Always Chasing Freshness

Emerging in the 1990s, French house took the 2000s by storm with its light, danceable sound built on disco and funk samples. Among the labels that shaped the genre, Ed Banger ­ecords stands out, having launched some of its most celebrated artists, including Justice. The man behind the design of nearly all the label’s record sleeves is So Me. He lives in Montmartre, in Paris’s 18th arrondissement, long revered as a “sacred place of art” and once home to masters like Picasso. His apartment, with its soaring ceilings and expansive glass windows that fill the space with soft light, exudes the same quiet calm found in his work. Surrounded by the records he has designed, various art books from across the globe and guitars, he lives immersed in the sources of his inspiration. The question that lingers is what fuels his unrelenting drive for creativity.

―― Tell us about the origin of the name So Me.
My real name is quite long, so I wanted something shorter, jazzier, and easier on the ears. “So Me” has only four letters, yet it feels almost like a complete sentence. In a way, it even has a Japanese-like sound to it, which I like. It’s unusual and unique, it doesn’t feel dated, and I think it’s a timeless name.

―― Your work has a retro, 70s-style feel. How did you arrive at your current style?
I think I was deeply influenced by what I saw as a child. I watched a lot of Japanese anime, and my favorite was “Space Cobra”, which for me is unmatched. Even the music was incredible, mixing Japanese fusion, jazz rock, strings, and operatic elements. I was also influenced by American and British picture books. They had this distinct style that’s highly detailed and colorful, which I loved from an early age and which still forms the foundation of my style. From then, I became obsessed with the powerful graphics of the 70s, record covers, posters, and commercial illustrations from that era. I was born in the 80s and grew up surrounded by the skateboarding and graffiti culture of the 90s, so even though 70s design is at the core of my work, there are also elements of punk and skate culture mixed in. In the 70s and 80s, illustrated advertising was everywhere, but it has all but disappeared. Brands rarely commission illustration for press ads today, yet I still live in that world.

―― What was Paris like in the early 2000s?
I was in my twenties then, always surrounded by friends and partying all the time. It was a moment when we were truly creating something, when we were most in tune with ‘the spirit of the times’. It felt like everyone was on the same page, in the same place, looking in the same direction. For us, it was a special time.

―― How do you feel when working with other creative people?
It’s always interesting when two minds meet. Some people give me complete freedom and say, “Do whatever you want, take us into your world.” Others have strong, clear ideas, which can require some alignment, but that’s part of the process. The key is to stay open to any situation, because creative people have their own unique ways of thinking and approaching art, and those approaches are always evolving. I change my own medium constantly. Sometimes I make videos, other times I design a cover. When the medium changes, the art changes. That’s why I’m always looking for new challenges.

―― You work across so many fields, from art direction to directing for Netflix. How do you come up with ideas, and do you have any daily routines that help inspire you?
I wish I knew the secret to living a creative life and finding ideas every day. It’s never the same. Sometimes ideas come easily, other times I hit a dry spell and wonder how I ever came up with ideas before. I think the most important thing is to be in a good state of mind and to be genuinely excited about what I’m working on. When I’m excited, the ideas flow. When I’m working on something I’m not passionate about, they don’t.

―― How do you apply your experience with different forms of expression?
I’ve always loved mixing mediums. Because I’m not a specialist in any one discipline, I feel I can bring a fresh perspective. I admire people who devote themselves to mastering a single craft, but if I do only one thing for too long, I get bored, and when I’m not excited, I can’t make good work. The best way for me to spark creativity is to change locations or techniques. Trying something new may mean I lack experience, but what I lose there, I gain in freshness instead.

―― Your work ranges from creating art for record sleeves to directing films. That must be both tough and stressful at times. How do you calm your mind?
Over the years, I’ve always pushed myself to take the next step, gradually from making music videos for friends, to bigger artists, to commercials and short films, and finally deciding to make a feature film. That film was by far the most stressful project I’ve ever done. It was high-budget, involved many people, and every decision needed approval. There were moments when I thought, “This could all stop now, it might never happen.” When I was making artwork, it was simpler. I created colorful, playful, easy- to-approach images that were rarely met with harsh criticism. But with larger projects, the scale, responsibility, costs, and deadlines grew, and so did the pressure. Right now, I’m still figuring out how to manage that stress. One thing I’ve started doing is picking up instruments and making music again, just for myself. When everything you create is for clients or an audience, the pressure builds. Creating something purely for my own enjoyment helps bring me back to a better state of mind.

―― Tell us about the G-SHOCK artwork you created for this issue.
This piece is really about the passage of time, and how it plays into my deadlines. Basically me trying, and often struggling, to meet them. For years I designed record sleeves for Pedro, the head of Ed Banger Records, and honestly, I almost never delivered the final artwork on time. I’m sure it was a constant headache for him. But those delays weren’t because I didn’t care. It was actually the opposite and was the result of being completely absorbed in the work, of wanting to keep adjusting and refining every detail until it felt right. It comes from a genuine love for what I do. When you’re having fun, time disappears, and that’s exactly what would happen to me. At least that’s how I like to see it. In the end, I think it always turned out to be a happy ending for both of us.

Profile.

So Me

An art director, illustrator, and filmmaker based in Paris, France. He began his career creating record artwork for French house acts such as Justice and Cassius, later directing music videos for Major Lazer and Kanye West. In recent years, he has expanded into film, including the Netflix feature “Banger”, continuing to work across genres and mediums.

Instagram. @so_me_ma_sen