Which unsurprisingly, meant that Gardner was keen to explore the more creative world of electronic music. “By that time, I already had nine years of classical piano under my belt and I knew it was going to be a class I could finally do well in.” Indeed, as one might expect, it was a pretty basic setup for him initially, comprising mostly of tape recorders and massive amounts of home-spliced cables, a few guitars and amps as well as a drum set made of buckets from around the farm!
But where there’s a will there’s a way. And in 2011, Frivolous admits to being super critical when it comes to music. “I know immediately when I like something, and usually it’s like finding a diamond in the rough. I sort through piles and piles of music, because I love to do that – and yes the inspirations can be quite varied. I have a hard time telling people that I make electronic music, or even worse, techno. It just doesn’t feel right to say that!”
Likewise, this is one of the things that sets this guy’s music apart from most electronic music. He continues, “Sometimes my music is silly, but it’s always made with love and inspiration and lots and lots of emotion. Other times it’s dark and melodramatic, but it is always balanced with the funky and quirky side of it. I think that’s what draws me to the format. I can be as moody as I want, but the inherent result of giving electronic sounds a human characteristic makes it funky and fun and makes one’s troubles seem slightly insignificant – which they almost always are!”
In 2011, Gardner admits to being influenced by a lot of the ethereal type sounds that are often found in modern indie projects like Caribou or Florence & The Machine. “I am really into this crossover,” he says. “I believe this is where the future of modern music lies. So I really am inspired to work with choirs and acoustic instruments as well as experimental sound-sources and nerdy stuff. This had provided a lot of my inspiration this year. I mean that is not completely evident in the sound that I’m touring at the moment though.”
“Still, this year has been a great experience with Luciano and the Cadenza crew. I’ve learnt a lot about how to reach people in a large-scale party environment, so I am relying on honing my skills in this area with my jazzy, house sounds – and somewhere in the middle lies the inspiration for a new record! I’ve also decided to completely revamp my entire workflow. So what little time I’ve had this year for studio work has mostly been spent researching, planning, buying stuff – and learning how to use it. I wanted to find a way to be more efficient and less OCD with the whole process! So while there aren’t any physical fruits yet, it’s coming!”
Yet all of this will come after the chap takes a break. Having played over 100 shows in the last year – which works out to one every three days – he is looking forward to setting out and enjoying the local mountains and spas – as well as making some fondue with amazing Alpine cheeses. “This is naturally quite inspiring for the musical side of things,” he says. “I anticipate a good healthy stream of releases for the new year.”
Which all leads to what we already know – that Frivolous is a man of diverse tastes. Similarly, he won’t be drawn on a favourite genre or style. “I hate to even try and answer the question of what kind of music I play. On the flip side of this, I would say that this year I’m playing a slightly more reigned in version of my rather excessively various influences. It’s a matter of knowing the right moment for each of them and executing my use of them in such a way that makes sense and inspires other people in whatever context I’m playing. As I get more savvy with my tools in the studio and more practiced in my recently re-engineered live set, I will have more freedom to go even crazier than before.”
So give the man an audience and he’ll promise to deliver an entertaining show that is sure to make your body move. “For me, it’s all about what comes out, if the feeling is appropriate. I can’t tell you what you’ll think. For that, ask somebody else who’s seen it, or just wait and see. I hate describing myself, but I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!”
