Breakthrough Artist of March 2012: Gotye

Gotye (pronounced "go-ti-yay" or "Gauthier") is the alias of Australian electronic pop trickster Wally de Backer. Born in Belgium and raised in Melbourne, de Backer began making music in his bedroom as a teen, and for several years fronted the rock band Downstares. After the group dissolved, he gravitated toward cut-and-paste electronic music, and in 2003 issued the first Gotye album, Boardface. Like Drawing Blood followed two years later, notching the cult hit "Learnalilgivinanlovin" and earning J Award consideration from the influential Aussie radio station Triple J. De Backer concurrently served in the Melbourne pop trio the Basics. In 2011 Gotye released Making Mirrors, featuring a duet with vocalist Kimbra, "Somebody That I Used to Know", which topped the chart in UK, Australia, and Ireland