EXCLUSIVE: Rabanne Is Leaning Further Into Music — and Issuing a Remix Challenge
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key TakeawaysUpon hearing the opening snippet of “Listen to the Music” by Judy Carter, an almost-forgotten disco track from 1983, French music producer Damien Quintard was hooked.
“It feels so up to date and also so nostalgic of this period,” he said in an interview. “It’s so funky and it really could be something that is released today.
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AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R26ekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R46ekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe“And then there’s Judy’s voice — it’s one of those eternal voices that echoes still today,” he enthused. “When you listen to her singing, it’s so fresh, so innocent, so light, and I think this world needs a bit of this good mood.”
Enter Paris fashion house Rabanne, which conscripted Quintard and Miraval Studios to remaster and rerelease the track on streaming platforms on Wednesday. It’s also issuing a “remix challenge” to anyone with access to a digital audio workstation, with the victor scoring a September residency at Miraval to coproduce a brand new track, due out at the end of October.
According to Quintard, the sky’s the limit on interpreting the original song.
“It could be someone sampling the first five seconds and then putting it into a loop and adding some EDM behind, or some dubstep or funk or pop or rock or rap, whatever works. It’s just an open call to creativity, whatever the genre,” he said.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2bekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4bekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeThe project pays homage to founder Paco Rabanne, whose label produced “Listen to the Music” and about 30 other tracks with a dozen artists, all from the Afro-disco and funk movements.
It underscores how the Puig-owned fashion house is leaning further into music, following a hit campaign earlier this year for its high summer collection that exalted Brazilian funk, a hip-hop-influenced genre from Rio de Janeiro.
Known for his work with such musical acts as Brian Eno, Justice and Arca, Quintard said he relished the opportunity to dig into the Paco Rabanne Design back catalogue, and to discover how important music was to the designer’s creations.
The Spanish-born couturier, who catapulted to fame in 1966 with his “12 unwearable dresses” in plastic and metal, is also touted as the first designer to integrate music into his fashion shows.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2hekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4hekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeAlso, in tandem with the launch of his record label, Rabanne established Centre 57 in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, funding the 30,000-square-foot facility with proceeds from his perfumes.
According to Rabanne, it was free and open to all artists from the African and Caribbean diasporas, and became an incubator for more than 100 musicians, artists and dancers in residence — until neighbors complained to police.
The center shuttered after two years of operation, but left an indelible mark as hip hop was just emerging in France. It had welcomed such then-emerging talents as Joey Starr, Kool Shen and MC Solaar.
Quintard paraphrased a Rabanne quote he came across during his research: “I design a dress like a waveform, and music is the raw material.”
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2mekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4mekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe“It’s a sentiment that perfectly captures the surreal, almost otherworldly link between Rabanne’s work and sound,” the producer mused.
In his view, Rabanne’s discography resonates today, mentioning how pop stars from Lady Gaga to The Weeknd are prized for music with an ’80s undercurrent.
“I think it’s really in the air of our times where we can dig into the culture of the disco era and give our own twist to it,” Quintard said. “It’s fantastic for us to be collaborating with a brand that changed so much in the fashion scene.”
The producer said getting his hands on an original copy of the Carter song on LP proved challenging, and expensive, signaling a cult following for such music.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2rekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4rekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe“It’s very well known in the niche circles, and it was a hit back in the days,” he said. “Of course, it’s such a wondrous opportunity to remaster it.”
The plan is for Miraval to do a full remaster of Rabanne’s original catalogue, with Quintard’s magic touch.
Vincent Thilloy, president of Rabanne and Jean Paul Gaultier at Puig, said “music has always been at the heart of Rabanne’s DNA.…We’re especially proud to collaborate with one of the most iconic studios in the industry.”
Founded in 1977 by French composer Jacques Loussier, Miraval Studios famously welcomed such recording artists as Pink Floyd, The Cure, Sade, Sting and Elton John before going silent in the early 2000s. It was brought back to life at the Château de Miraval in 2022 by Quintard in partnership with Brad Pitt, owner of the estate, which also produces a famed rosé wine.
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R30ekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R50ekkr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeSince Miraval Studios reopened, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber and Nick Cave have recorded there, and Miraval has expanded its remit to be a creative hub and production house, in addition to recording music.
According to Quintard, the Rabanne remix project fits into its ambition that “young artists and the next gen of tomorrow can also come and be part of our history.”
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