- Making Mirrors
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Making Mirrors 
Studio album by Gotye Released August 19, 2011 Recorded 2009–2011 Genre Indie pop Length 42:21 Label Eleven Producer Wally De Backer Gotye chronology Mixed Blood
(2007)Making Mirrors
(2011)Singles from Making Mirrors - "Eyes Wide Open"
Released: October 12, 2010 - "Somebody That I Used to Know"
Released: July 5, 2011 - "I Feel Better"
Released: October 24, 2011 (airplay) - "Easy Way Out (UK Release Only)"
Released: TBA
Making Mirrors is the third studio album by the Belgian-born Australian musician Gotye. The album was released on August 19, 2011.
Contents
History
In mid-October, 2010, Gotye released a single titled "Eyes Wide Open", the first track from the album. The "Eyes Wide Open" single received generally positive reviews and reached #25 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2010.[1] Eyes Wide Open saw Gotye explore new musical territory, with the main bass line from the song recorded on a fence; "I was out there with my old band called The Basics - and Winton is home to this phenomenal thing called the Winton Musical Fence, which is a large fence made out of metal stings stretched between posts and you can pluck it and play it with all sorts of different materials - it makes these amazing bass sounds so I sampled some bits there in 08 and they made it into the first single I put out off the new record called Eyes Wide Open."[2]
In late March, 2010, Gotye revealed the album's title, which was inspired by an artwork de Backer chanced upon which was edited to create the album cover art. He claimed, "The mirror reflects on artwork and it is all very related to self-reflection and introspection on the album."[1] Gotye also revealed that the album would see a release in June or July, 2011, with a single to precede the release,[1] along with the fact that the album would be similar to its predecessor in terms of diversity.[1] Gotye went on to reveal that the release of the album was delayed for over five months due to the composition and recording of a single track.[3]
On May 19, 2011, it was announced that the album would be released on August 19, 2011, with the album to be launched the following day at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Graphic Festival, with animators and a ten-piece orchestra as part of Gotye's performance.[4] Gotye was also to issue a follow-up single to "Eyes Wide Open" titled "Somebody That I Used to Know", on 11 July 2011.[4]
Upon the announcement of the track listing, Gotye also revealed that there would be a DVD accompanying the record which would include film clips and documentaries.[5]
However, controversy erupted on the 5 July 2011, when the video for the new single, "Somebody That I Used to Know", was leaked online via the Austereo Radio Network's Take 40 website. Later that day, the song was aired for the first time on Triple J with the official stamp of approval from Gotye.[6] Due to this, Gotye was forced to release the single six days early, on 5 July 2011, through iTunes for Australians, and his website for international followers.
The song has also reached #1 in the ARIA Singles Chart,[7] and the ARIA Digital Singles Chart[8] and #1 in the ARIA Australian Artists Chart.[9]
As of Friday November 4, the single has received five times platinum sales and the #1 position on the Australian iTunes store, making it one of the highest-selling singles of 2011.
The album has been certified two times platinum by the ARIA Albums Chart, making it the most successful Australian album of 2011.
"I Feel Better" will be the third single.
Concept and themes
Shortly before its release, Gotye spoke to the ABC about the significance of the artwork, the title, and how it symbolises the creative and introspective process of recording the album; "It's more about reflection - the look at yourself that a mirror offers and also the way it gives you a different perspective on things around you. So I guess I feel a bit analogous to what these songs become to me - you know little ways for me to explore my record collection, explore the world of sound that I'm fascinated by, and also sometimes get a different perspective on memories and emotions I've been mulling over that they find voice in these songs".[2]
Gotye revealed that the second single from the album, "Somebody That I Used to Know", was not lyrically the result of a single break-up. "It wasn't about one specific relationship," explained De Backer in an interview, "but it was definitely drawn from various experiences I've had in relationships breaking up, and in the parts of the more reflective parts of the song, in the after-math and the memory of those different relationships and what they were and how they broke up and what's going on in everyone's minds. Yeah, so it's an amalgam of different feelings but not completely made up as such."[2]
Despite the album's huge success, Gotye revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone Australia that he intially battled with indecision and depression while making the album, which in turn became the subject matter of songs like "Smoke and Mirrors" and "Save Me". He stated: "There were points that I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish a record I was really into or that I’d give up at some stage.”[10]
Reception
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic 
[11]Herald Sun [12]The New Zealand Herald [13]The Music Network (favourable)[14] Radar Radio [15]Pitchfork (7.7/10)[16] The Music Network gave the album a favourable review, saying that it was "just as rich, cheeky and steeped in pop history and musicality as its predecessor and as carefully-constructed and addictive as its breakout track (Somebody That I Used to Know), it will cement Wally de Backer as the oddball, everyman genius of Australian pop."[14] The Herald Sun gave it four out of five stars, adding that "Bronte and Giving Me a Chance are the latest in a long line of beautiful, visual songs begging to soundtrack the pivotal scene in a movie that's yet to be made."[12] Radar Radio also gave Making Mirrors four out of five stars and said that on the track "Eyes Wide Open", "with lyrics like "Some people offered up answers / We made out like we heard / but they were only words / They didn't add up to a change in the way we were living". Now don't get me wrong, I have never been in a situation like this yet it feels so relatable."[17]
Track listing
On June 30, 2011, the track list for Making Mirrors was announced.[5]
Making Mirrors No. Title Length 1. "Making Mirrors" 1:01 2. "Easy Way Out" 1:57 3. "Somebody That I Used to Know" (featuring Kimbra) 4:04 4. "Eyes Wide Open" 3:11 5. "Smoke and Mirrors" 5:13 6. "I Feel Better" 3:18 7. "In Your Light" 4:39 8. "State of the Art" 5:22 9. "Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You" 3:18 10. "Giving Me a Chance" 3:07 11. "Save Me" 3:53 12. "Bronte" 3:18 13. "Dig Your Own Hole" (Bonus iTunes track; bonus download from bandtag.com.au as part of the Limited Edition CD) 4:23 14. "Somebody That I Used to Know - Faux Pas Remix" (Bonus iTunes pre-order track) 3:59 15. "Showdown Below My Sombrero" (Bonus CD/DVD pre-order track) 2:30 On 22 July 2011, the DVD contents was announced.[18]
Making Mirrors DVD No. Title Length 1. "The Making of Eyes Wide Open" (documentary) 8:01 2. "Making Making Mirrors" (documentary) 10:03 3. "Eyes Wide Open" (music video) 3:18 4. "Somebody That I Used to Know" (featuring Kimbra) (music video) 4:03 5. "State of the Art" (music video) 5:18 6. "Bronte" (music video) 3:14 Chart performance
Chart (2011) Peak
positionAustralian Albums Chart[19] 1 Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[20] 3 Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[21] 39 Dutch Albums Chart[22] 5 New Zealand Albums Chart[23] 8 References
- ^ a b c d "Gotye's Mirrored Vision". Bendigo Advertiser. http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/gotyes-mirrored-vision/2116370.aspx?storypage=. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
- ^ a b c http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/07/28/3280357.htm
- ^ http://gotye.com/news.html
- ^ a b http://www.undercover.fm/news/14797-gotye-debuts-new-album-at-the-opera-house
- ^ a b http://gotye.com/
- ^ http://twitter.com/gotye
- ^ http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display_singles.asp?chart=1U50
- ^ http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display_digital.asp?chart=1DT40
- ^ http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display_australian.asp?chart=1U20AUS&chart2=1G20AUS
- ^ Treuen, Jason. "Rolling Stone: Gotye’s Mad World". Rolling Stone Australia. http://jasontreuen.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/rolling-stone-gotyes-mad-world/. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
- ^ Making Mirrors - Gotye | Allmusic
- ^ a b http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/music/album-review-making-mirrors-by-gotye-elevenuniversal/story-fn7oonq8-1226117613340
- ^ Kara, Scott (20 August 2011). "Album Review: Gotye, Making Mirrors". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10746130. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- ^ a b http://www.themusicnetwork.com/reviews/album/2011/08/19/gotye-making-mirrors/
- ^ http://www.radarradio.com.au/artists/reviews/gotye-making-mirrors-review.aspx/
- ^ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15749-making-mirrors/
- ^ http://www.radarradio.com.au/artists/reviews/gotye-making-mirrors-review.aspx
- ^ http://gotye.com
- ^ "Gotye - Making Mirrors". australian-charts.com/. http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Gotye&titel=Making+Mirrors&cat=a.
- ^ "Gotye - Making Mirrors". ultratop.be/nl/. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Gotye&titel=Making+Mirrors&cat=a.
- ^ http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp``?interpret=Gotye&titel=Making+Mirrors&cat=a
- ^ "Gotye - Making Mirrors". dutchcharts.nl/. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Gotye&titel=Making+Mirrors&cat=a.
- ^ "Gotye - Making Mirrors". charts.org.nz/. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Gotye&titel=Making+Mirrors&cat=a.
External links
- Gotye - Making Mirrors on SoundCloud
Studio albums Other albums Singles "Learnalilgivinanlovin" · "Hearts a Mess" · "Eyes Wide Open" · "Somebody That I Used to Know" (featuring Kimbra)Related articles Categories:- 2011 albums
- Gotye albums
- "Eyes Wide Open"
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