The Ari Gold experience is both an audio and a visual one. Singing and recording from an early age, Gold has more recently been making waves on the dance charts as well as within the queer music community. His album, Space Under Sun, received a 2005 Outmusic Award. The music video for the song “Wave of You,” an homage to Herb Ritts, is in heavy rotation on Logo. Gold is also a natural in front of the camera, and the newly published coffee-table photo book Ari Gold (Bruno Gmünder, 2005, $45), celebrates his visage with a series of photos revealing him in a variety of poses.

In addition to the images, and words of praise from original Village People cowboy Randy Jones and Boy George (one of the book's photographers), a remix CD is included with the book, enhancing the package. Gold was good enough to take time out of his hectic schedule to answer a few questions for this interview.

After Elton: I'd like to begin by offering my congratulations to you, once again, on winning the Outstanding New Recording Outmusic Award in June of 2005. What was your reaction when you heard your name announced?
Ari Gold:  Thank you!  I think my first reaction was relief because I knew that my manager and I could now have a good time and not be bummed out and have to pretend like we weren't disappointed—especially on the six hour drive we had to get back to where we were being flown out of!

AE: What does winning the Outmusic Award mean to you?
AG: It was a huge validation that all the hard work and the risks I've taken as an out artist were being recognized. I do what I do for gay people first and foremost, so to have that be reciprocated makes me feel like my life and my choices actually make sense – because as artists we don't always feel that way! It was like, “Yes, I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing.”

I got a little Jamie Foxx at the podium too—especially when thinking about my brother Steven who is also a music producer and without whose help I could never have made my record.  It just gave me and all the people that have worked with me a chance to take a moment and celebrate what we've been trying to do because we don't get to do that everyday. And to have won for both my first album and my second–that's just incredible.

AE: Did it have special meaning for you to be able to be in Chicago accept it in person?
AG:  Well, it was one of the more intense tour weekends. I had a gig in Boston on Friday, then a show in Brooklyn the next day and then we were flying to Des Moines, Iowa for a show that night. Then we had to drive to Chicago for the awards. I was really happy it worked out so that I could be there.

AE: What does the Outmusic organization mean to you?
AG: It's a great place for out indie artists to feel like there is a community, so we don't feel so alone all the time. Sometimes you feel like you're the only one doing what you're doing and that can be isolating. I think it's also very important as a community, however diverse and fragmented we might be at times, to give ourselves the recognition for our work because the mainstream world certainly isn't. The mainstream music industry is still almost completely ignoring gay artists. And I think we need to give ourselves the respect our work deserves.

AE: It seems like you can't turn on Logo without seeing your video for “Wave Of You.” How does it feel to have the video in such heavy rotation on the LGBT cable network?
AG:  It's funny to me because I wrote that song quite a while ago but never gave up on it and the video that Guy Guido directed came out so great considering what a limited budget we had.  But better late than never!  I'm just glad we have our own network now because the other networks weren't playing it. One network actually requested it and then said they couldn't play it because they thought it wasn't suitable for their audience. But that only has to do with the fact that there are gay guys kissing each other. The video is very sensual but it's far less raunchy or risqué than your average rap video or Britney Spears video. Maybe it was all the transsexuals in it, but I doubt they even got that part!

AE: Have you started working on your next disc?
AG:  I have started a few new songs and I've certainly been thinking a lot about it--what I want to say and write about. I write stuff all the time but it's not until I get to the studio where things really take shape. I am excited about some of the people I'm going to collaborate with.  It's a process and a journey and you never know what shape it's going to take in the beginning. And when you're indie, you really have to pull it all together yourself which can be daunting to say the least!

AE: Your OMA-winning CD Space Under Sun was released on your record label Gold 18. Is the 18 in reference to the Hebrew letter “chai” which you also wear around your neck?
AG : Yes!  That's very perceptive of you. “Chai” means life in Hebrew. And the two letters that make up the word “chai” come out to eighteen in Jewish numerology. I write a bit about it in the introduction to my book. I also like how the eight looks like an infinity sign and the one looks like a straight finite line. I have it tattooed on my back. It's about the tension between the infinite and finite. Life and death. The body being finite, the soul being infinite.  

But I actually got the infinity tattooed first because my boyfriend, at the time, used to make a figure eight on my back when we were lying in bed. After we broke up I got the line underneath and the whole eighteen “chai” thing took shape. It's all ooga booga and weird like that. (laughs)