“One thing you have to know about me is that with whatever environment I’m in, I usually do the opposite [of what I’m expected to],” says producer Daniel Gardner a.k.a. Frivolous, enjoying a brief stay on Galliano Island, B.C.

“I’ve only really come to terms with that quirky aspect of my personality recently, but it’s a good thing to know instead of fighting it all the time.”

Gardner makes the admission with a self-conscious chuckle, this theme being a constant in his life. Growing up in the suburbs of Vancouver with a mom who was a minister, Gardner took to the piano early on, his natural talent honed by 10 years of classical studies. He paired this with electronic music composition courses and recorded sound experiments.

“I do really appreciate the years of piano training though,” he enthuses. “It ingrained a natural sense of melody. I just wish that rhythm was second nature to me in the same way.”

To these ears, Gardner’s rhythms are very developed and defined. That said, he’s long had experimental inclinations, whether blending edgy house and techno as a 16-year-old DJ at a mid-’90s Vancouver after-hours club or releasing “weird, soundscapey bleepy beepy techno” on German labels Background and Karloff in the early 2000s. A browse through Gardner’s catalogue reveals the influence of artists he’s quick to credit, including jazz-loving geniuses Atom Heart and Burnt Friedman, microhouse master Isolée and numerous German post-rock bands.

“I tend to go through phases; whatever I’m appreciating the most at that moment is what I start to make,” says Gardner. “In that sense, I’m still struggling to figure out what my style is. I’ve always had a problem laying down my summary statement or manifesto.”

I, for one, appreciate the man’s versatility. The music of Frivolous is refreshingly personality driven, consistently playful, present and, ironically, confident. His Midnight Black Indulgence album – created during Gardner’s stint living in Montreal, and released on Germany’s ~scape label in 2007 – remains a frequent listen for me. It sold well, prompting a request from ~scape for a follow-up.

Ever candid, Gardner discloses that while he’s soaked up a variety of influences while calling Berlin home for the last few years, he’s not been terribly motivated.

“My work ethic has been just as high, I just haven’t been able to tap in to any real, true inspiration,” he divulges. “There’s been a little pressure from the label and they also made the mistake of asking for ‘something like your older style.’

“Well, my older style was to completely feel whatever I was inspired by and go in that direction. At the time, I was getting back into that Animal Collective meets Mouse on Mars kind of thing — post-rock, textured, almost singer-songwriter stuff — and went in that direction. I gave them some of those demos, with banjo, guitar, full vocals, verses and choruses, and they didn’t know what to make of it, frankly. They were confused.”

I’m beginning to understand Gardner’s crisis of confidence even if I believe that his creative voice is much more consistent than he is currently able to credit himself with. Recent EPs like Emoticon Don and Moonshine are warm, quirky and hugely expressive. Visiting the excellent Frivolous website, I discover a new song, titled “River’s Fate,” that moves me to listen to it half a dozen times consecutively. I’m aching to share this in the clubs and tell Gardner so.

“Well, that’s encouraging,” he responds. “That was actually one of the songs on my demo that was rejected so I was under the impression that it kind of sucked. I’ve really been trying to figure it out though because I’ve been playing these tracks in my live set and they’ve been killing — really killing — and that song especially. People love it.”

Gardner is openly courting feedback, dear readers, so do consider a visit to his site. He‘ll also include “River’s Fate” in his set this Saturday, a live performance of DIY electronics incorporating many of Gardner’s homemade instruments, including the sound-manipulating device he’s titled “the Frivolous patented electromagnetic knife.”

A true original, Gardner is now also debating his next move, declaring himself “inspired” by the solitude of Galliano.

“I’ve learned some valuable lessons by being in Berlin, but think I need to take that information and go back to where I was before, with a sense of remoteness and the need to express myself. I find that if I’m in a place where they play country music on the radio, then I’m really going to want to make minimal and house music.”