Diva Divo - Dance Magazine

From Elvis’ pelvis to Madonna’s white wedding dress, pop music is filled with iconic symbols of Sex. And from Bono to Bob (Dylan, that is), rock and roll has a storied history of bringing social issues to the masses. Dropping pants and raising awareness: this may be the music industry’s greatest legacy.

But few artists are combining brain and brawn like Ari Gold. The sex symbol’s sculpted torso is a familiar sight to thousands of fawning fans who long for his Midas Touch. But on Transport Systems (available October 2), Ari is openly courting the dance crowd like never before. Unabashedly club-friendly and boldly political, this album is the artist’s most ambitious project yet.

“It’s the first time I’ve really been able to conceive an album from beginning to end,” he explains. “I think for that reason it’s my most cohesive work.” And considering the number of social issues tackled by the album (drug abuse, infidelity, gender identity, human rights…), it’s also the widest glimpse yet into the artist’s active mind. “I don’t think pop music has to be brainless,” Ari says. “It can be fun and sexy and still make you think and feel. I think some of the newer generation of pop stars kind of forgot that. Cause certainly in the 60s, 70s, and even the 80s to some extent, pop music still felt like it had the power to change the world.”

Systems aside, Gold has already done his part to change the world: he made an early name for himself as the first R&B artist to be openly gay from the start of his career. More importantly, and unlike other “out” artists who neuter themselves for public consumption, Ari has succeeded in bringing gay sexuality to the masses with the same provocatively slick rock ‘n roll packaging as his straight peers. From music that explicitly addresses male-male romance to a 2005 coffee table book of erotic photos, Gold has blazed a trail in diversifying the music industry… even when that very industry scoffed. “I received a tremendous amount of positive attention from gay people, gay press, and mainstream press,” says Ari of his arrival on the music scene. “But I also received a lot of discouragement from the music industry professionals, both gay and straight, that I presented myself to.” That reaction, he says, underscored how much progress is still necessary in society at large: “I was definitely surprised,” he explains of the reactions. “These were some very powerful people who were totally out themselves. Some of whom you could see at the Roxy [nightclub] on Saturday night with their shirts off in the middle of the dance floor! It was a wake-up call that we as a community have a lot of growth to do in ourselves.”

Ari’s art has experienced growth, too. Since he was discovered at age 5, crooning at his brother’s bar-mitzvah, the artist has worked tirelessly to hone his musical craft: he recorded his first demo at age 12, began writing his own songs at age 14, graduated from a Yeshiva [Jewish parochial] school in Manhattan, studied at Yale, got a college degree from New York University… and, oh yeah, released three dance/pop/R&B albums to critical acclaim and an adoring fanbase.

Transport Systems is the culmination of this life experience, an observant eye, and a curious mind interested in exploring serious social issues. “Everything I write is at least semi-autobiographical,” confesses Ari. “There’s always a certain amount of artistic license, but everything usually comes from a deeply personal place… stuff I go through and things I see around me.”

While the album’s lead single, “Where the Music Takes You” is a funky house jam with big-band swing, not everything Ari sees is equally uplifting: On the song “Feeding the Fire,” Ari tackles the rampant issue of crystal meth addiction in the gay community. “I’ve seen more than one person close to me ruin their lives with substance abuse, “ he admits. “I think the core of the problem lies in our self-esteem, not just the drug. I think that needs to be addressed, too.”Indeed, t

There are a number of hot-topic issues addressed on Transport Systems. On “Mr. Mistress,” Ari chides a cheating closet-case to go back to his wife and kids; he interrupts the liner note lyrics of “Ride to Heaven,” (a sexy pop song) with the number for an NYC AIDS hotline, reminding listeners to “buckle up every time”… and he has an impressive history of philanthropic work. He’s contributed music to benefit CDs for the Human Rights Campaign, American Civil Liberties Union, the Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina Relief, aligned himself with the Ali Forney Center for LGBT Homeless Youth… the list goes on.