Visual Sound: Remixing Cult Films and Original Compositions: [Interview] with T. Boon

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1. Digital Music isn’t something new for you. When did you start producing music and what has changed between then and now? 

I started making music in 2000, behind the studio consoles to record DJs and imitate their work (scratch mixes and pass pass sessions). We produced a lot of remix compilations with N˚1 hits and “crazy” bootlegs where we invented battles between improbable artists. 

That worked really well and we often found N˚1 on sale at FNAC and at specialized music stores like Urban Music at Châtelet. 

Now, I am essentially dedicated to the creation of music, and since the start of 2014 I’ve been working on “Ze ProJecT:” which is an audio/visual project where I mix my music with the 7th art. I have already finished 12 tracks and 5 video clips, everything is available on my Whyd page and Soundcloud, and to watch the my videos go to YouTube

2. What is the concept of visual sound? Why is it important for you as a means of expression? 

The name “visual sound” comes naturally from explaining to you the idea of my new project. Since about 15 years ago I have made music and that has completely played a part in my life, there has never been a day without music nor without creation. But I never realized before January 2014, that there has also never been a day without film. 

I am completely addicted to cult quotes of my favorite films, but also certain tracks running in the background for specific scenes (like BAD Taste for example). I am also completely fascinated by FX. We don’t give enough attention to the hallucinating FX in films like “La Cité des Enfants Perdus” or “Snatch.”

The “extremely obvious” concept was to put my musical creation together with three cinematic ingredients to create one unique track.

There are two ways to do this to create a track:

1. I choose one of my favorite films, and I watch it blind (I only listen to the audio without watching the images). I cut it down to a few phrases, specific soundtracks or the sound FX, and I compose a track around those elements.

Example: Hiphop Loompa 

2. I compose a track without a link to a film and once the track is coming along nicely I try to see if there is a film that it could go well with. 

Example: V for Boon

Example: Krank and the lost Children

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3. You’re a big fan of headphones, with a big collection, but it’s for much more than the look. Tell us about how you use your headphones during the creation process. 

It’s true that the first reason is completely linked to my fashion addiction. Every day I synchronize my style and the colors of my headphones, my watch, my bracelet, and my shoes. As a result, I do buy certain headphones only because I need a color  :) 

But there is, of course, also a second, more reasonable link with me music. 

The last step of the creation of a track consists of assuring that the sound sounds the same for all different types of listening conditions. I do all of the creation on mackie HR624, and Beyer DT 770 headphones. 

Once the excellent Bounce moment comes (putting together all of the sounds into one track) I use about 20 different headphones that I have to see how the sound works. 

- 3 Beats by Dr. Dre: very generous bass (I love this listen, even if sometimes it plays bass where there is none)

- 2 focal: rather neutral (so I trust them a lot), but they lack a bit of sub and medium. 

- 1 AKG: a very old model, that I have known for a very long time (15 years) that I would never have been able to afford without my first pote de galère (??) 

- 3 Skullcandy: Here I’m split between the fashion side and the particularities of each model. One of them (bought in NYC) has a type of turbine to make the sub vibrate (that gives a very particular sound). 

- 1 Marshal: It’s frequently my most capricious witness, if it sounds good on a Marshal in general I’m on the right track! 

- I could keep going for a while… 

4. How can you bring the concept of visual sound to life. A concert, for example, would look like what? 

This is the grand challenge of 2015 for my career. Put my show on a stage and meet my public more. Exchanging live and receiving the public opinion directly in my face would be absolutely magic! 

I imagine it like this: me playing the MK2 to replay the structure of the tracks live, accompanied by a guitarist like Skal (the guitarist on #bonchance). A DJ who would scratch the clips from films live and who would VJ to synchronize the sequences of images in films with the music.

All of that on the stage at the same time you can imagine how explosive that would be!

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5. Why do your fans listen to your music? Who else should come and listen to your songs?

This question is not very easy, it’s something you should ask them! I think there are at least 3 reasons:

1. The first (and easiest) is that I think that the people who follow me like my music and my universe,

2. Our common passion that we have for the same selection of films and also the faculty to succeed in listening to images and watching sounds. I realized that when I posted the first clips and I received a lot of messages from strangers who spoke to me about the intimate relation between my music and the films I chose. 

3. The proximity that exists between me and the community of my Facebook fan page, sometimes I will ask a member for their opinion of a bounce via private message, or for a validation, or their opinion on the choice of film. I love to share the first steps of creation and I try to share my musical adventure with them at each important step. 

And, to answer your question about who should listen…

If you like 90’s hip hop, if you listen to abstract hip hop, you love the HUGE BASS of the 7th art, then you will be happy in my world, and for the others, you just have to come by sometime for a drink to play around, we’ve already seen people that absolutely did not want to leave! 

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