Frédéric Sanchez is not a DJ – even if he has been soundtracking major fashion designers’ catwalk shows for nearly 25 years. « I’ve never been one, » he says by phone from his holiday in Normandy, as seagulls squawk in the background. « I’ve always considered what I do as artistic. » And, it turns out, he wasn’t always that into fashion either: « I’d always been a music lover, » he says, « but wasn’t really interested until I saw people like Peter Savile doing both Factory record covers and catalogues for Yohji Yamamoto. I’d always liked it when different artistic disciplines mix – and then I met Martin. » That was in 1988, and Martin was Martin Margiela, and the result was Frédéric providing the music for the designer’s first ever show. « That moment laid the foundations of my work, » he explains. « I was inspired by how experimental films were edited and how the sound was worked on as much as the image. I’m not interested in just sticking some background music on; it’s about creating a signature, something that really belongs to each house. »
Since 1988, Frédéric has moved from maison to maison, working with a who’s who of fashion. « My collaborations with most of them are really long – almost 18 years with Marc Jacobs – so I’ve really participated in the artistic aspects of their careers, » he says, going someway to explaining his longevity in the face of fashion’s permanent desire for the new. « But then, for me it’s not really about working for big brands; it’s about working for designers, people like Miuccia Prada – who work for their own companies. There’s a laboratory, R&D side that really interests me. » In fact, he says, he doesn’t even really look at the clothes: « I talk a lot with the designer and then together we create sounds that provoke images for people during the show. It’s about creating a décor – a physical atmosphere that works on the senses, like a perfume. »
We asked Frédéric to compile a playlist exclusively for O: by Tank readers, which you can listen to via app. « I’ve put together a selection that’s pretty personal, » he says, « I wanted it to be poetic, so I chose someone I’ve always adored: Richard Jobson. I love his literary references – Marguerite Duras, Jean Cocteau and Jean Genet – which are mine, too. I also like really minimalist electro: so there’s a kid called Ben Frost and stuff by Alva Noto with Ryuchi Sakamoto. Then there’s the classical with Satie, Wagner and Strauss. So I’ve mixed up all these influences to create a selection that’s really European and also tells my own life story. It’s about my taste, the tastes I’ve always had. »
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Text by: Tom Ridgway / Photo by: Pierre Henri Chauveau