Gogol Bordello Interview
Eugene Hutz - The Man Behind The Band
Joshua ParsonsFeatured Writer
I
don’t know — maybe it’s just me, but I’ve been waiting for the next
musical revolution. The last one took place in ‘92 when I was but ten
years old and, with any luck, the next few years could produce another
renaissance. If that is the case, there should be little confusion as
to who will lead it.
Allow me to introduce Eugene Hutz. He may not look
like a genius, but the music this man has been able to craft with his
fellow band mates in Gogol Bordello is nothing short of a musical
catharsis. I had the pleasure of talking with the man for a short
period the other day, and while he may be a tricky one to interview
(the guy literally has no sense of nationality, which I think kicks
utter ass), his words provided great insight into the method behind his
seemingly endless madness.
Joshua Parsons: You guys are on the road right now. In fact, sometimes it seems like Gogol Bordello are never not on tour. Do you feel like you’re still touring in support of Super Taranta, or are you guys hitting the road to spread the word about Gogol Bordello?
Eugene Hutz: Well right now, we are just doing
what bands do. We’re playing live music. It’s just part of being in a
band. There’s no agenda or business bullshit behind it; it’s just us
getting out there and spreading the word about Gogol Bordello.
JP: Your
live shows are such a huge part of what Gogol Bordello actually is.
Seeing a live set from you guys is such an experience. When going into
the studio, do you ever find it difficult to capture that festive
atmosphere that is so prevalent during your performances?
EH: Every band that goes into the studio develops
a process. They develop an approach in the studio that helps them to
achieve the sound that they desire to put forth. With us, it was no
exception, and it was also something that developed over time. I think
that, with the first few records, we were still sorting out how to
capture that essence. Even though I think they are still great albums,
with the later material, we are able to apply the method and achieve
the sound we desired better.
JP: How do you maintain such an energy level night after night?
EH: I don’t think there’s really any serious
method behind that. It’s an effect that the music has on us and it’s
the energy that we share with the audience. When we get on stage, we
allow the music itself to propel Gogol Bordello and the crowd into a
frenzy, and the crazier the crowd gets, the crazier we get.
JP: What about you personally?
EH: [Laughs] For me? I guess I’m just blessed with natural energy.
JP: The music of your group is such
a fascinating dichotomy — such a mixture of all these different
elements. Do you recall, during the birth of Gogol Bordello, if the
coming together of these elements was a decision like, “I would love to
mix the music of my heritage with such and such,” or did the sound of
your band move more naturally into the vein that it is today?
EH: It was more natural, I suppose. I didn’t set
out to make a specific kind of music in the beginning. I think the
realization came to me after writing about a hundred songs. It was
obvious to me at that point what vein, what direction the music would
take. It was two strong sides coming to a convergence and mingling to
make the music that would eventually find its way into Gogol Bordello —
punk rock and the music I had grown up with on the other side.
JP: I can imagine that punk rock was a huge influence in your writing.
EH: Well, I’ll say this: I never went through a
serious education. I never attended church. Punk rock, when I was
young, was the only religion.
JP: I imagine, playing so many different
parts of the world, crowds bring a different kind of energy to your
performances. Is there a region where Gogol Bordello will be very
positively received and then other areas where your shows are met with
maybe a little more skepticism or uncertainty?
EH: You would think so, but we haven’t experienced
too much of that. One would think playing a place like Japan the
audience might be a bit more tame, but those fuckers are just as crazy
as…say we’re going to be playing Sao Paulo, Brazil here on October
24th, and in Brazil, the fans are insane. In Japan, we experienced much
of the same with fans with their fucking fists in the air screaming. I
think the music, Gypsy punk, is universal in that sense. It crosses
cultural boundaries.
JP: The term itself, “Gypsy Punk” — are
you okay with that after all this time, or do you feel your music is
marginalized by its presence?
EH: Shit, I hope not. I mean, I coined the fucking
term so if it marginalizes the music, then I’m in kind of a shit
position, you know? What, do you think someone’s holding a fucking gun
to my head about the label? [Laughs] No, I don’t think it boxes things
in. It takes the two largest parts of the music we create and allows
people to identify with the music a little better.
JP: You’re a musician. You’re an actor, a score composer… Any other ventures that you might be considering?
EH: Ballet. [Laughs]
JP: Good answer.
EH: No, I’ve been approached about a couple
different things — some directorial pursuits, and possibly something a
bit more autobiographical in the form of a book.
JP: You yourself have led
such an interesting life — at least a hell of a lot more interesting
than most of your rock contemporaries. I imagine having seen the things
you’ve seen and experienced the things you’ve experienced has instilled
in you a unique worldview, and I guess my next question is this: Does
Gogol Bordello have something they’re trying to say — a message they
would like to bring to the world?
EH: One thing? I don’t know if it can be brought
down to one thing. I hope we are bringing a little diversity to
people’s lives. Most people have these identities that revolve around
bullshit like nationalism or religion and, as human beings, we are so
much more than those boundaries that we place on ourselves, and
hopefully those who get into our music will be able to see those
boundaries and knock them down. But other than that, I just hope they
really like the music. [Laughs]
Original Article: http://www.buzzine.com/2008/10/gogol-bordello/