes music, but he is an inventor who creates his own instruments and sounds through odd vintage antiques and electro-sampled notes. It's a precision based laborious process that must be a labor of love otherwise no one would ever attempt such madness.

Gotye became famous in his native Australia in 2006 with his album After Like Drawing Blood which was constructed entirely from samples of old vinyl. His latest LP Making Mirrors uses more physical and acoustic instruments that draws you into its details. It can be described as pop at its most precise, but also electronic music at its most emotional. The record delves into dub, Detroit-era Motown soul, stadium-size politipop, synth-folk and world music on glorious, sprawling, huge-hearted songs.

On his unique instrumental sound Gotye explains:

“I ended up sampling a lot of them note-by-note and turning them into virtual instruments,” he explains. “It’s a slow and sometimes laborious process, but it can completely change the sound of the instrument and how you approach playing it. You can buy so many virtual instruments online these days, but it’s not nearly as personal as making them yourself. I found a beautiful old chromaharp at an antique shop, and ‘virtualised’ it in this way. It ended up sounding more like an unusual hammer dulcimer when played on a midi keyboard or programmed with software”

Gotye himself is a drummer who often plays solo however this latest project has taken on a life of its own with critics applauding his Peter Gabriel-esque style in "Somebody That I Used To Know."

For his tour - Gotye holds nothing back taking a ten-piece band that will sing and play the cariety of instruments - say goodby to electronic sampling safety. “These are by far my most ambitious shows to date. There will be no backing tracks used. It’s exciting because it’s dangerous. It could go wrong on every song. I’ve never been one to make my life easy.”

MTV is proud to present Gotye as our March PUSH artist recognizing the talent and evolution of an artist that is sure to make an impact on music in the future - we may already be too late.