Chilly Gonzales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chilly Gonzales
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Gonzales at a concert with Socalled at Théâtre National in Montreal, 2005
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jason Charles Beck |
| Also known as | Gonzales |
| Born | 20 March 1972 |
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Instruments |
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| Labels | Gentle Threat |
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Jason Charles Beck (born on March 20, 1972), known as Chilly Gonzales or just Gonzales, is a talented Canadian musician. He is a songwriter and producer who has worked with many artists. Gonzales has lived in Paris and Berlin, and now lives in Cologne, Germany.
He is famous for his music that crosses many styles. He has made rap albums and classical piano music. He has also worked with popular artists like Feist, Drake, and Daft Punk. In 2022, he worked with Plastikman and Tiga on a piano version of an album called Consumed in Key.
Gonzales shares his knowledge through different shows. He has hosted Pop Music Masterclass and Music's Cool with Chilly Gonzales. He also writes articles for newspapers and magazines. His brother, Christophe Beck, is a film composer. Chilly Gonzales won a Grammy Award for his work on Daft Punk's album Random Access Memories in 2013.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Musical Start
Jason Charles Beck's parents came from Hungary during World War II. He started learning piano by himself when he was just three years old. This was because his older brother, Christophe, was taking lessons. Jason went to Crescent School in Toronto, Canada.
He later studied piano at McGill University. There, he began writing music and performing as a jazz pianist. In the 1990s, he led an alternative rock band called Son. The band signed a deal with Warner Music Canada in 1995. Their first album, Thriller, had a song called "Pick up the Phone" that was played a lot on the radio.
Their second album, Wolfstein, was more complex. Warner Music did not like the new direction and stopped working with the band.
Moving to Berlin and New Music
In 1999, Gonzales moved to Berlin because he found the Canadian music industry difficult. He started using the stage name Chilly Gonzales. He called himself "The President of the Berlin Underground."
This move changed his music style a lot. His first four albums in Berlin were rap albums. They also showed off his amazing piano skills. European audiences liked his unique and experimental music. His song "Let's Groove Again" became a dance hit in 1999. He often performed at clubs and music festivals.
Solo Piano and Classical Music
In 2004, Gonzales released an album called Solo Piano. This album had only instrumental piano music. People loved it, and it reminded them of the composer Erik Satie. This album helped him reach a new audience around the world. Solo Piano is still his best-selling album.
Nine years later, he released Solo Piano II. In 2015, he released Chambers, which featured piano and chamber music with the Kaiser Quartett. The third album in the series, Solo Piano III, came out on September 7, 2018.
Working with Other Artists
Gonzales also became a producer and songwriter for other musicians. He worked with artists like Peaches, Jane Birkin, and Leslie Feist. He helped Feist with her 2003 album, Let It Die, which was very successful. He also contributed to her 2007 album, The Reminder, which won many awards.
Besides his solo work, Gonzales is part of a hip-hop band called Puppetmastaz. He played keyboards and piano on songs for Daft Punk's album Random Access Memories. This album won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Gonzales also worked with Jhené Aiko on the song "From Time" for Drake's album Nothing Was the Same. They met after Gonzales found out Drake had used his song "The Tourist" on another track. In 2016, Gonzales hosted a radio show called Music's Cool on Apple Music. On the show, he talked about the music theory behind different artists' songs.
Soft Power and Ivory Tower
In 2008, Gonzales released a pop album called Soft Power. He sang on this album, and it had a sound similar to the Bee Gees and Billy Joel.
His album Ivory Tower came out in 2010. It was produced by Boys Noize. A song from this album, "Never Stop," became very well known. The piano part from "Never Stop" was used in Apple Inc.'s advertisements for the iPad 2 around the world.
Grammy Award Win
In 2014, Chilly Gonzales won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. This award was for his work on Daft Punk's album Random Access Memories.
Setting a World Record
On May 18, 2009, Gonzales set a world record in Paris. He performed solo for 27 hours, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds! He played over 300 songs during this amazing performance.
Room 29 Project
On March 17, 2017, Gonzales released Room 29 with Jarvis Cocker. This album tells stories about a specific room in a Hollywood hotel. They performed the album live for the first time on the day it was released.
The Gonzervatory Music School
In 2018, Chilly Gonzales started his own music school called "The Gonzervatory." Seven musicians from different parts of the world came to Paris to study there. It was an eight-day workshop where Gonzales coached them. Other famous musicians like Peaches and Jarvis Cocker also gave masterclasses. The workshop ended with a concert at the Trianon Theater.
Discography
- Let's Groove Again – Single, 1999
- O.P. Original Prankster – (EP), 1999
- Gonzales Über Alles – Kitty-Yo, 2000
- The Entertainist – Kitty-Yo, 2000
- Presidential Suite – Kitty-Yo, 2002
- Z – Kitty-Yo, 2003
- Daft Punk – "Too Long" from Daft Club, 2003
- Solo Piano – No Format!, 2004
- Soft Power – Mercury/Universal, 2008
- Le Guinness World Record 'The Works', 2009
- Ivory Tower – Gentle Threat, 2010
- The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales – Gentle Threat, 2011
- Solo Piano II – Gentle Threat, 2012
- Daft Punk – "Give Life Back to Music" and "Within" from Random Access Memories – 2013
- Octave Minds (Chilly Gonzales and Boys Noize) – 2014
- Chambers – Gentle Threat, 2015
- Room 29 (Chilly Gonzales and Jarvis Cocker) – 2017
- Live at Massey Hall – Gentle Threat, 2018
- Other People's Pieces – Gentle Threat, 2018
- Solo Piano III – Gentle Threat, 2018
- A Very Chilly Christmas – 2020
- Consumed in Key (Plastikman & Chilly Gonzales) – 2022
- He Thinks That I'm An Angel (Goldie Boutilier & Chilly Gonzales) from Cowboy Gangster Politician EP - 2022
- Daft Punk - "GLBTM (Studio Outtakes)" from Random Access Memories (10th Anniversary Edition) - 2023
- French Kiss - Gentle Threat, 2023
- ... WAGNER - Single, 2024
- Gonzo - Gentle Threat, 2024
DVD Content
- From Major to Minor – 2006
- The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales Live with Orchestra – May 2012
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
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| 2010 | Ivory Tower | Hershell | An independent film he helped write, also starring Peaches, Feist and Tiga |
Books
In 2020, Gonzales wrote a book called Enya: A Treatise on Unguilty Pleasures. In the book, he talked about how he enjoyed Enya's music when he was a child. He explored how people's musical tastes can be personal, not just based on what others think.
See also
In Spanish: Chilly Gonzales para niños
