Canadian born, Gonzales relocated to Europe, spending most of his time between Germany or France. Having signed to the label, Kitty-Yo, Gonzales set to making a name for himself on the live circuit, impressing with his often comic shows that displayed his piano virtuosity alongside his MCing. Collaborating with label-mate, Peaches, Gonzales found success with the 2000 single, "Red Leather," becoming known as the 'Bonnie and Clyde of Prankster Rap.' Gonzales' debut, "Über Alles," was released that same year, which featured piano-based electronic productions, complete with his idiosyncratic MCing.
Releases continued for Gonzales, with "The Entertainist" and "Presidential Suite," before embarking upon a collaboration with Manu Chao. Gonzales also contributed to Fesit's hit album, "Let It Die," as well as duets with Jane Birkin and Charles Aznavour, both hugely popular French pop stars.
Focusing on his solo output, a new record arrived in 2005, "Solo Piano," which displayed an impressionist influence from the likes of Erik Satie and Maurice Ravel. His next release, 2008's "Soft Power," abandoned these classical influences and returned to piano-led pop that harbored a distinctly '80s sound.
After setting a Guinness World Record for the longest piano solo in history (27 hours), Gonzales composed the soundtrack for the feature-length film, "Ivory Tower," which he had co-written with Cèline Sciamma. The film featured appearances from Gonzales himself, as well as friends, Peaches, Feist and Tiga. Gonzales returned to his solo piano work in 2012, releasing "Solo Piano II," continuing his solo work with 2014's "Re-Introduction Etudes," an instructional record for piano novices.
Chilly Gonzales - or Jason Charles Beck, to give him his birth name - might be the nearest thing that Canada has to a modern-day renaissance man, certainly in musical terms; after making his name in the alternative rock band Son, a group with whom he signed a three-record major label deal with Warner, he was forced to pursue other projects after their second album, a concept record about a man who turned into a wold, performed disappointingly in commercial terms. He then moved to Berlin and began to work as an MC, producing the electro music for which he’s best-known today, before another radical image change saw him pursue piano playing at a virtuoso level; it’s in that capacity that he’s most recently toured the UK. Current work with Boys Noize and Domo Genesis suggests a return to electronic music might be an option before too long, but he’s currently focusing on his piano pieces, which come to life before an audience; his playing is innovative, intelligent and unusual. He always opts for the most intimate of venues, too, so don’t sleep on tickets when he next lines up UK dates - assuming he hasn’t moved on to another project, of course.
Joeg_67
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