Having never before visited our shores, the impressions of Australia held by Guy Gerber have so far been relegated to terrible examples of ocker culture like Kylie, Jason and Home and Away. But don’t hold that against him; this is one DJ/producer worth his salt, and whose dedication to the craft continues to reap rewards. Soon to perform in our country over the June Long Weekend at We Love Sounds in Sydney and the Winter Music Festival in Melbourne, ITM asked this Tel Aviv native to nominate the turning point in what’s been a series of career highlights.

“It was the signing to Cocoon,” he says unequivocally, in reference to German techno stalwart Sven Väth’s record label. “It really changed my life.” On how it came about he says, “I begun sending tracks to them at the urging of my friends, after they told me Sven was playing my releases. The label manager then contacted me to set up a meeting”. Once he’d signed on the dotted line, the doors opened wider and he was invited to play in Frankfurt and Barcelona, with his hat thrown firmly in the ring alongside the Teutonic titan.

But irrespective of this big break, it’s easy to argue that Guy would have still ascended the musical mountain under his own steam, given that he’s been releasing massive tunes since 2002, most notably his ‘04 bomb Stoppage Time which was picked up by John Digweed’s influential Bedrock label and regularly played by the likes of Steve Angello, Dave Seaman and Mauro Picotto. At the time it quickly became one of that season’s Ibiza anthems. Listening to it again prior to the interview, I remarked that the classic reminds me of vintage Sasha & Digweed. Guy lists those artists as both inspirations and friends, adding humbly that, “like their music, the ultimate appeal is in the feeling being more important than the beats.”

On performing, Guy says transitioning from the studio to the playing live sets alongside Väth proved quite the challenge. “I was very shy, and Sven helped me feel much more comfortable, and that it’s OK to be yourself. He’s an amazing teacher.” With his shyness subdued, Guy spent 2008 clocking up the frequent flyer miles playing club gigs all over Europe and heavily promoting his debut album Late Bloomers which was release on the Cocoon label. Signature tracks included Sea of Sand and Belly Dancing, and as a piece of artistry it’s the perfect showcase of his talents, emphasising his indie-rock roots and polished production skills to produce a sound that’s difficult to define, but easy to enjoy; a polymorph of progressive, techno, electro and trance.

His talents aren’t only confined to electronic music however, as Guy is also just as adept kicking around balls as he is twiddling knobs in the studio; in his teens, he even representing his country internationally on the soccer field. This naturally led me to ask who he follows, and if he’s still kept his skills up. “Unfortunately not at all,” he laughs. “I like to remember myself as Al Bundy from Married with Children, who reminisces on how good he was in former days without having to show what he can actually do now, but I love watching and follow Liverpool and Barcelona.”

Back on to topic of dance music, I asked him on the dance scene back home in Israel, he says the sound of the country’s clubs is currently more progressive, and there are some cool underground clubs in his home city of Tel Aviv. He’s also currently planning his follow-up album on his own label Supplement Facts. “It’s really growing,” he says of his new imprint, “particularly now that we’ve gone to a new structure of management.” He also dropped the bombshell that he’s recently parted ways with Cocoon, though he confirms that “it was all on good terms,” and it’s given him more time to focus on developing his label. His second album is in the late stages of completion, and will be something to watch out later this year.

He says he’s looking forward to finally playing to Australian crowds. “I’ve heard a lot of good things, and I’m expecting a lot of good energy in Australia. I’ll also be performing a good mix of new tracks off my upcoming album.” Unfortunately though his involvement will be a ‘pash and dash’ affair, and is limited to a roaring run of gigs through Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, leaving him with little time to enjoy the sights. A man of dedication and diligence, he says he’ll be heading home immediately after the gigs and into the studio to finish up his second album.

Guy’s horizon continues to be a bright beacon, with his next stop being a 2009 summer residency at the mighty Space in Ibiza. So it’s about time we had him over here to say hello – let’s hope it’s not too long before he comes back!

Guy Gerber tour dates below, check out our Festival pages for more info

Friday 5th June – Ambar, Perth
Saturday 6th June – We Love Sounds, Sydney
Sunday 7th June – Winter Sound System, Melbourne
Monday 8th June – We Love Sounds, Adelaide

Check out this footage of Guy Gerber doing his thing in the Cocoon tent…