Recently, we collaborated with the artist Dehn Sora to customize a Rega Planar 1 turntable, one that you will find nowhere else in the world and that is unique: the “Moonhunter”! For this occasion, he had the kindness of telling us a little more about himself and his career path through this interview.
– Can you tell us a little more about your career path (activities, music/art debut, etc.)?
Like many I think, I started drawing when I was a child. I felt good behind the piles of papers and pencils. When I was about 6 years old, I dreamt of becoming a film director. I drew and wrote scenarios, with the desire of big things and the uncontrollable imagination we have at this age. I catastrophically started playing piano on a synthesizer at the same age. I remember that all these things were interrelated to the desire of creating. The technical aspect did not really interest me, I wanted to create sound, images. A state of mind that I have always had.
As a teenager, music took precedence over image, but I discovered graphic design and decided to orient myself towards this discipline, which at the time, gave me a glimpse that I could make a little more “realistic” the images that I had in mind.
After secondary school, I spent two years in a multimedia design school. I did not finish my degree for diverse reasons, but decided to jump into this world by continuing to learn through experiences. I worked in agencies, as a freelance as well.
I am currently the artistic director in an agency specialized in video mapping. In parallel, I started making more and more artworks for groups. This enabled me to link all of my desires. I always try to discover techniques, new means of expression. I do it badly but I always give it my all. I try.
– Where does this passion come from?
The fact that I have trouble expressing myself with words must have played a lot in the beginning. Artwork has always helped me better express myself. The fact of wanting to challenge myself as well. Each project is a challenge, the process is never simple, but there is a relation with the will of creating. I am rarely satisfied of my work, I always want to be technically better, have more important ideas, stronger ideas. But reaching the end is always a feeling of satisfaction. When I was younger, what I think opened up this passion for expressing myself in general, is a form of looking for protection. I do not feel comfortable with a lot of things, I wanted to push the truth elsewhere and thus protect myself. There may still be some of that.
– What is the meaning behind your name Dehn Sora?
In my musical project Treha Sektori, I use an instinctive language, a sound language that comes from this lack of possibility of putting words on certain feelings. My name is Vincent, its origin is Vincere, “to conquer during war”. Dehn Sora means in this language something like “to conquer a challenge”. In relation with what I was saying above. I never felt good, confident. But I always gave it my all.
– How would you define your graphical universe?
I have trouble describing it. I do not really look back on what I do. But I find it always moving. At a time period, I liked finding simplicity in images with many details. I like symbols, I also like twisting them. When I work, I always question myself, it can become an obsession.
At the moment, I am trying to work more with my hands, illustrations, sculptures. There is thus a change of art, tied to my capacities. My universe rebuilds itself every time I think.
– Where does your inspiration come from?
I live in a big city with an intense rhythm of life, but especially a large field of observation. The images that come to mind are never urban images. There are often images of animals, ceremonial images as well. There may thus be a reaction against this environment. I talk a lot about challenges, but they are for me the biggest sources of inspiration. Good or bad, every experience has an impact. It is necessary to try in order to tell.
My source of inspiration is thus very large. I keep my eyes open all the time. Even though my head is often in the clouds, my eyes are always alert.
– What artistic collaboration impacted you the most?
Each collaboration is unique and important. I have to admit that I am proud of having had the opportunity of working with groups that impacted me, made me who I am today. I am especially thinking of Ulver, which was one of my first collaborations. Writing a small bit of their story is a true reward from a group that pushed me not to establish limits in expressing myself.
With Amenra as well, which is a constant collaboration, became a true friendship. The collaborations that push you to question yourself, try new things, often fail, but to not rely on an acquired set of skills, are the strongest. Several can be named, and I hope that this is only the beginning.
– You made the artwork of our Rega Planar 1 turntable. What inspired you for this creation?
At first, I wanted to do something based on the circular symbol of the vinyl record. I tried several things without being convinced, or being blocked by the format. Then I started something more instinctive, illustrative.
I came about Debemur Morti’s project, a label with whom I am very close and often collaborate with. Our stories are related, and I wanted to give them a shout out. The animal form related to an illustration made for the label for example. I was looking for a visual rhythm. My hands shook a lot in front of the permanent aspect of the project! 😉
– As a musician, what is your musical style?
Every authentic music, without a distinction of style. I like listening to artists that put a lot into their expression, that we feel the need, the absence of the possibility of doing something else. I grew up with black metal, which has the will of not only being a musical style, but an idea of expression inseparable from the truth. Any kind of expression that has a meaning, that would stop me from doing something else while I am listening, as it is so fascinating.
I recently bought vinyl records by Anna Von Hausswolf, Portal, Chaos Echos, Nils Frahm…
– Music, graphic design, photography, you have more than one string to your bow. How do you choose your projects?
I work on projects that are true collaborations. I have trouble telling myself that I cannot be 100% involved in a project. If I cannot, for daily reasons, or others, I prefer not to work on a project. With a group for example, I cannot allow to not dedicate myself 100% to the group. It is too important to only dedicate half of my effort. I work on a project according to my needs as well. I make music when I need to. The idea determines the form of art. I am for my taste, a mediocre technician, I do not have any solid theoretical base. I have this self-educated state of mind. Always obsessed with the desire of trying so many things. But I feel that I do many things wrong. I work to improve myself every day. Thus, some projects are huge challenges for myself, doing things that I do not know how to do, but I will do it without hesitating, even if I have to sweat a lot.
– Do you listen to vinyl records? If yes, what turntable do you have? =)
Vinyl records are my ideal musical format, ideally mixing artwork and sound, the whole in a quite ceremonial way. We are truly face to the music, physically implied.
I have a Marantz TT42 vinyl turntable, and recently, I bought a lot of vinyl records to listen to. For now, I look at them, I enjoy the artworks. And I will listen to these albums when the time has come!