Geko

On his SoundCloud page he is described as “an enigma, wrapped in a mystery; immersed in weed smoke. He is Geko, aka Phil Gektor, a purveyor of a sacred Lingua Franca long forgotten”. After reading that, we just had to get to know him a little better…
Hey Geko, thanks for taking some time out to have a chat with Forte. First off, for anyone not familiar with who you are, can you introduce yourself and tell us what it is you do?
I’m a producer, rapper and sound engineer working with Crate Cartel records.
You also roll under the guise of ‘Phil Gektor’ these days. Tell us about the name change. Are we talking to Geko or Phil today?
I don’t know exactly what the deal is there. It just sort of happened. I wrote a song about producers that tote guns – it kind of came from that I think.
You are part of the infamous ‘Crate Cartel’, something which you started many years ago. However, your role has somewhat changed of late. Tell us about how your position at CC has changed over time.
I’m really just an artist now. I used to help people on the label with their projects a lot and organise pressings, merch tours etc. Now Discourse has taken over all of that and has really stepped it up. I’ve been enjoying making music a lot more without the business.
You have just released ‘Real Heads Don’t Listen’, the newest effort in a long line of titles. Tell us a bit about the project.
It’s actually the second time I’ve done a full self- produced solo. It’s always a bit more full-on because you’re so responsible for the end product. It really made me try a bit harder. I think it’s a good project and is in its own space, insofar as nothing coming out really sounds like it. Not that I know of anyway.
Listening to RHDL, there is a distinct feel to the album. Without coming across as ‘abstract’, it’s got a real ‘I have found what I am comfortable doing’ vibe. Is that something that you felt while making the album?
I think just doing music a lot over the years you experiment with different things, you get more strings in your bow and your music can become more expansive. Also, not having a style that is ever really going to see mainstream success. I’m really not fussed about all that so I’m comfortable to just do what I want to do.
Is there a message behind the title of the album?
There are many messages. It’s a very deep title. It’s all about respect for people who just pursue their “thing” regardless of what other people do or tell them.
Tell us about the features on there.
There is one feature with Flu [aka Fluent Form]. And my mate Tommo “Skwid” Parker helped out with cuts, some live instrumentation and sung a hook on ‘Steppenwolf’.
You are one of Australia’s finest hip hop producers, having contributed to some of Australia’s biggest releases. How is the balance between producing and spitting these days for you?
Thanks for the compliment. Producing is my main thing – not just making beats, I love bringing songs together. The rapping is just the easiest way I can try to do that without being dependent on others.
The word ‘recluse’ gets thrown around a bit where Geko is concerned. Is that something you are comfortable with? Will you be stepping out to tour this album?
People can say what they like – I don’t really feel anyway about it. I have good friends outside the music scene and have friends to do music with in CC. I’d rather spend my time with family and my friends rather than trying to be down with every rapper. It seems like a lot of folks are so concerned with socialising and trying to be liked and tweeting that the music is almost secondary. I do music because I like music, not musicians.
Can you tell us a bit about where your stable mates are at ATM – Flu, Maundz, Raven etc. What’s happening at CC HQ?
Everyone is working on new music which should emerge in the not too distant future.
Anything you would like to add or mention?
Yeah, thanks to all the heads checking for the album. The response has been really good for this one and it’s given me nice feelings. So thanks for that. And thanks for the interview.