Stereo Embers The Podcast 0124: Ian Gothe

“You Try Writing A Number One Techno Song In Italy” That’s exactly what Ian Gothe did. Back in the ‘80s Gothe decided to prove to a pal in a bar in England that writing a techno song was an easy thing to do. So he went home and did it. Little did he know, the song would later rise to the top of the charts in Italy. These things happen. Actually, in Ian Gothe’s life, a lot of things happen. Born in Iran to an Armenian family, Gothe’s life story is one that’s about as novelistic as it gets. His tale takes him from Iran to England to Baltimore to Los Angeles and along the way he got married, put down music for a decade, gots divorced and rediscovered his love of playing guitar through the…flute. That’s right. The flute. He’ll explain everything but until you hit PLAY, let us tell you this: Ian Gothe is a remarkable guitarist who plays with soul, finesse, groove and heart. His compositions are filled with dexterity, virtuosity and an otherworldly command of his instrument. Not only that, but on his debut album Memento, he takes on numbers by The Coral, The Bee Gees and The Doors. His journey is remarkable, his self-possession inspiring and his playing downright stunning. In this conversation Ian talks to Alex about how he learned to play guitar by deconstructing the music he loved, what it was like to not play music for so long and the shock of finding out he had a number one song in Italy.