I don’t know — maybe it’s just me, but I’ve been waiting for the next musical revolution. The last one took place in ‘92 when I was but ten years old and, with any luck, the next few years could produce another renaissance. If that is the case, there should be little confusion as to who will lead it.

Allow me to introduce Eugene Hutz. He may not look like a genius, but the music this man has been able to craft with his fellow band mates in Gogol Bordello is nothing short of a musical catharsis. I had the pleasure of talking with the man for a short period the other day, and while he may be a tricky one to interview (the guy literally has no sense of nationality, which I think kicks utter ass), his words provided great insight into the method behind his seemingly endless madness.

Joshua Parsons: You guys are on the road right now. In fact, sometimes it seems like Gogol Bordello are never not on tour. Do you feel like you’re still touring in support of Super Taranta, or are you guys hitting the road to spread the word about Gogol Bordello?

Eugene Hutz: Well right now, we are just doing what bands do. We’re playing live music. It’s just part of being in a band. There’s no agenda or business bullshit behind it; it’s just us getting out there and spreading the word about Gogol Bordello.

JP: Your live shows are such a huge part of what Gogol Bordello actually is. Seeing a live set from you guys is such an experience. When going into the studio, do you ever find it difficult to capture that festive atmosphere that is so prevalent during your performances?

EH: Every band that goes into the studio develops a process. They develop an approach in the studio that helps them to achieve the sound that they desire to put forth. With us, it was no exception, and it was also something that developed over time. I think that, with the first few records, we were still sorting out how to capture that essence. Even though I think they are still great albums, with the later material, we are able to apply the method and achieve the sound we desired better.

JP: How do you maintain such an energy level night after night?

EH: I don’t think there’s really any serious method behind that. It’s an effect that the music has on us and it’s the energy that we share with the audience. When we get on stage, we allow the music itself to propel Gogol Bordello and the crowd into a frenzy, and the crazier the crowd gets, the crazier we get.

JP: What about you personally?

EH: [Laughs] For me? I guess I’m just blessed with natural energy.

JP: The music of your group is such a fascinating dichotomy — such a mixture of all these different elements. Do you recall, during the birth of Gogol Bordello, if the coming together of these elements was a decision like, “I would love to mix the music of my heritage with such and such,” or did the sound of your band move more naturally into the vein that it is today?

EH: It was more natural, I suppose. I didn’t set out to make a specific kind of music in the beginning. I think the realization came to me after writing about a hundred songs. It was obvious to me at that point what vein, what direction the music would take. It was two strong sides coming to a convergence and mingling to make the music that would eventually find its way into Gogol Bordello — punk rock and the music I had grown up with on the other side.

JP: I can imagine that punk rock was a huge influence in your writing.

EH: Well, I’ll say this: I never went through a serious education. I never attended church. Punk rock, when I was young, was the only religion.

JP: I imagine, playing so many different parts of the world, crowds bring a different kind of energy to your performances. Is there a region where Gogol Bordello will be very positively received and then other areas where your shows are met with maybe a little more skepticism or uncertainty?

EH: You would think so, but we haven’t experienced too much of that. One would think playing a place like Japan the audience might be a bit more tame, but those fuckers are just as crazy as…say we’re going to be playing Sao Paulo, Brazil here on October 24th, and in Brazil, the fans are insane. In Japan, we experienced much of the same with fans with their fucking fists in the air screaming. I think the music, Gypsy punk, is universal in that sense. It crosses cultural boundaries.

JP: The term itself, “Gypsy Punk” — are you okay with that after all this time, or do you feel your music is marginalized by its presence?

EH: Shit, I hope not. I mean, I coined the fucking term so if it marginalizes the music, then I’m in kind of a shit position, you know? What, do you think someone’s holding a fucking gun to my head about the label? [Laughs] No, I don’t think it boxes things in. It takes the two largest parts of the music we create and allows people to identify with the music a little better.

JP: You’re a musician. You’re an actor, a score composer… Any other ventures that you might be considering?

EH: Ballet. [Laughs]

JP: Good answer.

EH: No, I’ve been approached about a couple different things — some directorial pursuits, and possibly something a bit more autobiographical in the form of a book.

JP: You yourself have led such an interesting life — at least a hell of a lot more interesting than most of your rock contemporaries. I imagine having seen the things you’ve seen and experienced the things you’ve experienced has instilled in you a unique worldview, and I guess my next question is this: Does Gogol Bordello have something they’re trying to say — a message they would like to bring to the world?

EH: One thing? I don’t know if it can be brought down to one thing. I hope we are bringing a little diversity to people’s lives. Most people have these identities that revolve around bullshit like nationalism or religion and, as human beings, we are so much more than those boundaries that we place on ourselves, and hopefully those who get into our music will be able to see those boundaries and knock them down. But other than that, I just hope they really like the music. [Laughs]