Month: February 2018

In his kitchen, ingredients, tools, pots, pans and plates levitate, thus crafting a spell that has won him almost 60 thousand followers on Instagram. «The idea to photograph floating objects – so Francesco Mattucci, author and founder of @kitchensuspension – arose from an everyday situation, due to my need for more space to cook, the kitchen is indeed the part of the house where I spend most of my time. Looking about myself I got the idea of creating a place, where the objects that crowd my kitchen can “come alive” in a very unusual way and play with one another in space, where food has no classical representation, where it can escape from the settings where it is normally captured and live, so to say, a life of its own, obviously having fun». Francesco Mattucci conversion from creative to influencer was almost immediate. First he published a series of images on the homepage of the Italian daily newspaper Repubblica.it, next, a few months later, the interview on the Instagram blog, which brought the project great visibility in a very short time. «I am not so sure the word “influencer” really suits me – Mattucci goes on to say – I don’t feel I am one and I don’t think that my images invite people to buy a product, rather than another. I’d say that @kitchensuspension works because the images always succeed in catching for a second the attention of the users who run up against them. This profile is specially designed for online publishing, and it works in this specific framework because my followers believe they know what to expect from the next pic, but, actually, I surprise them every time». Every shot by Francesco entails a long and painstaking process; the snap of the flying ice-cream cup, for instance, took almost two days. «There is no set method to obtain these shots – he goes on – every single image has its features and the techniques to support the objects that make them up change from time to time, the tricky part is designing different sets for each shot. A considerable dose of post-production is crucial to get the desired effect».

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13 years ago Simone Rugiati used to labour over a hot stove, teaching an audience that was not familiar with stars and signature dishes, how to make the perfect soffritto (lightly fried mixture of chopped onions, carrots and celery, TN). « I – so Simone – go on television to enable people to cook at home. The rest is show. Showing the big audience how the dish of a star-decorated chef is created is a pure style exercise, to lure people into restaurants. In fact, in order to replicate some recipes, one needs the skill that can only be acquired after years of hard work and training, plus, you also need hard-to-find raw materials ». On the social networks, on the contrary, he has only recently started, but he is already very successful (almost 300 thousand followers on Instagram and aver 500 thousand on Facebook), so much so, that he is considered to be an influencer. «I was one of the last in my sector to have a social network profile, I opened it, so that those who used to follow me on TV could get to know me better. Over time, I organized myself, and now there’s agency that cooperates with me. The social networks are a large pool, where I can capture the needs of the audience, but also test the products stemming from my collaborations, or interact with my followers. On TV, I often treat the topics that my followers suggest to me ». What is needed to complete Simone’s professional path is only a restaurant. «Many investors –Rugiati goes on – ask me to open a restaurant, but I still have to grow, plus, in life, one cannot do too many things at the same time. A chef, in my opinion, must be in kitchen, and I have other priorities at the moment». Meanwhile, Simone is developing the supply chain that, in the future, will serve his restaurant. Indeed, Foodloft (Rugiati factory house) is among the partners of “Coltivatori di Emozioni”, the platform that aims to bring consumers closer to the farming activities, involving them in the productive cycle, by “adopting” a crop among olives, grapevines, bee-hives and wheat. Another goal of Coltivatori di Emozioni is the reclaiming and valorisation of fallow lands in Apulia, Sicily, Calabria, Molise, Marche, Lombardy, Tuscany, Piedmont and Veneto.

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Shooting Dolce & Gabbana’s print advertising campaign at just 25 years old is no small feat. Yet, influencer (with 472 million Instagram followers) Nima Benati‘s passion for photography was born when she was even younger, while attending high school of the linguistic arts. Her first experimental photo shoots drew inspiration from her favourite brands: Gucci, Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Prada, Miu Miu, a magic formula sure to launch her into even greater success in no time.

Can you give us some numbers regarding your business?
If we’re talking about social media, I have about 700 thousand followers in total. While this year I shot about 40 advertising campaigns. The ones I’m most proud of are for Dolce & Gabbana, it was a dream come true!

What is your definition of “influencer”?
Someone with a distinct taste, capable of standing out among the masses. An influencer has to be able to offer different or unique content so as to entice people to emulate him or her.

 Is it better to have a beautiful face or good content?
When I work with models, a beautiful face counts for more, but in real life I value content highest.

 How do you see your own evolution and that of the social media world?
My main business, photography, is not contingent upon the social media universe. The latter will eventually implode, but still has several years of longevity with improvement of the platforms themselves. Instagram will reign for another decade or so.

Does the profession of the influencer have an expiration date?
No, as long as one can maintain a certain amount of credibility. I’m very relaxed; the most famous and sought after photographers in the world have very long careers: Peter Lindbergh is 73, Patrick Demarchelier is 74 and Stevel Meisel, 63! Health permitting, one can take photos her whole life!

The negative side of your line of work?
People believe they can say whatever they want on social media: they forget that behind the screen are real people, who would never dare to speak that way in real life. They insult, attack and very often make false assumptions, without really processing the image or text they have in front of them.

Are your recommendations real?
I share only the things I find really interesting on Instagram stories, but I never specifically suggest anything.

How many hours does it take to achieve your look?
When I go to work, I get ready in less than 5 minutes- with call times often at 6 am, I can’t really think about makeup and styling.

Which apps do you use to retouch photos and how long does it take?
I edit Instagram photos with Facetune and Snapseed, and for my professional photos I use Photoshop. The former require about twenty minutes, while the later can take up to 5 hours per photo.

Is there a place or a city in particular that captivates you?
The Park of the Monsters in Bomarzo. It is a place that’s frozen in time, full of art, beauty and mystery.

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A definitely abuzz Instagram profile, with shots and stories capable of engaging his followers (almost 150K, a figure that keeps growing) and fans. Posts depicting him in the kitchen, gym, or with his girlfriend Carlotta Ferlito, professional gymnast too. Matteo De Martini, Italian artistic gymnastic champion, has told us about his relationship with social networks, his passions, dreams and great resolve to pursue and accomplish them.

How important are social networks and how much do you use them?
Social networks represent for me the main source of media information, both public and private. They also represent a job opportunity for millions of people involved in collaborations and partnerships globally. I believe that they are by now a consolidated part of everyday life, although they are often diminished by people who don’t really understand their real potential. During the day, I happen to use them very often to brows pages and topics I am interested in, or simply to while away time.

What kind of image of yourself do you propose to your followers?
I try to convey a realistic image, based on my experiences, what I do day by day, I post fun contents about my agonistic activity. I think that it is important to be true to yourself, also in front of the camera, instead of trying to create a “character” with the sole purpose of attracting “followers”. With the help offered by the Media Digital Agency – whom I ask for advice before posting my contents – I’m learning to understand how people interpret what I try to propose, sometimes a second point of view is needed. ”

Is there a social network that you use more than the others, and why?
Instagram, I really enjoy taking pictures that break the mould and edit them as I like. I believe that every single post mirrors, in some way, the personality of his author. In the 21^st century everybody wants to know something more about other people’s private life and, thanks to “Instagram Stories”, this is possible. The latter are often used to tell about one’s day or some important event. That’s why I think Instagram is the most popular social media.

What are your recommendations to those who see you as a role model, both in life and in sport?
Pursue your passions, persist until you achieve your goals. It may sound obvious, but I really believe that perseverance is critical to prove to yourself and to others that goals are not unattainable, and that limits can be overcome.

Which mental and physical qualities does your sport require?
Artistic gymnastic requires much discipline and perseverance. Although an exercise lasts 60 seconds on average, each single movement must be repeated until exhaustion. Constant, almost obsessive, practice until perfect execution taught me a lot on how to face everyday challenges. There is no precise physical standard to practice this sport. I, for example have always been very long-limbed and frail, until I was 16, I was not able to perform movements of pure force that my mates executed very naturally. You have to be patient and train a lot. What is really needed, and this also takes time, is concentration: while training it is important to stay focused on what you are doing, to avoid injuries and for proper exercise execution.

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His carreer as a model started by chance when he was working as shop assistant in Vienna. Today, André Hamann is one of the most requested celebrity with a million followers Instagram account and a series of collaborations with brands such as Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Diesel, in addition to his personal clothing line Haze & Glory. Loved by girls for his statuesque and tattooed body, he loves traveling and being photographed with his dog Duplo.

Your definiton of influencer/blogger/ambassador?
It is a person with great taste that inspires other people that are following him on his social media pages.

How do you imagine the evolution of the social world and of your business?
Every single moment in our day we get an input from people we follow and people that are following us. It is crucial for us to give to the brands our followers feedbacks on trends and wishes since we have a direct contact with them. Social networks are working on making the influencers closer to their audience with tools such as Live Streaming.

In your opinion, which is the social network of the future?
With no doubt, Instagram is the social network of the future!

Negative side of your job?
The only negative side of my job is that I do not see my family as much as I would since they live abroad.

How many of your advices are sincere and not sponsored?
Even if some of my advises are sponsored this does not mean they are not sincere! I do believe in everything that I do and say, even on my social networks.

Has The “influencer” job a deadline? How do you imagine your job when you will be old?
I hope I can do this job as long as possible and if it doesn’t work out there is always a plan b!

What counts the most? A beautiful face or a good content?
To be honest I do think that the contenent is more important even though a beautiful face helps you out!

How many hours do you dedicate to the preparation of your look and job?
I go everyday and do jūjutsu and workout a few days in a week.

Which app do you use to retouch your photos and how many retouches do you use to create the perfect picture?
It is like to ask a magician to show you their tricks!

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From Romagna, for many years one of the most worshipped Italian influencers, also thanks to his wild look, long hair and tattoos covering every inch of his body. Andrea Marcaccini is not just a model, not anymore: a few seasons back he launched his own menswear collection and has many followers on the social networks. He even took part in reality shows, and is currently into art, which is what he really feels passionate about and wishes to devote himself to in the future.

How did you become a model?
I started modelling when I was16, because my cousin sent one of my pics to an agency in Bologna, this is how I started. Out of curiosity. I arrived in Milan aged 19, after working with Mikael Kenta, who at the time was very successful.

Not only a model, but also an influencer thanks to social networks and other activities. How did this passage occur and when did you become a designer too?
The passage from model to influencer was not planned, considering that, in time, other activities came up. I started by posting some pics of mine on the social media, which soon had a number of followers, then came the first collaboration proposals, above all as graphic and style consultant, arrived. After working for three years for many Italian brands, I decided to launch my own label.

 Speaking of your social world, how many of your suggestions and of your images are genuine and non-sponsored?
Regarding my social media presence, I cannot say that there are no sponsored images, some of them are, but there is also a lot of private life, there have been times when the latter really took centre stage. Even my least private and most professional shots always stem from my creativity, my vision. I am absolutely honest. I accept to work for brands that share my ideals and philosophy, therefore also my professional photos never look like aseptic and fake sponsorships.

How do you envision the evolution of social networks and the role of the influencer? How do you imagine your work as a “grown-up”?
As long as the social networks live on, there will be influencers, and someone dictating the trends, one is instrumental to the other. My job as a model has certainly been an important part of my professional path, perhaps a necessary step towards what I want to do when I grow up, which has more to do with an artistic development of my creativity.

The downside of your profession?
That it is impossible to make plans, above all when it comes to your private life, those things that normal people give for granted, like taking a holiday. You are always subjected to last-minute changes and last minute projects, so you find yourself changing your schedule, sometimes letting down your dear ones, or your friends who were planning to go on holiday with you, but you suddenly had catch a plane to the other side of the world.

A style tip to share with us?
Beside wearing the items from my collection? (He laughs, EN). Everyone should feel at ease with what they wear and wear what best represents their personality, but if you feel like doing it, dare! Always express who you are, also through your wardrobe, stand out from the crowd. Dare to dare!

Which city, since you have travelled a lot, has stuck to your heart? Is there a favourite place (bar, monument, restaurant) that you would suggest?
A city that really stuck to my heart and where I really could go and live is Barcelona. A city full of charm, good food, nice people, and joie de vivre. I still remember the first time I saw the Sagrada Familia. It leaves you breathless, so majestic, it is a masterpiece everyone should see at least once in life. I also love Paris a lot, whileI find New York, which I often visited and where I lived for four straight months, to be too chaotic and overrated. I find there are more liveable and interesting cities, though it is no doubt one of the most important hubs for our business.

Milan: where to eat, drink, what is your favourite hang-out?
For work and for fun, I undoubtedly go out a lot, but when it comes to speakeasies, there is not one I feel specially attached to. I generally hang out in the Moscova area, as it is close to where I live, but there is a restaurant that I would like to suggest. If you like Japanese cuisine and sushi, maybe not for every budget, Iyo, Via Piero Della Francesca, is a culinary experience that cannot be missed.

Who are you in your private life? What are your other passions, beside fashion?
My greatest love is art and I must confess that I am developing this passion of mine, so that it can become a job in the very next future. In Milan I have a sort of factory-lab, where I work. Some art galleries – not only in Italy, but also in London and Los Angeles – have shown interest for my paintings. This passion is really becoming and important part of me and my life. Obviously my own brand is my great passion too, ever since we launched it at WHITE in January, it instantly gained considerable scope, we are sold in important stores and it is one of the fifteen Italian bestsellers!

A long-cherished dream?
A true dream should not be revealed, so as not to jinx it, but I hope to become a good artist!

Photo| Ryan Simo
Styling| Stefano Guerrini
Grooming| Susanna Mazzola
Photo assistant| Alessandro Chiorri
Stylist assistants| Verena Kohl, Paula Anuska, Cristina Florence Galati

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Although he is very young, he has already been awarded a number of prizes: from the Social Award 2016 to the prize as “explosive talent’” at Giffoni Film Festival in 2014, down to the acknowledgement for his role in the 3 seasons of the popular RAI series Braccialetti rossi, by Giacomo Campiotti, at Roma Fiction Fest, to mention just a few. While he is studying for his high school degree, which he will attain this year, Mirko is also working hard to forge his identity as an actor, with three years of acting courses and, currently, a coach. Youthful and polyhedral, Trovato has the right credentials to make it big in cinema too. Beside the television success of the three seasons of Braccialetti rossi, in which he interprets Davide Di Salvo, and the web series Lontana da me, the young actor can boast roles as co-protagonist in the silver screen movies Restiamo amici, by Antonello Grimaldi and Non c’è campo, directed by Federico Moccia, cult-movie for Millennials and not only. In January he is starting the shootings of another movie soon in the theatres. Meanwhile the web is after him: over 400.000 followers, with a presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Would you define an influencer: to what extent has your social identity affected your career and popularity?
To be honest, I don’t identify with this role, as I feel I am a guy who does the typical things guys of my age do, although I am a bit more famous due to by profession. Being social does not impact my career much: when you have to play a role in a movie, what counts is being able to identify with the character, to internalize it.

In what way do you engage with the social media? What type of contents do you generally post online, and what is the criterion?
No criterion. I am a guy like any other, I share with my followers the things I cherish: the places I have visited, the pics with my family and my dogs. Things anyone does.

Has being active on the social networks also entailed an economic return? Is there an image strategy one has to follow to best harness social media?
I was asked to sponsor some apparel items and I was happy to do so. No economic return, only the sponsored products. I do not follow a specific image strategy. Nevertheless I have often noticed that many of my followers shared the pics commenting that they had bought something because they had seen it on me!

A must-have of your wardrobe. What’s your favourite look?
Absolutely sweatshirts. I also like the “street” look quite a lot.

Photo| Roberta Krasnig
Stylist| Stefania Sciortino
Grooming| Maria Sole La Stars per Simone Belli Agency
Assistant| Chiara Filippi
Suit: David Naman

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Some compare him to River Phoenix, others to a debuting Leonardo Di Caprio, owing to his “ beautiful and damned” looks and his intense roles. Aged 18, Saul Nanni started acting when he was very young, and has already landed parts in films for the silver screen next to actresses like Margherita Buy and Giovanna Mezzogiorno, alongside his role in the popular Disney TV series, Alex & Co, where he acted next to his brotherly friend Federico Russo. Two more TV movies are due to be soon released: Il fulgore di Dony, directed by Pupi Avati, who, as he likes to point out, taught him to «seek the truth and be credible when acting» and Non dirlo al mio capo, where he is the co-protagonist with Vanessa Incontrada. Seemingly algid, with piercing icy eyes – he lives between Northern and Central Italy, Bologna and Rome – Saul is actually a cheerful boy, who loves the Californian beaches, where he lived for six months: «An experience I recommend to everyone». The young actor’s Instagram profile has 700 thousand followers.

What is your take on the influencers and how do you manage your relationship with the social media?
Influencer is a generic definition, I don’t think that I “influence” those who follow me, although I like to think that my profile is interesting. I don’t like posting my private life and I have recently abolished selfies, as, as far as I am concerned, they don’t work.

The social network of the future?
Certainly Instagram, because it is very user-friendly and accessible, plus it features the whole range of social network functions. I believe that, in the future, the power of social media will grow more and more. As means of communication, they must be used wisely, without being carried away by the visibility they offer, which, in any case, has helped me a lot in my job, although I hope to be valued more as an actor.

A must-have garment?
A turtleneck, I also enjoy dressing up for special occasions. I like fashion. I was sitting on the front row at an Emporio Armani fashion show.

Any long-cherished dreams?
Acting in Hollywood, being directed by Ridley Scott and Quentin Tarantino.

Photo| Davide Musto
Stylist| Stefania Sciortino
Grooming| Charlotte Hardy per Simone Belli Agency
Location| Radisson Blu Es Hotel Roma
Saul Nanni wears Total look Paul Smith

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A genuine, heartening story, endowed with that special something that makes it unique and definitely addictive. Gnambox, cuisine and lifestyle blog, is for its founders, Stefano and Riccardo, a way of life. Container of experiences, tastes, advice, and get-togethers, today Gnambox has already turned into a seasonal and contemporary cooking blog, a supercool guide of Milan and, most importantly, a social entity with thousands followers. We have interviewed them to understand what inspired this genuine and fresh blog, grasp the limits imposed by a 3.0 job, and steal the secrets of their success.

Gnambox: a job or a way of life?
We started by posting whatever we liked, thus creating a container of recipes and many other passions, as the name suggests. Without giving it too much thought, we could see it change and develop with us, until it became the natural transposition of our taste, our aesthetics, hence, doubtlessly our lifestyle. Building an editorial line in this way, based on our style, was the main ingredient for a winning project. We feel we are incredibly lucky to be able tell about our daily life, turning it into a pleasant experience for those who decide to follow it: the recipes we post are what we eat, the same applies for the dishes used to served them, everything comes from our pantry, which allows us to never compromise and to communicate something we believe in. As the project expanded, it also became more articulated, so it also became necessary to establish some rules. Basically we have one simple tenet: only when we feel like it! (They state with rare and priceless artlessness. EN). We never force ourselves to publish something for engagement or visibility purposes, even though, sometimes, we feel we are a wee bit too reserved. We could “ride the wave” of the social macro-trends of the day, but, for the time being, it is not a strategy we are interested in. Some weeks back, we were having lunch with our families and published a group post, something we would do with our friends. We received hundreds of messages from people who were surprised and thrilled by that type of sharing…we did not expect this! If we were that kind of trend catchers, we would organize a social lunch with our families every Sunday (they laugh), but this is not what we are interested in.

For a blogger/influencer to be successful, versatility and novelties are essential. You clearly managed to keep your “Gnam box” open, how did you do that?
One should never be self-referential; always introduce new topics and ideas to keep the box open. Although our blog is a personal container of the things we love, it also represents a chance for ongoing interchange with the outside world. All through the first year of our project, we went totally unnoticed, we appeared for the first time with a pic we shot on Valentine’s day, in 2013, and we understood straight away that it was the right thing to do. Showing who the cooks actually were, who hid behind Gnambox, was the answer all our followers were waiting for. “Who are you? How many of you? Is there an editorial board? Where is it? How does it look like?” These were the most frequently asked questions by our followers; answering them turned the project into what it is today. Versatile? Gnambox is a blend, a mix of shades: we started by talking about food, which has remained the common thread connecting all the other contents we have gradually introduced. The travel section, for example, is now the most substantial part, after the food one.

What is your advice to those who want to follow in your footsteps and turn their passion into a job?
First-of-all, it has to be a great passion. This path requires much dedication and energy; as far as we are concerned, that fact that it is two of us has been a great bonus, above all in consideration of the assiduousness it requires; whatever one cannot do, the other can. Having clear ideas as to what you want to communicate, while keeping in mind that the quality of the project lies in the personal slant it is endowed with: even the umpteenth food and lifestyle blog can still be absolutely unique, if it features a personal and subjective perspective. The key point is consistency. Being consistent with yourself or with the line you have chosen. In our case, the two things coincide. Consistency, assiduousness and uniqueness are the rules that we would suggest others to play by, as we are the first to do so.

Does being and influencer implies having a busy agenda, how has your daily routine changed? How much stress and how much fun is there to it?
We have never regarded the “influencers” part of the project as a job, while the editorial part of Gnambox is more demanding: planning, doing research, producing contents; influencing people is a natural consequence of these. We do not wake up in the morning thinking: “What a wonderful influencer life we are leading!” (So Stefano, laughing. EN). This is just a necessary step, an evolution. Whenever your followers appreciate what you do, they will be, to some extent, influenced by it. Our agenda? Yes, it is very busy, also because there is no clean-cut separation between work and private life, or rather, our everyday life is our job. Events and meetings are a crucial part of it, and they are very thought-provoking and inspiring, but they can also be stressful, at times even alienating: that’s why finding some time to be off-line is critical… The most glaring example is travel: it is an occasion for communication, hence for research and production (they show us some vibrant snapshots of their journey in Africa). If we allowed this activity to prevail every time we go on holiday, we would never get a chance to enjoy our free time. So we have to decide well in advance when we are going to be on-line or off-line, establishing a priori what is meant to be “exclusively” our very personal memory. The funniest part is certainly having the chance to discover a wealth of interesting things about the places we visit, thanks to the contacts we make with many different people who end up becoming part of the project. Not being overly focused on what goes on online is another mantra that has helped us remember that not everything that happens has to go public via the web.

Business partners, but also partners in life, how has this influenced your project?
100%, that’s the reason why it was born in the first place. We both had creative jobs, which did not fully satisfy us, hence a common desire: developing a project together, to grow together. Thinking of all the couples who choose never to collaborate professionally, we feel we are pretty lucky, as we agree on many things and we were both ready to embark on the project. Focusing the project on our personal life as a couple has definitely helped, plus it has made it more consistent. Feigning empathy for the cameras not only works, we do not need to do that, we are at our best, and at our worst, around the clock…We could never end up being fake! Since we live together, we have grown together, and the project with us!

Beauties in the kitchen. Tell us about your Gnambox style
Aesthetics is an essential factor for us, it enhances Gnambox while making it really our world, as it is what best mirrors our personalities, while avoiding to turn it into a mere style exercise. Defining our style? We were unable to give it a name until we read an interview on the New York Times on the “new normal”. A reassuring kind of normality, never excessive, and yet never boring. A contemporary and amusing sort of normality, like our cuisine, with that special something that makes it interesting and irresistible.

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The Paris club music scene quietened down after the French Touch era in the 90s, but now, with the arrival of a dynamic new generation of French DJs and producers, the revival of Gallic club culture is well underway. Filling up dance floors, taking over the airwaves, touring the world and releasing records on international labels, this new guard of music makers is bringing an eclectic electro sound—a genre-defying combination including techno, house and hip hop with UK and African influences—to the wider worldwide stage. We met ten of the most influential figures on the scene to find out more about the return of Paris to the contemporary music map.

Here is the first part with: NSDOS, Bambounou  e Detente.

NSDOS is a musical mad scientist, creating conceptual soundscapes using field recordings from his travels. Intuition, his latest project, is a two-volume album recorded entirely outside in the Alaskan wilderness and composed of digital data collected directly from nature. 
Parisian music producer and DJ Bambounou is an established name on the electronic music scene, having emerged on the circuit in 2010 and now playing worldwide. His success continues into 2018 with a new EP, a world tour and a remix out on the UK record label Young Turks.  DJ and producer Detente mixes abstract ambient sounds and club anthems to create a chopped-up style that gets his fans going on dance floors in Paris and beyond, or via his radio show on urban music station Rinse France. He co-runs the record label Permalnk and is currently working on a new project for early 2018.

Is Paris back on the music map?
N: Paris has always been well placed on the international music scene but it’s true that there is a difference between now and five years ago, particularly with new electronic music. There is a real cultural emancipation that is being defined by the ambitions of this new generation, which I’m proud to be a part of.
B: I’ve always battled with the city of Paris. I sleep there, I eat there and that’s it. Alongside a group of people, I started thinking about no longer expecting anything from a city like Paris. We created an “Operating System”, called “∞OS”, which was founded in Berlin and then relocated to Moscow. We decided to set it up in Paris. The idea is to use all of the resources that we generate—like physical activity, art, the exploration of dreams—in order to transform them using tools that we have programmed.
D: There are lots of artists who are producing a new sound and I see the scene opening up more and taking away barriers between notions of styles. Personally, the idea of doing something new and current is important and it’s also the direction I’m taking with my label Permalnk.

How would you describe your style?
N: My clothing style has nothing to do with the music that I make. I don’t pay much attention to it. And actually I wear quite a lot of things that are given to me so I often end up wearing strange sweaters! When I’m performing I have a kind of uniform: a white t-shirt and dark trousers.
B: I have a scientific approach to music, but it expresses itself with a sense of urgency. Poetry begins with the creation of sound in my work as I use algorithms that are extracts of data that relate to nature, the activity of Internet networks, dance and DNA. My work is very close to science but it is also a spiritual reflection between man and new technologies.
D: For my clothes, I wear lots of black, sportswear and technical clothes. For my sound, I bridge club music and experimental electronic music: Dark Survivalism.

Who and what influence you and your music?
N: At the moment I’m inspired by what I read—I like Kundera a lot. I also went to see the Hockney retrospective and found the colours interesting.
B: Nature and humans who try to understand. The artists who were pioneers in their research and invisible in this world.
D: At the moment I’m listening to Jim O’Rourke. As for my influences when I’m producing, I try not to think about them. It’s something that is subconscious.

Is social media important in your work?
B: No, but I do find it fun. That said, I’m aware that today a career in any artistic field requires active participation on social media.
D: Very important: it’s my media. I use it to communicate about my news and to share my current stuff. That said, creating non-stop content quickly becomes boring, so from time to time, I like to be a bit more off the radar.

Photographer| Lucie Hugary
Stylist| Nicholas Galletti
Assistant Stylist| Ariane Haas
Hair Stylist| Delphine Goichon @Backstage Agency
Make up Artist| Ludovic Cadeo @Backstage Agency

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