Soundscapes and Style: Lecomte de Brégeot’s Journey Through Music and Fashion [Eng]
Paysages sonores et style : Le voyage de Lecomte de Brégeot à travers la musique et la mode
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Lecomte de Brégeot is a French music producer and electro performing artist whose elegant sound landscapes have already amassed hundreds of thousands of fans across the globe. His hit single “Paris 1985” is a high fashion favorite. He has also collaborated with Canadian producer Allie X, and American drag legend Violet Chachki on “Mistress Violet” – a highly addictive synth-pop gem. His more recent works include a remix of Visage’s iconic “Fade to Grey”, production of a track with his protégée Elle Valenci that was featured on Emily In Paris, and the super catchy single “Catching The Light”.
ICONIQA sat down with him in Barcelona for a chit-chat about his influences, his relationship with the queer artistic scene, and many other things.
Hi, thank you for meeting with us today. What is bringing you to Barcelona ?
Hi, my pleasure, thanks for having me. Let’s say the timing was perfect for me. I had to work in studio here, I knew Gottmik was gonna be in town to perform at the ICONIQA party (organized by Barry Brandon, aka The Queer Indigo, whom I also wanted to meet), and I had never been to Razzmatazz, which is one of the most iconic venues in Barcelona. So I thought: Let’s go!
The past 2 or 3 years have been a whirlwind of exciting projects for you, with lots of traveling around. Do you have a home-base where you can recharge your batteries ?
The past 2 years have been crazy indeed, but in a good way. I’ve had the chance to meet a lot of cool people and to do a lot of gigs worldwide, which is very exciting. Yet, I’m always happy to go back to Lyon, in France, where I live and have all my friends, my grandparents… It’s important for me to reconnect on a regular basis with my roots, and to have that balance between the shows, the travels, and my private life.
You recently designed the soundscape for the FW23-24 Roberto Cavalli fashion show, and you have been collaborating for some time now with some of the biggest names in the fashion industry. How did this relationship with the fashion world start?
It all started in 2019. My first big collab was with YSL, who used one of my songs for an advertising campaign. I think now we’ve done 4 or 5 together. Then, “Paris 1985”came out, and a lot of brands reached out to me because they wanted to use it: Saint Laurent, Nina Ricci, Balenciaga, NARS… That song opened new doors for me in the fashion industry, and everything went really fast. It was a nice surprise, and I feel lucky I got to work with all these amazing brands.
Speaking of fashion, you have created 2 amazing tracks with THE fashion icon Violet Chachki, who was actually the headliner of the ICONIQA party vol. 1. How would you say her art and queer identity have influenced your creative process ?
Recently, I was thinking about the relationship between the queer scene and the world of fashion. Queer artists have brought a lot to the industry of fashion. People like Violet, who are true icons, open new perspectives through the way they dress, their makeup and their attitude. And so there is a bridge between queer artists and fashion, and between music and fashion, and it kinda makes sense that at the crossroads we all meet together. I actually grew up in a modest environment far away from the world of fashion and the music industry, so all of it was new to me. And the beauty and eccentricity of the queer artists I’ve met along the way have definitely influenced my music. As far as Violet is concerned, her universe and her character have been truly inspiring as I was writing music for her : that 80’s vibe, sexy and dark at the same time, sweet and sassy… it matches what I like to do, and it just makes sense to me.
Who wrote the lyrics of “Mistress Violet”?
Violet and Allie X came up with them, and I added a few words in French, which I thought would be cool.
Violet’s voice is also featured on a remix of “Fade To Grey” that you produced, which is a smart way to bring this 80’s classic into today’s pop culture. Am I right to say that your music is highly influenced by 80’s beats, yet is still super modern?
No, you’re right. I was born in 1986, so I grew up with that sound, and I’ve always been influenced by the music of that era. At the same time, I love contemporary music, and I think that mixing both comes naturally to me.
You also work a lot with French singer Elle Valenci whose voice can be heard on several of your tracks. It seems like you two are a musical match made in heaven.
Yeah? Thank you. I do think that we are a good artistic match, but I also consider Elle like a member of my family. We’re very close, we love to work together – both on my projects and hers that we have been developing on my label. And yeah, I’m happy to have her by my side, and vice versa.
What other artists inspire you in general ? And is there one in particular that you would like to work with one day ?
I have always been a huge, huge fan of Vitalic. When I was younger, I was into harder stuff, until a friend of mine told me to buy Vitalic’s “Poney EP” and when I listened to it, it was a f****** revelation. That mix of fusion, rock, techno…wow! I was a DJ at that time, in the early 2000’s, and that’s when I started writing my own songs. I really like his musical singularity. I met him a couple of times, and he’s also a very friendly person… Who knows what the future holds!
Otherwise, regarding my influences, I love UK beats. The Brits have been leading the music industry for the past 50 years – whether it is electro artists like The Chemical Brothers, or The Prodigy, or rock artists like New Order, Blur, Oasis, The Beatles, Pink Floyd… all of them!
Your music has something quite visual about it, and the super snatched video clip of your hit “Paris 1985” literally feels like one is walking into ICONIQA, Barcelona’s most queer party. How important is the visual part of your music ?
Very important. I’ve been lucky to work with people who have strong visual identities and are very talented, and it’s been a joy creating videos with them. Just like with fashion, when you listen to music, I guess you start seeing things in your head. For me, music and video go hand in hand. Regarding my music, people often tell me that it’s very visual, which makes me happy. Vocals also bring something more human, I guess, especially with electro music, and it helps listeners to project a story.
Are you involved at all in the creation of the video clips ?
Yes, but in a reasonable way. I trust and believe in people I work with, and I let them express themselves. I’m mostly there to make sure that the visual part remains consistent with my ideas. I love videos and what they bring to music, but at the end of the day, I’m not a video maker, so I let the pros do their job.
Can you tell us more about your creative process?
I’m actually quite obsessive with work, and when I’m not touring, I basically sit in my studio all day. I would feel guilty just sitting home twiddling my thumbs. So even when I’m not really in the mood or don’t feel super inspired, I still try to make something happen. Sometimes, I just have an idea, a bass line for instance, and I try to work around it. But my favorite thing, and this is how most of my work gets one, is when I don’t really control anything. It’s more like a state of mind, where you abandon part of yourself to reach a state of consciousness that allows you to be creative. This requires some detachment, in order to feel what you’re doing in another way. This is how I’ve been able to create my best stuff, as opposed to “I’m gonna do things like this and like that”, which never ends up working so well.
You started your career in France and have exploded internationally since. What is your favorite place / city you’ve ever DJ’d at ?
There are lots, but I love Turkey. I’ve been going a lot over the past 2 years, and I now have a large group of friends there that I’m happy to see every time. I love the atmosphere there, in general. And the party scene is crazy.
I also love Russia, which turned out to be very different from what I had imagined. People are great, there's something very elegant about them. And the electro scene is huge, with a wide spectrum of influences. I’ve seen live performances there that were absolutely beyond. High level stuff. The Iconica party at Razzmatazz I went to yesterday was a highlight too, although I’m gonna need one more to recover (laugh). The level of creativity was high and smiles were everywhere, bravo ICONIQA!
Do you still find time to go out clubbing ?
I do, yes… Definitely ever since I arrived in Barcelona! But to be honest, I spend so much time on dance-floors that when I’m not working, I enjoy being home doing things that are a bit more chill. I used to party a lot more when I was younger, now I don’t go out more than once a week.
Do you have any new projects coming up ?
Yes, I’m currently working on my new EP, which should be released mid-2024. I’m also working with Elle Valenci on her project, and I will for sure do some new collabs with brands, and also who knows maybe some cool projects with the queer scene 🙂
And last but not least, can I ask you for an ICONIQA x Lecomte de Brégeot playlist? Please say yes!
Of course! My pleasure.
And I would like to close this interview with a huge thank you to the entire ICONIQA team for their great party, but also for their priceless care, kindness and human beauty. You humans made my stay in Barcelona gorgeous, thank you.
Photography and story: Sebastien Navosad @sebastien_nvsd
Photo assistant: Diego Sousa Pitti @diegosousap.foto
Wearing: Victor Von Schwarz @victorvonschwarz
Discover the captivating new EP Sequences by Lecomte de Brégeot, featuring collaborations with the talented Elle Valenci and Seroye Litso. Available now on all streaming platforms – listen here →
As a special gift for IAMICONIQA readers, Lecomte de Brégeot has also curated an exclusive playlist just for you: Enjoy it on Spotify →
Happy listening!