Beatrice Ardisson, illustrateur sonore

- An interview for STATUS magazine

How did you get involved into the making of Paris Derniere series, in the first place?
I was doing the TV soundtrack for this late night Parisian show called Paris Dernière. The idea I proposed for this show was that all the accelerated travellings in Paris by night where illustrated with Rock Covers of great music standards. That gave to this show a very peculiar mood, very near to an ethylic dream.

Is there a definite relationship between you and your work?
Pleasure is the best word to define my relationship with my work that I still not consider as a real work even 10 years later...

When did you first realize your passion for fashion and art?
Music and art were in my life since the beginning. These passions came from my family : my mother was a good painter, my father was curious and listening to all kinds of music, I learnt piano with my aunt, First Price of Conservatory. When I was 18, I started the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, but I left to begin to work for Kenzo’s men collections.


How would you describe your personal style in your own words?
Retro future. I had a very classical education and I like classics in Design, Art, Fashion, but I also like the twists that make it all interesting and modern. I need memories to be revisited with fantasy, or in funny or very creative ways. This is why in fashion, for example, I really appreciate Paul Smith’s style.
For the same reasons, a big part of my work in music is based on music standards, tributes, covers but always revisited in creative ways by all kind of musicians.

Your artistic soul is more rock, pop or jazzy?
For me Music is a fascinating world, there are interesting things in all the styles, I try to work on all of them.


What are you working on now?
I’m working on the first volume of BeatlesMania with Naive and Sony.


Which of your own compilations would you say you have gotten the most satisfaction out of completing and why? Dylan, Bowie, Swingmania, les Paris Derniere ?
The Paris Dernière series was my beginning in music, my first real work of sound design, and I really appreciate this work. But today, and even if I hope there will be more Paris Dernière, I think that the Mania collection is more open and offers a lot of possibilities for very different projects. To work on artists like Bowie, Dylan or the Beatles is very thrilling.


Besides music, which, you consider as of your biggest accomplishments until now?
My 3 children without any doubts : Manon, Ninon and Gaston. I am very proud of them.

What other interests do you have outside of being a "sound designer"?
I was always interested in animals and I’m working on an illustrated sayings collection based on animals, such as “it’s raining cats and dogs“.
I would like to do it as a mix, as a Fine and modern Art Book Project.


What's the best and worst parts of being a full time, working "illustrateur sonore"?
The best is that I live in music, which makes my life nicer, the worst is that nights and days are never long enough when you work in music. It is not a full-time job, it’s a lifetime job!

What kind of music you like to hear when you are
a) Happy
Swing

b) unhappy
I cannot listen to music when I am not happy, this is terrible for me. Silence is also part of music.

c) in the mood for love
All kind of music is ok when you are in the mood of love even the silliest ones!

What's the creative process like for you? How you decide to do a record like "Swingmania"?
It depends of the project. I was inspired to do SwingMania because my experience as a DJ showed me that, out of all the different styles I play, Swing in particular has the power to make people really happy and crazy. And this is really nice and sweet in this crisis period.