Philippe Starck and Soundwalk‘s co-founder Alex Kummerman spoke with France Culture’s “Le Rendez-Vous” last night. “Le Rendez-Vous,” broadcast by France Culture, is a French public radio show which broadcasts every weeknight. It takes the form of interviews relating to topics of news, politics, and culture. Starck and Kummerman were invited to introduce their concepts on sound and the upcoming LE SON DU NOUS show, produced by Dalbin, at MAC Créteil’s International Exit Festival, March 19 & 20.
8 CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO PHILIPPE STARCK’S INTERVIEW WITH FRANCE CULTURE (in French only)
Known primarily as a designer, Starck is quick to declare his passion for sound and music. When asked about LE SON DU NOUS, Starck declares what he finds most interesting about the show is that he does not yet know the sound of us. It will be created at the performance. Starck finds this both humorous and fascinating: his aim with LE SON DU NOUS is to “open a door,” and encourage each person to find his own unique sound.
He makes a comparison to Franco-Swiss filmmaker Godard’s Alphaville: in which the main character, played by Eddie Constantine, opens door after door in a corridor that serves as a metaphor for the human mind. Starck’s aim is to “open up” our minds, giving us a view of what is inside.
Sound is a concept that is very dear to Starck. He sees sound as something that is not only heard, but more importantly, recieved. Starck describes sound as a space, something verging on the physical. He names 24 Hours: The Starck Mix, a “bespoke” mix of ambient sound and music created by Soundwalk for the designer, as the most incredible gift he has ever received. In passionate words, Starck describes the mix as “like a drug,” creating an imaginary space which was all at once “extraordinary, rich, eclectic, and moving.”
Soundwalk’s Alex Kummerman speaks about how our capacity to transmit sound has grown in recent years. He cites the advances in digital music and the availability of high quality-sound on personal music devices. He claims that the ipod can rival any large radio antenna, and has changed the way in which we consume sound.
It is the relationship between Starck and Soundwalk where the soundscape is created: it is an encounter between a designer (whose work resides in the production of material objects) and a sound art collective (whose work resides in the manipulation of the immateriality of sound). The two combine to create a space that is both physical and imaginary.
We are given a sample of this concept with a Live Session by Marc Huri, a Soundwalk collaborator who will be on stage for the realisation of LE SON DU NOUS.