’89 domande a Michel Gaubert – Sound Designer

Name? Michel Gaubert (@michelgaubert).

How old are you? 60.

What’s your job? Music Supervisor.

What did you study? Too much and not enough.

If you were a character of a movie which one would you be? Philip Seymour Hoffman in Boogie Nights.

 If you could compose the best band in history, who would be in it? James Brown and Kraftwerk.

If you could compose the best band of today, who would be in it? Mica Levi, Daniel Lopatin, Rosalia.

Your favorite classic movie? Maitresse by Barbet Schroeder.

What is the meaning of life for you as a human being? Learning, sharing, and enjoying our time on earth without feeling like a survivor.

Can you give us a list of 5 designer or brand you would like to work with today? SCHIAPARELLI / COURREGES / VAQUERA / GLENN MARTENS /NENSI DOJASA.

How about from the past? BALENCIAGA / COURREGES / CARDIN / STEPHEN SPROUSE / WALTER ALBINI / RUDI GERNREICH.

Have you ever been in Venice? Yes, several times, like ten.

If so, what’s the thing you like the most? The decay.

What is the craziest thing you saw when you played at the Palace? Nothing was ever too crazy , but I must say seeing Prince in 1981 with just 300 people still gives me goosebumps.

Who was the celebrity you saw the most high at that venue? Boy George.

And who were the habitué? Whoever wanted to be one.

Did you ever have sex inside the venue? Yes.

Was the music business back in the day better or worse than it is now? Hard to say as it was much smaller before, but the sharks got bigger.

Did you prefer the era of vinyls, CDs, or today’s era of streaming? I like the looks and sound  of vinyls, i hate cd’s as objects , but i like all supports to get good music.

What is the heir to the Palace as a Parisian venue in your opinion? None, the Palace was the Palace and times are different.

Based on your experience, what were the best years in Paris? I would say early 80’s when Mitterand came to power, turning the page from a more traditional France. Art became more important and there a sense of freedom.

What is the most treasured vinyl you own? The Doors – LA Woman with its original cover.

A song you wish you had composed? Moonage Daydream.

Do you think it is imperative nowadays for a musician to be very active on social media? No, social media promotes the person more than the music and social media is not exactly real.

Who is the designer you worked with that you think had the best taste in music? Raf Simons.

What is your favorite Italian song? Mina – Se Telefonando.

What is your favorite Italian brand? Prada.

Who is the person you are closest to in the world of fashion? Lucien Pagès.

What about in the world of music? Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrixpointnever.

What was your best work in your opinion? The remix of Isaac Hayes and Wutang Clan I made for Phoebe Philo at Celine.

The most liked by people? The Chanel rocket show.

The most beautiful girl you’ve ever met? Linda Evangelista.

And the man? Ryan Aguilar.

An advice you can give to someone that want to do your job? Just do it.

What’s the weirdest thing happened on a fashion show you was working on? Peta in front of Victoria Beckham’s venue blasting the sound of baby seals. She does not use fur.

What you cannot stand on people? Fakeness.

What’s the thing that make lose your patience the most? When I feel the person does not or does not want to understand me.

Do you think Hegel was right to put music as art at an higher level, or do you think the figurative arts, especially at an emotional level, are on the same level? He was right, music is an emotion that you can carry with you over times.

Can you give us a definition of art? The most important form of expression.

Your favorite style icons? Miuccia Prada, Bjork, Debbie Harry.

If you could speak in world vision for 15 minutes what would you say? Hold on, it is going to get better if we all decide it will.

Do you think exist an objective aesthetic value or you think aesthetic value is just subjective? Subjective.

If you could have a super power what would you choose? Supervision.

When, in your opinion, can you define a person as an artist? Personality.

Do you think that the relationship between art and drugs is just a cliché? Drugs are drugs, it all depends on how you use them. They alter your thoughts and sometimes it is a good thing.

Do you have any political orientation? Democrat.

Do you think that believing in God and not believing in God start from the same presumption about something that in itself we have no possibility of knowing, thus reducing even atheism to an act of faith toward the unknown? Yes.

Who is in your opinion the best musician in history? There are too many to name but I think Bjork, Prince and Debussy come on top of my list.

Who do you think is the best right now? Same too many.

And the most overrated? Lady Gaga.

The most underestimated? Mica Levi.

For how much money would you shoot porn? For free.

And who would you choose as a partner? Jack Dixxon.

And for charity would you do it? To exemplify, if you were told let’s build a school in a third world country in exchange for one of your porn videos would you accept? Yes.

In your opinion is there such a thing as unnatural? In the case in point, if you consider man as part of nature, is everything that emanates from it to be considered natural? If not, why do you not consider man as part of nature? Man is not part of nature because it uses it and destroys it for its own good .

If you could do a crime, or an action in general, without anyone ever knowing about it, what would you do? Steal a few millions in a vault.

If you were not in your profession what work would you have wanted to do? Fashion art direction, it is already what I do in a way.

If you could go back in time and kill someone who would it be? A designer I would not name.

Can you tell us the most interesting anecdote with respect to your eventual experience with drugs? The first time I did heroin, was with the singer Nico on a table of La Coupole in Paris.

The time you did drugs the most what did you take and in what doses? I took most everything sometimes my obsession would make me take a lot. I stopped doing drugs when ecstasy started.

What do you think people say about you? I don’t care.

Have you ever been in a fight? No.

What do you think about NFTs? A nice fantasy.

Blur or Oasis? Blur.

Can you tell us when you think a person is cool and when is not? When they are real and open.

What is the night you spent the most money to have fun? Probably the night I don’t remember.

What’s your favorite artist? Pablo Picasso.

What’s your favorite show business character? I love Deborah Vance in Hachs.

If you could choose which historical era to live in, which would you choose? The 20’s and 30’s. 

If you could spend a day with an historical figure who would you choose? Claude Pompidou.

Who are the people that inspired you the most?

Andy Warhol / Karl Lagerfeld / David Bowie / Jean Luc Godard.

If you could choose a famous person for a night, who would it be? Celine Dion.

What is the thing you like the most about Italy? The beauty.

Favorite movies? Maitresse, La Dolce Vita, Annette, Ascenseur pour l’échafaud, Deserto Rosso, The Bitter Tears of Petra Van Kant.

Favorite directors? Barbet Schroeder, Jean Luc Godard, Antonioni, Fellini,  Fassbinder, Tarantino, Jonathan Glazer, Paul Thomas Anderson.

What’s the topic you are most expert in? Fashion, Music, Cinema.

Have you ever been in love? Yes.

Where do you live? Paris.

Which neighbourhood? Porte Dauphine.

Where are you from? Paris.

Other cities where you’ve been living and how long? Los Angeles one year.

Which languages do you speak? French, English and a bit of Italian.

Which are your favorite places in your city? Trocadero, colonnes de Burenne at Palais Royal.

A famous band you don’t like? Coldplay, the name alone says it all.

Favorite books? All of Brett Easton Ellis books.

Favorite authors? Truman Capote, Jacqueline Susan, Francoise Sagan.

Favorite artworks? La. 

Do you feel envy for anyone? If so, for whom? No, envy is not on my agenda, admiration is.

The quality you would like to have and don’t have?Discipline for myself.

There are more and more models who do not respond to the “classic” aesthetic canons, do you think that brands really try to change the social dynamics or do you think they are choices dictated by marketing reasons to exploit the politically correct? I believe that designers are really into this but they have been for a while. I remember Karl Lagerfeld in the 80’s having a super diverse casting. Fashion reflects the social changes and needs them to survive.

Have you ever been offered something in exchange for sex? Love.

If you had the possibility to remove social networks from the world, would you delete them?

Probably, I think it is getting out of control.

And what about globalization? Sad.

What do you think about influencers? They don’t influence me.

Do you think you are an influencer? Indirectly.

What’s your favorite historical character? Marie Antoinette.

Can you define yourself with an adjective? Honest.

You favorite actors? Deneuve, Faye Dunaway, Tilda Swinton , Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Favorite TV series?Euphoria, Yellow Jackets, Hacks.

If you were an animal which one would you like to be? A bird so I could go everywhere.

Have you ever had sex with more than one person? Yes.

Approximately how many partners have you had in your life? Sex partners: a lot, life partners: two.

Your favorite position for sex? Anything will do, it all depends on the partner.

What time do you usually go to sleep? 2/3 AM.

What time do you usually wake up? 11 / Noon.

What’s your favorite city in the world? Los Angeles.

Do you believe in some religions? Not the way they are offered to us.

What’s the first thing you would do if you win the lottery? Let’s take a trip.

The richest person you know? Bernard Arnaut.

Your favorite dish? Oysters.

Do you have some phobias? Snakes.

Favorite fashion brand? I have more than one.

How important is it for you to be rich from 1 to 10?7.

And fame? 5.

How important are fame and money to impress a partner? For me it does not matter, it is more about the way the partner sees you.

And what about beauty? Yes.

And intelligence? Yes.

The smartest person you know? Karl Lagerfeld.

Do you consider yourself smart? Yes.

Has anyone ever offered you sexual favors to work with you? If yes, can you tell us how it went? I did not respond.

And have you ever asked for anything like that in return? No.

The most precious material thing you own? My Rolex watch that was offered to me on my 50^th birthday by my former boyfriend.

What do you usually drink at the bar? Perrier.

Best party you’ve been to? Lately it was the Acne Party in Stockholm in December 2019.

Do you know someone being a real racist? Not really.

Do you think that if people couldn’t post on Instagram about it, they would take part as well to social movements? No.

What do you think about the existence of royal rulers for birthright? That’s part of the deal.

What drugs have you done? Almost all of them but I have not touched anything since 1988.

Are you in favour of the liberalization of soft drugs? Yes.

And hard drugs? Under control and in certain cases.

What’s your best talent? Music and Image.

What are the clothes you can’t stand to see on a man and on a woman? I’m not crazy about the lycra trend.

What’s the item of clothing you spent the most money on? A Bottega Veneta leather poncho that I barely wore.

Can you tell us a number from 1 to 89? 7.

Favorite restaurant and bar in the city where you live? Le Voltaire.

And club? I don’t have one.

Your ideal holiday? A house on the beach somewhere in the Caribean Sea.

What would you have done if you had not done your job? Designer.

If you could choose someone to follow you on Instagram who would you choose? I already follow who I want to follow.

Do you think that if there were no hypothetical partners to impress, human beings would pursue success so spasmodically? NO.

Do you think that in certain environments, especially those in which we find fame and money, there is a lack of certain values? It can happen.

Does the current concept of democracy make sense to you? Not really, there are too many unequalities.

What is your position on a hypothetical enlightened dictatorship that could direct the good of people? I don’t stand for that.

What do you think about the psychological profile of politicians? Generalizing and keeping in mind the existence of due exceptions, do you think that politicians get to do their job for personal interests, such as ego satisfaction or economic profit, or for an ethical and civic help vocation? It’s all about ego.

Do you think politicians and influencers have similar psychological profiles? They are all looking for likes.

Do you think that prison, intended as deprivation of freedom of a subject, is a correct solution for an individual who violates the laws of society, or do you think it presupposes an acceptance of participation in the social contract that some individuals may not want? Prisons are too violent.

Do you think that as animals, races also exist for human beings? No, animals can vary from mammals to reptiles and fish, humans are all humans.

What do you think about the cancel culture? I find it very violent, it reminds of the games in Ancient Rome .

What would you answer to the dilemma of the Mandarin of Chateaubriand then taken up by Balzac and countless other philosophers? In this case, if in order to fulfill any of your desires, you had to end the life of a person who is extremely distant from you and about whom you know nothing, without them suffering and without anyone ever knowing, would you do it? No.