Gauthier Keyaerts
(A&R from BELGIUM)

　
1. please introduce yourslf

My name is Gauthier Keyaerts. I am a&R for the Belgian labels Quatermass and Sub Rosa.
Beside this I am also making music as (Very) Mash'ta, and do some work as journalist. Brussels is where I work and live...

2. what do you think about your domestic electronic music scene?

Hum, quite complicated. There are lots of interesting musicians, but not real dynamic or interactions between people. I mean the same people are working together, no dynamic based on curiosity, or exchanges.

It is also quite difficult to find a place into the different styles as once you are into a category you won't be able to work with people from another one. I mean of course this isn't the ultimate truth, but basically it works like that. But even if there is this lack of collaborations and communication the scene is interesting, of great quality and really eclectic.

3. what do you think about european electronic music scene?

This question is really difficult as the European scene is enormous!
You can find whatever you want! Every country has got it plus and minus.

Germany is leading the way for a while now, lots of musicians, a big scene, tons of labels, big market. There is space there for every music!
Austria has got now a lot of influence too. Lots of people still look at England to get the new vibes.
France has still got some impact. Beside that there are some countries where it is hard to defend "out-of-range" music like Spain or Portugal...

So, with these few examples you can see already that Europe is sharing one money (Euro), but is still a big jigsaw puzzle, which is good! But of course there is so much more to say!
4. what do you think about north ameriacn electronic music scene?

Unpredictable, interesting.
There is space there for every musical initiative from inside or outside. Of course it is linked to the fact that the market is really big! Even with a local distribution you can sell a nice amount of copies of a release!
5. do you know the japanese electronic music scene?

Fantastic! Of course we are talking about the non-commercial music!
It is so hard for us to have a precise idea of what is really happening in Japan, most records are impossible to find... But what I know from the Japanese scene is intriguing and exciting.

The sensibility is totally different, there is something special in the Japanese music that I know. But in fact it is the same with the Japanese movies or the book that I know. Ok, let's face it! I appreciate a lot the Japanese culture, I try to learn more and more about it. What is fascinating me is feeling of "extremes".

The zen serenity beside extreme acts of violence, the superb landscape and the ever growing oppressive architecture, the unity of people to build a better country and the lack of individual feeling.

I can say much more, and of course the few lines I wrote are quite naive. But to summarize my ideas: I think that these extremes into Japanese culture , and way of life is the base of what surprise us in Japanese art...

> and are you interested in it?

Definitely, more and more every day! For the moment I am working on a compilation based on demos from Japanese musicians I receive recently.... Yes, Japan has got a big place in my heart! But no only music...

　
6. what do you think about the future of electronic music environment/scene?

For the moment I can't really answer to that question. I am in a phase were there are more questions than answers.
I think that something will happen, we are too much under the same influences for a few years now.

　
7. do you have any interests in current music scene?

Of course! I mean it is a necessity, it is part of my job! But I wouldn't do this job if music wasn't so important in my life.

　
8. if you have something to add, feel free.

Hum, I prefer to pass, it would be too political! You know, because of the horrible context we have now...
I don't have to say more. But the same country that is going for war is blocking the possibility to have a democratic access to medication, wanting to make a Worldwide 'liberal' unity...
Ok, I'll stop here. All I can say is that we have to stop accepting bullshit....

　

website: Quatermass < http://www.quatermass.net >
subrosa < http://www.subrosa.net >

　
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