ARTIST PROFILE Chloé Thévenin
Chloé Thévenin.
Electronic music that oscillates between left-field, electro, house, minimal, techno, no wave, indie, and ambient. An inclination to tell stories. A desire to shift away from the club format. Founder of Lumière Noire.
Dir. Fernando Guzzoni
Artist Statement
I play and produce electronic music that oscillates between left-field, electro, house, minimal, techno, no wave, indie, and ambient — with an inclination to tell stories and shift away from the club format.
I entered the electronic music world in the mid-90s, going to rave parties, club nights, and digging electronic music records. This was when I started DJing and producing. I was studying law simultaneously, but I realised I was more inspired by music production — at a time when electronic music wasn't an industry. I'm glad I kept doing my thing. I grew up with the democratisation of electronic music.
Greatest inspirations & influences?
Inspiration comes from everywhere — it begins with how I feel about the world. Going in nature, taking the time to contemplate, and taking photos are meditative activities that bring me to another dimension of life, a purely interior one. People, books, an exhibition, new music, geek things, learning — all of these can provoke a creative reaction.
"I grew up with the democratisation of electronic music — I'm glad I kept doing my thing."
— Chloé Thévenin
Soundtracks for film — your latest OST work?
I started with short movies — like the collaboration with Lidia Leber Terki, who then offered me a longer film. Then I worked with Fernando Guzzoni, Laurent Cantet, and Thomas Salvador.
My latest OST is on Fernando Guzzoni's Blanquita — the story of a Chilean sex scandal that involved politicians. He wanted me to accompany this ever-present tension without imposing it too much. It was a matter of constantly finding a balance between a minimalist atmosphere and moments of progressive saturation. The ethereal and organic textures gradually become colder and more electronic. Sounds built up in successive layers, creating ambiguous, sometimes disturbing tones. I play with textures, melodies lost in reverberations, dissonant harmonies, evocations of acoustic instruments, and silence.
2022
Dir. Fernando Guzzoni. The music illustrates the impalpable place in which Blanca and the priest find themselves — suspension, tension, never resolving. The music never has a precise musical pattern.
How do you select artists and music for Lumière Noire?
We release electronic music we fall in love with — mainly club music, but not only, staying open to crossover artists. We put the same level of excitement on each release. We receive music from friends' producers, make requests to artists we love, and listen to a lot of demos from newcomers — and we find great music that fits perfectly to the label.
There is also an important graphic dimension to the label. Dune Lunel Studio takes care of the visual identity of Lumière Noire, proposing illustrators and photographers for cover design. For our 5th anniversary, we gave the studio carte blanche to design a fanzine — a "Deluxe Zine." We are sensitive to the paper used and the printing technique, trying as much as possible to meet the requirements of respect for the environment.
How do you prioritize your wellbeing?
Being often on the road and playing late at night made me understand that if I wanted to continue practising this profession, I had to have a healthy life. Avoiding drinking alcohol makes a difference the day after the party. I also practise meditation and yoga. I often walk in nature and take time off in the mountains.