Mathieu Karsenti is a music artist and composer for film, TV and stage. He produces music for successful TV shows for networks such as BBC, Channel 4, Bravo and Sky1. Don't miss our conversation with Mathieu Karsenti, covering topics such as his journey into music, composition, art, technology, upcoming projects, and life.
Can you share with us your journey into music, and what initially sparked your interest in becoming a composer?
I started my journey as an artist first, studying Applied Arts and Fine Art in South of France and picking up a guitar in my teens. I had no intention of becoming a musical artist as I was all set to study Furniture Design in London at University. There, I fronted and wrote songs for my band in the Acid Jazz era whilst also putting together little instrumental recordings on a four track machine on cassette tapes. I would overdub myself on guitar, vocals and percussion and I guess that was the start of composing, in some way. Years later, I got into producing music for UK Soul singers and then got into making music on TV shows. Largely self-taught, at that point I still didn’t consider myself a composer even though I wore many hats such as: music producer, multi-instrumentalist, remixer, musical director, arranger. I also got into film and took a course at Berklee in film and TV composing, taught myself musical theory and orchestration and eventually realized that maybe I was becoming a composer, bit-by-bit! I always saw that profession as a a privileged one and something too high for me to attain. But with a little knowledge and plenty of professional experiences, I realized I had been composing all along. And then in 2017, I got a grant to record a string quartet in a studio, re-recording some of my film cues and some new material that would form my first E.P. So becoming a composer was a longer journey (and I’m still learning) but I always knew how to be an artist. I knew how to channel what made me tick, I also knew how to be an abstract artist and thought there should be a connection between my art and my music at some point. A few years later and I’m still scoring films and I have released 16 solo projects (away from film) with a 4th album on the way.
Can you share any specific influences or inspirations that have shaped your musical style? How do you see the relationship between music and other forms of art, such as painting or literature?
There are too many music influences to make a concise list! I’ve always listened to a variety of artists; in the early days it was The Beatles and Simon Garfunkel, Lou Reed - easy stuff to play on the guitar. Then came Jazz and Classical music (Miles Davis, Stéphane Grappelli, Debussy, Ravel, J.S Bach), Soul music (Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway), Film music (Philip Glass, Thomas Newman, Danny Elfman, Michel Legrand, Cliff Martinez and many more) and also throughout, I was fascinated by Asian music (Ravi Shankar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), Japanese court music, Fela Kuti, Brazilian music etc…
Anything that captures my imagination and stirs my soul will make its way onto the list! I’m glad you mention the relationship between music and other art forms as for me, it is all linked. Being an Abstract artist, I always saw a strong connection between what influenced me in art with music. I started out being fascinated by JMW Turner and the Impressionists, then Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Robert Rauschenberg, Pierre Soulages but also in photography with Saul Leiter, Man Ray. The art of perfumery also had an impact on me, especially Serge Lutens and his poetic approach to it, a revolution in niche perfumery art. Scent has the power to evoke memories and definite moments just like music. There’s an art and an expertise to blending scents to create a unique perfume.
In literature, I read a lot of Haruki Murakami! Films have also always influenced my way of composing - I am a very visual person and when I work on a film, everything has an impact on what I do: costumes, acting, characters, make-up, photography, direction. I am always interested in Graphic Arts, architecture, fashion, food art - all these disciplines are linked and we are all creative beings surrounded by all this inspiring creativity.
How do you balance artistic vision with the practical demands of scoring for specific scenes or projects? How do you approach scoring for film differently than composing solo projects?
Because of my background in Art and Design, I realized there was a parallel in music: when I score a film, I am a designer who has to respond to a specific brief, within a defined framework, and when I compose my solo projects, I am a fine artist who creates music in a free-form way. So of course, a film to me is never an opportunity to fulfill my ego. It is an opportunity to create music tailored specifically to support a scene, a character, an emotion. That’s not to say, it can’t be more artistic or free sounding but it has to be formatted in a certain way, and it has to work. There are films where sometimes the music is playing against what we see for effect and at other times, it blends naturally with what we are experiencing. I have done both and it really depends on what the film needs. It’s a fascinating way of composing but it’s a different channel than what I do on my solo projects. I compose sketches everyday and I’m driven to explore what my expression sounds like with different instruments. Once I have an idea forming, I conceptualize it and it becomes an E.P or an album. Overall, I always think my approach is quite abstract, even in film where I never score with the well-trodden tropes. I’m always looking to say something else. And with my French background, I also realized I have a French approach to composing; a sort of modern, abstract, lyrical Impressionistic sound. But throughout, in both disciplines I have the same composing voice with the need to paint a sonic picture for the listener or the viewer to imagine things.
Could you share your insights on the unique challenges and fulfilling aspects of composing for episodic content for BBC?
In the early part of my career, I composed for episodic content for shows on CBBC and CBeebies. I was very fortunate that I worked on some fantastically creative shows where I could compose a specific sound, a sonic identity. My aim when I work to picture is to always find the soul of the project, whether it’s a film or TV show. So I always wok best with other creatives who understand the power of music and what it can do for them. One of the challenges of working on episodic content is having to write a lot of music in a short amount of time. Deadlines are nearly always tight and the composer has to find ideas fast! To me, it’s very fulfilling because I can really get into the show and find the musical identity that will fit it like a glove. With experience and knowledge, finding that identity gets a little easier.
When years later I worked on an episodic podcast for an award-winning company, I got to compose a mix of orchestral and ethnic sounds, like musical collages that accompany the narrative and the characters. Podcasts can be challenging because you don’t have quiet moments with pictures, it’s all sound FX and dialogue, throughout. But I am used to creating music that weaves in and out so it was a lot of fun. Of course, the reward of working on commercial episodic content is seeing or hearing the final product that you have worked on for so long. It all comes together and it’s such a fantastic adventure to be a part of. Also one of the good thing about episodic composing is that you have work for a certain period of time - during which your energy is focused on that job, not on finding more work! Like in film, you are part of a team, and it’s great to share a common creative experience together.
Can you tell us about your upcoming album "Strings Reworks" and what inspired this project? What do you hope listeners take away from your new project?
‘Strings Reworks’ is the result of remixing string ideas I had been playing around with for a while. My music being multi-layered, contrapuntal and polyphonic, I’ve always loved composing for various ensembles or configurations, creating a complete abstract painting. I started overlaying old string parts from my previous releases (Cello Prayers, Aitaké suite for solo violin, Movements, Viola Abstractions, Bygones), stripping away the intention of the original composition and seeing what works, discard what doesn’t, change keys, melody lines, meters etc… before long, I had a brand new collection of tracks. The idea of collage was also floating in my head at the time, linking it back to art with Rauschenberg, Hockney or Kurt Schwitters. So essentially, these new tracks became violin, viola and cello collages with added FX, found sounds, electronic percussion and sonic manipulations. As always with my work, the intention is to engage the listener’s imagination, take them on an abstract journey where there is enough freedom to picture what they want, whatever resonates with them at the time. Unlike with film scoring, my releases aren’t telling you to feel a certain way or guide you specifically towards something. They invite you to open your mind and let yourself be surprised, it’s a sonic adventure.
How do you balance the demands of your musical career with your personal life and other interests?
Without wanting to, my life is more and more structured. I wake up and go to bed at more or less the same time each day which leaves me room for more spontaneous creative moments when I’m not doing admin or working on a film. But overall, I want to fill my life with as many creative moments as possible, whether it’s art or music. If I’m not busy working on a job, I study music scores, work on different theoretical ideas, sometimes I make abstract art to fulfill that side of my creativity. It’s a constant search for creative endeavours. I also need a lot of time to think about music and time away from it all which happens when I meditate, around 3pm each day. It may seem like a luxury to be able to live like this but I spent most of my twenties and early thirties working in offices in dead-end uncreative jobs that I appreciate every moment I have to create music or to learn more. Once I was able to make a living from it working on films and TV shows and earning royalties, I made a pledge to myself that I would never go back to a non-creative job, come what may. I have been working professionally for 20 years, going through great times and lean ones, through high praises and complete apathy, I have built determination, resilience and a deeper understanding of my purpose and how I can accomplish it every day. I also realised I never run out of musical ideas, so I just normally sit at the piano and something will come. It’s great but it can also be frustrating because I want to do so much music and I can’t release it all after it’s been recorded; I have to pace things!
Can you discuss the role of technology in modern music composition, and how it has influenced your work?
There’s no doubt to me that technology is important in how I compose music. Having the ability to visualise and hear your work instantaneously, to edit it and put it together so quickly is fantastic. As I mentioned, in the old days I used four track tape recorders to put together rudimentary ideas. Now, it’s not even comparable what can be achieved with computers. But my connection with the analogue world has never left me. I still need and want to work with real musicians or play real instruments. There’s something very special when you hear music you have composed with computer sounds, come alive when a musician interprets it. They infuse it with soul, artistry, talent, emotion. It is even more special to me because what I do is often abstract and a musician will add the right feel when they understand the piece, their interpretation is crucial. So really, I use computers as tools; and they can make things as quick and efficient as frustrating and formatted. But the feeling you have and the explorative journey you go on when composing is your own, and that’s the best part of it. It doesn’t matter whether you use pen and paper or keyboard and mouse, you still have to use your imagination and be inspired to create something personal. Which is why Ai doesn’t interest me in the slightest. The idea of bypassing the creative process or minimising it in order to obtain a variety of results more quickly is boring to me. Ai doesn’t excite me in the slightest. To me, the whole point of making music is the digging, the exploring, the finding, the surprising and the compromising, the realising of it…. not the easy route out. I’m a hands-on guy, I will search and search until my back aches and I have to take a break. But the rewards are greater, especially when a musician plays them for you!
Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or releases that you're particularly excited about?
I always have projects cooking in simmering pots on the side. One of them is composing for cello and piano, another one is a collection of piano four hands pieces, I’m always keen to try out different combinations. I’m also interested in exploring some analogue synth ideas…. Let’s see!
Finally, from your perspective, what is the meaning of life?
For me, it is to create. This is what differentiates us from animals, we are creators. We are also destroyers, but it’s better to focus on creating, it’s more positive and enriching.