FINANCIAL TIMES – SEPTEMBER 2014 – HOW TO SPEND IT – DIARY OF A SOMEBODY

SEPTEMBER 2014

DAY 1: SEPTEMBER 09 2014</b>

THIS WEEKEND MY BETTER HALF HUN AND I WENT TO SEE JONE SAN MARTÍN FROM THE WILLIAM FORSYTHE DANCE COMPANY DO A PERFORMANCE. IT STARTED OUT AS A TALK AND DEMONSTRATION OF MOVEMENT EXPLAINED IN FRENCH, WHICH I DON'T UNDERSTAND VERY WELL – DESPITE HAVING LIVED IN PARIS FOR 12 YEARS; INEXCUSABLE, REALLY. ANYWAY, I WAS SLIGHTLY BORED AND LETTING MY MIND DRIFT WHEN, AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF EARNEST EXPLANATION AND DEMONSTRATION, EVERYTHING SUDDENLY BEGAN TO DEGENERATE – THE SOUND WENT SOUR, THE SIMPLE BLACK BACKDROPS BEGAN TO FOLD IN ON THEMSELVES AND THE HANGING FLUORESCENT LIGHTS WERE SLOWLY SWALLOWED INTO THE CEILING. THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND SAN MARTÍN'S VOICE DEVOLVED INTO A GROWL AS SHE BEGAN TO DANCE, WRITHE AND TURN INSIDE OUT – THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE HAD A MOUSTACHE. IT WAS THE MOST MARVELLOUS AND SLIGHTLY SPOOKY EXPERIENCE AND WHAT HAD SEEMED SUBURBAN AND PROSAIC SUDDENLY BECAME DISTURBED AND WEIRD. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRED THINGS I'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME.

I'VE ARRIVED BACK IN PARIS AFTER TWO MONTHS AT THE LIDO IN VENICE. I DON'T USUALLY STAY THAT LONG BUT THE HOUSE IN PARIS IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION; WE ARE HAVING THE ELEVATOR REMOVED TO ENLARGE A VERY SMALL STAIRCASE, WHICH WILL NOW HAVE WINDOWS OPENING ONTO THE GARDEN. IT SEEMED LIKE A SMALL PROJECT TWO YEARS AGO, BUT WITH CITY PERMITS, CO-PROPRIETORS' APPROVALS AND THE WEATHER, HERE WE ARE, STILL IN RUBBLE. IT TOOK LESS TIME TO BUILD THE EIFFEL TOWER. I FLED TO THE BEACH WHILE HUN STAYED TO BARK AT THE CONSTRUCTION CREW. IT WAS COMPLETELY COWARDLY OF ME BUT I DID HAVE A WOMENSWEAR SPRING/SUMMER RUNWAY COLLECTION TO PREPARE IN ITALY, SO I HAD A GOOD EXCUSE.

ANYWAY, I'M BACK AND WE'RE STAYING AT AN APARTMENT NEXT DOOR THAT USED TO BELONG TO DODIE ROSEKRANS, A FRIEND OF OURS WHO WAS A BIT OF A 'MARCHESA CASATI' – SHE HAD PLACES IN SAN FRANCISCO AND VENICE TOO, AND WAS ALWAYS DECKED OUT TO THE TEETH IN THE MOST EXTREME COUTURE PARIS COULD CHURN OUT. THIS APARTMENT WAS ONE OF AMERICAN ARTIST TONY DUQUETTE'S LAST PROJECTS AND IS LINED IN EMBROIDERY, SEQUINS, DISTRESSED MIRROR, GOLD LEAF, GOLD LACE AND PROBABLY GOLD SPRAY PAINT, WHICH WAS KIND OF HIS THING – SCOTCH-TAPED GLAMOUR, WHICH I SUPPOSE IS KIND OF MY THING TOO, BUT HE WENT ALL OPIUM-DEN BAROQUE WITH IT. DODIE PASSED ON A FEW YEARS AGO AND THE APARTMENT WAS MOSTLY EMPTIED BUT A LOT REMAINS IN FANTASTIC MISS HAVISHAM-DILAPIDATION. IT'S LIKE LIVING IN A MURKY GUSTAVE MOREAU PAINTING, WHICH IS A BIT DENSER THAN MY USUAL STYLE BUT PROBABLY A HEALTHY BREAK.

DAY 2 SEPTEMBER 09 2014

I SPEND THE MORNING LOOKING THROUGH PICTURES OF SHIRTLESS BARTENDERS AND WAITERS FOR A PARTY I'M HAVING WITH SELFRIDGES THIS WEEKEND IN LONDON. WHEN I GO TO A PARTY, I ALWAYS GAUGE HOW BEAUTIFUL THE WAITING STAFF IS – THE MORE ATTRACTIVE THEY ARE, THE MORE GLAMOROUS THE PARTY IS TO ME. THAT IS BREATHTAKINGLY SUPERFICIAL I KNOW, BUT MY BUSINESS IS ALL ABOUT DETAIL.

OF COURSE, MY IDEA OF BEAUTY MIGHT BE HARD TO REALISE, AND I'M RECEIVING PICTURES OF MALE STRIPPERS WHEN WHAT I REALLY WANT ARE MALEVOLENTLY GAUNT EGON SCHIELE ANARCHISTS, WITH ACHINGLY SOULFUL EYES – AND BARTENDING EXPERIENCE. THIS PARTY IS TO CELEBRATE MY COLLABORATION WITH SELFRIDGES, WHICH ENTAILS NUMEROUS WINDOWS, A SPACE I'VE CURATED (WHICH IS SORT OF LIKE A GIFT SHOP FOR MY IMAGINARY BURIAL PYRAMID) AND A 25FT STATUE OF MY SHIRTLESS TORSO WIELDING A FLAMING TORCH OVER THE ENTRANCE. I KNOW – RIDICULOUS, RIGHT? IN TRUTH, THIS IS JUST THE KIND OF GIDDY FASHION EXPERIENCE THAT I WOULD ASK FOR IN A DESIGNER SO, WITH SELFRIDGES' UNBLINKING SUPPORT, WE HAVE THROWN REASON, RESTRAINT AND MODESTY TO THE WIND. AS A THANK YOU TO THE SELFRIDGES TEAM, I'M GIVING EACH OF THEM A SILVER BRACELET IDENTICAL TO THE ONES I WEAR NONSTOP, WITH THEIR NAME AND OUR OPENING DATE ENGRAVED INSIDE.

THE WHOLE THING TURNED OUT JUST AS I HAD HOPED, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, AND THIS PARTY IS LA CÉRISE SUR LE GÂTEAU. I'LL BE DOING A BOOK SIGNING THAT AFTERNOON, WHICH I EXPECT WILL STRIP ME OF ANY ALLURE OR SENSE OF MYSTERY I MIGHT HAVE LEFT. I ONLY AGREED TO A PARTY AS IT WOULD GIVE ME AN EXCUSE TO DANCE WITH MY TEAM TO ALL MY FAVOURITE SONGS, IN A BLACKED-OUT, FOG-FILLED CONCRETE BUNKER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. I'VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN: DANCING IS ONE OF LIFE'S SIMPLEST JOYS AND I FEEL A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ENJOY IT.

I'VE MADE A PLAYLIST OF ALL MY FAVOURITE MUSIC, WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY HARD TECHNO BUT INCLUDES A FEW OF THE RAUNCHIEST VOGUING TRACKS, AND AS MUCH BY AMERICAN RAPPER LADY AS I CAN FIND. MALE-DOMINATED RAP HAS ALWAYS HAD WHAT I CONSIDER AN UNFORTUNATE ATTITUDE TOWARDS WOMEN, SO I DELIGHT IN FEMALE RAPPERS LIKE LADY TURNING THE TABLES IN THE MOST BRUTALLY LASCIVIOUS WAY. THE DELIBERATE POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS OF IT MAKES IT FEEL DELICIOUSLY DARK AND YET CHEERFUL AT THE SAME TIME – AND MAYBE I'LL TRY A VIOLENTLY CHEERFUL DEATH DROP. OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, VOGUING HAS EVOLVED FROM ELEGANTLY SMOOTH TO A HARSHER, MORE AGGRESSIVE, ALMOST MOSH-PIT EXPERIENCE CULMINATING IN THE DEATH DROP, WHICH IS AN ARTFUL WAY OF SPINNING AROUND AND THROWING YOURSELF INTO A SORT OF BACKWARDS CURTSY, LANDING FLAT ON YOUR BACK WITH ONE ARM FLUNG BEHIND YOU AND ONE LEG EXTENDED, POINTED AT THE SKY. IT'S THRILLING WHEN DONE WELL – AND TOUCHING WHEN ATTEMPTED BY A 52-YEAR-OLD DESIGNER WITH LONG, DYED-BLACK HAIR.

DAY 3 SEPTEMBER 11 2014

TODAY I'M FINALISING THE STYLES FOR MY WOMEN'S SPRING RUNWAY SHOW, WHICH WILL BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 25. AS A SHOW NEARS, PEOPLE OFTEN SYMPATHETICALLY ASK HOW I'M HOLDING UP UNDER THE STRESS AND I HESITATE TO DISPEL THE MYTH THAT CREATION IS TORTURE. I SUSPECT THAT A CHUNK OF YVES SAINT LAURENT'S LEGEND WAS THE DRAMA OF HIS ANGUISH. NO DISRESPECT TO MR YSL – AND I CERTAINLY DON'T PUT MYSELF IN THE SAME LEAGUE – BUT YOU GET WHAT I'M SAYING. I DID EXPERIENCE EARLY ON THE EXTREME DISCOMFORT OF FEELING UNPREPARED UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE AND WAS SO TRAUMATISED THAT I'LL NEVER LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN. I LIKE TO APPROACH IT ARCHITECTURALLY: THE PLANS FOR A BUILDING HAVE TO BE MADE WELL IN ADVANCE, WITH THE CONSTRUCTION METHODICALLY AND RATIONALLY EXECUTED. IF WHAT I WANT TO PRESENT IS CALM AND LOGICAL ELEGANCE, WOULDN'T I WANT ITS CREATION TO FOLLOW SUIT? I DON'T WANT TO DRAIN THE EMOTION FROM WHAT I'M DOING, JUST THE HYSTERIA.

RECENTLY, I MOVED FROM SHOWING IN AN EPIC, INDOOR CONCRETE SPORTS ARENA, WHERE I HAD BEEN DOING PROGRESSIVELY MORE THEATRICAL SHOWS, TO A SERIES OF LARGE ART-DECO HALLS IN THE TROCADÉRO – MY FAVOURITE SPOT IN PARIS, ASIDE FROM THE PALAIS DE TOKYO, WHICH MIRRORS IT. I FELT THAT I HAD COMPLETED A CYCLE; WHAT STARTED WITH ELEMENTAL BACKDROPS SUCH AS FIRE, WIND, CASCADING FOAM AND WAGNERIAN LIGHTING EFFECTS, CULMINATED IN A MEN'S SHOW FEATURING A WEREWOLF SPEED-METAL BAND HANGING UPSIDE DOWN FROM THE CEILING. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A WOMEN'S SHOW, WITH FOUR AMERICAN-SORORITY STEP TEAMS WEARING THE COLLECTION WHILE PERFORMING A BUSBY BERKELEY, TECHNO/TRIBAL DRILL-TEAM ROUTINE – IT WAS A SATISFYINGLY EMOTIONAL HIGH, TAPPING INTO OUR UNIVERSAL LONGING FOR A SENSE OF BELONGING AND UNITY. IMPOSSIBLE TO TOP, AND NOT WANTING TO TRAP MYSELF INTO TRYING TO, I CHANGED VENUES TO CALM EVERYTHING DOWN FOR A MINUTE. I KNOW THAT SOME ARE PROBABLY DISAPPOINTED BY THE LACK OF FIREWORKS IN RECENT SHOWS, BUT I'M SURE OTHERS ARE RELIEVED THEY DON'T HAVE TO INDULGE ME IN MY HISTRIONICS AND HAVE SOMETHING SUBTLER TO RESPOND TO.

THE SPRING COLLECTION IS NAMED FAUN (MEN'S AND WOMEN'S COLLECTIONS HAVE THE SAME TITLE) AND REFERENCES CLAUDE DEBUSSY'S L'APRÈS MIDI D_'UN FAUNE – MUSIC I GREW UP LISTENING TO FROM A CULTURAL PERIOD THAT BECAME AN AESTHETIC TOUCHSTONE FOR ME, ENCOMPASSING CUBISM, STÉPHANE MALLARMÉ, LÉON BAKST, THE BALLETS RUSSES AND EARLY-20TH-CENTURY MODERNISM. THE LEGENDARY PREMIERE OF THE BALLET CHOREOGRAPHED BY AND STARRING VASLAV NIJINSKY WAS SET TO THIS MUSIC, AND I WAS THINKING OF THE STORYLINE OF THE FAUN CHASING THE NYMPHS, CLIMAXING WITH THE FAUN MASTURBATING OVER THE SCARF LEFT BEHIND BY ONE OF THEM. A PRIMAL MOMENT CAPTURED IN A STYLISED FORMAL SETTING.

IT WAS AN HISTORICAL MOMENT OF THE NEW GUARD ATTACKING THE ESTABLISHMENT – A DRAMATIC DISPLAY OF SOMETHING CRUDE AND BARBARIC THAT MADE WHAT CAME BEFORE IT SEEM DATED AND FUSSY.

ARTIFICE AND THE ID ARE A COMBO THAT INFORMS ALMOST EVERYTHING I DO, AND I ALWAYS THINK OF THE SCULPTOR CONSTANTIN BRÂNCUȘI AND PERFORMANCE ARTIST JOSEPH BEUYS TO GET THERE.

IMPROBABLY, WHAT ALL THIS BOILS DOWN TO FOR THE WOMEN'S COLLECTION IS FROTH, LITERALLY: I'M WORKING ON SOMETHING DELICATE AND WISPY IN LÉON BAKST'S MUTED COLOURS, FOR A FLEEING, LAUGHING NYMPH. BUT FROTH, COMING FROM ME, AFTER WHAT I MIGHT BE KNOWN FOR, IS ABOUT AS SHOCKING AS I CAN PROBABLY GET.

DAY 4 SEPTEMBER 12 2014

TODAY I'M LOOKING FOR DESK CHAIRS. AFTER SEARCHING THIS SUMMER FOR A HOUSE ON THE BEACH IN VENICE FOR MY ITALIAN STUDIO, I FINALLY FOUND A SUITE IN THE HOTEL I STAY AT ON THE LIDO. IT HAS EVERYTHING I NEED: THE PROPORTION OF THE ROOMS, SOLID WOODEN FLOORS, THE RIGHT WALL TEXTURE, CORNER WINDOWS OVERLOOKING THE SEA, A BIG BATHROOM WITH A TERRACE AND, OF COURSE, ROOM SERVICE. SO I'M TAKING IT PERMANENTLY. FOR YEARS I USED TO STAY FOR WEEKS ON END AT A MOTEL OVER A GAS STATION ON THE HIGHWAY NEAR OUR REMOTE FACTORY, TO LEARN HOW TO GET THE RESULTS I WANTED AND IMMERSE MYSELF IN THE SYSTEM AND PACE OF PRODUCING OUR CLOTHES. BEFORE THAT MOTEL WAS BUILT, I SLEPT ON THE FLOOR IN MY OFFICE AT THE FACTORY. BUT AFTER 12 YEARS TOGETHER I FEEL THAT I'VE LEARNT ENOUGH TO TRY WORKING A DIFFERENT WAY – ON THE BEACH. IF THE PAST 12 YEARS WERE ABOUT SURVIVAL, MAYBE THE NEXT 12 CAN BE ABOUT REFINEMENT.

I NEVER PUT IMAGES OR ART ON MY WALLS; I NEED A PERPETUALLY BLANK SLATE WHERE EVERYTHING FEELS POSSIBLE. I DO, HOWEVER, HAVE AN ONAGADORI FEATHER TAPED TO THE WALL IN MY FACTORY OFFICE THAT MY JAPANESE PARTNER GAVE ME AFTER LEARNING THAT I COLLECT THEM. ONAGADORI ROOSTERS ARE BRED FOR THEIR LONG TAIL FEATHERS THAT CAN GROW TO 20FT – THEY'RE ONE OF THE MOST À REBOURS THINGS I'VE EVER RUN ACROSS.

I LIKE THINGS PRETTY EMPTY, SO THE CHAIRS WILL HAVE A LOT TO LIVE UP TO. THEY NEED TO BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SPACE AND HAVE POETIC AND LEGENDARY PROVENANCE, BUT ALSO TREMENDOUS RESTRAINT. THEY NEED TO BE GLAMOROUS BUT LOOK HUMBLE AND AESTHETICALLY SEVERE. I'M AFRAID I EXPECT A LOT FROM A CHAIR.

FOR SOMEONE SO CONCERNED WITH MAKING THINGS MODERN, I'M ONLY INTERESTED IN OWNING OLD THINGS WITH HERITAGE. I GUESS IT'S BECAUSE I LIKE TO SEE SOMEONE'S OEUVRE SUMMARISED IN A BEAUTIFUL RELIC AND FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THAT STORY IN MY HAND. IF I WORK HARD ENOUGH, MAYBE I CAN BE THAT FOR SOMEONE ELSE ONE DAY…

SO, HERE IN PARIS, MY FIRST STOP IS GALERIE FRANCK LAIGNEAU, WHICH SPECIALISES IN JUGENDSTIL AND ANTHROPOSOPHIC FURNITURE – WEIRD, RARE AND WONDERFUL. HIS INVENTORY LOOKS LIKE IT DRESSED THE SET OF FRITZ LANG'S DIE NIBELUNGEN; A FILM AESTHETIC THAT ANYONE WOULD ASSUME I HAD COMPLETELY RIPPED OFF BUT AMAZINGLY ONLY DISCOVERED A FEW YEARS AGO. BUT MOST OF LAIGNEAU'S PIECES WILL BE IN HIS BOOTH AT THE BIENNALE DES ANTIQUAIRES TOMORROW, SO I'LL WAIT TO SEE THE REST AT THE SHOW. DROOL.

NEXT STOP IS A PLACE ON RUE DE LILLE THAT SELLS ORIGINAL AND REISSUED HANS WEGNER PIECES. FINDING AN ORIGINAL SET OF SIX IDENTICAL WEGNER OFFICE CHAIRS IS UNLIKELY, SO A REISSUED ONE IS A PRACTICAL OPTION, BUT I THINK THE FACT THAT THEY WEREN'T ORIGINALS WOULD EVENTUALLY GIVE ME AN ULCER SO… NO. AND PROUVÉ AND PERRIAND ARE GREAT, BUT I CAN ENJOY THEM AT EVERYONE ELSE'S HOUSE.

I HEAD OVER TO GALERIE ERIC PHILIPPE, WHICH SPECIALISES IN SWEDISH GRACE, A MICRO PERIOD BETWEEN JUGENDSTIL AND NORDIC MODERNISM. THE GALLERY CARRIES A SEVERE, TIGHTLY EDITED SELECTION THAT INSPIRES ME WITH ITS RIGOUR, BUT MAYBE THE SELECTION IS TOO RIGOROUS TODAY…

OF COURSE, I HAVE MY OWN CHAIR DESIGNS BUT I WOULDN'T DREAM OF ASKING ANYONE TO SIT IN THEM FOR LONGER THAN A LIGHT LUNCH. AN INTENSE THREE-HOUR MEETING WITH MEAGRE BACK SUPPORT IS ASKING A BIT TOO MUCH OF MY VERY TOLERANT TEAM.

RUDOLPH SCHINDLER, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, AND EMILE-JACQUES RUHLMANN ARE MY POINT OF DEPARTURE FOR THE PIECES I MAKE – I DO A FEW SKETCHES AND HUN LABORIOUSLY COAXES THE PIECES OUT OF ALL OF THE ARTISANS IT TAKES TO GET THEM MADE. BUT I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A RELIC FROM MY OWN STORY, SO THE HUNT GOES ON…

DAY 5 SEPTEMBER 13 2014

FRIDAY NIGHT IS A SEDATE START TO THE WEEKEND. MY PARTNER HUN AND I ARRIVE IN LONDON AND HAVE DINNER WITH SOME FRIENDS, OLD AND NEW. HUN NEVER TELLS ME WHO SHE'S INVITED SO THERE ARE ALWAYS LOVELY SURPRISES.

FIRST, THERE IS MICHAEL KAPLAN, AN OLD FRIEND FROM LOS ANGELES WHO IS IN LONDON DESIGNING THE COSTUMES FOR THE NEXT STAR WARS MOVIE (I WISH I COULD DESCRIBE THE EPIC TOUR HE GAVE ME OF THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT AT PINEWOOD STUDIOS).

THEN THERE IS THE JEWELLERY DESIGNER LOREE RODKIN, ANOTHER LOS ANGELES FRIEND WHO'S IN TOWN TO MAKE A PERSONAL APPEARANCE WITH HUN AT DOVER STREET MARKET. THEY ARE INTRODUCING A COLLABORATIVE COLLECTION OF RINGS AND BRACELETS CALLED HUNROD – PIECES THAT HUN HAS BEEN WEARING AND CREATING WITH LOREE FOR YEARS. GARETH PUGH ALSO JOINS US, HAVING JUST RETURNED FROM PRESENTING A MULTIMEDIA FASHION MINDWARP AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK, AS DOES JAIMAL ODEDRA, A MULTITALENTED DESIGNER WHO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH HUN ON, AMONG OTHER THINGS, A BRONZE, BONE AND STERLING TABLEWARE COLLECTION THAT I ALWAYS SAY HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO COORDINATE WITH HER GOLD-PLATED TEETH. LASTLY, THERE IS THE VENERATED AND ELEGANT AMERICAN GARDEN DESIGNER MADISON COX AND BRITISH SINGER-SONGWRITER FKA TWIGS AND HER POSSE. I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH FKA TWIGS, AND COULD KICK MYSELF FOR BEING SO UNAWARE. SHE'S A BEAUTY WITH A UNIQUE AND FULLY RESOLVED AESTHETIC, AND A JAZZ SINGER'S VOICE SET TO AN ELECTRONIC SOUNDSCAPE. PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND GOOGLE HER.

ON SATURDAY I HAVE A BOOK-SIGNING AT SELFRIDGES, WHICH IS SOMETHING NEW FOR ME. I'M MORE OF A BACKSTAGE GUY, SO RESPONDING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IS NOT IN MY COMFORT ZONE. BUT IF YOU CAN ARRANGE TO BE IN A CROWD OF PEOPLE WHO ALL SEEM TO LIKE YOU, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! THE TREMENDOUS OUTPOURING OF GOODWILL AND WARMTH IS SOMETHING I FEEL A BIT GUILTY FOR ENJOYING SO MUCH.

THE DAY CULMINATES IN THE PARTY, WHICH CAPS OFF OUR SELFRIDGES COLLABORATION GORGEOUSLY. THE CASTING OF OUR WAITING AND BARTENDING STAFF REAPS GREAT REWARDS – THE GANG OF SHAVEN-HEADED AND SHAGGY, HALF-NAKED HOOLIGANS STRIKES JUST THE RIGHT NOTE OF ATTRACTIVE MENACE EVERY HOST DREAMS OF.

GUESTS ARRIVE BY WALKING UP A RAMP (FLANKED BY TWO LIVE WHITE HORSES, OF COURSE) LEADING TO AN EMPTY CONCRETE PARKING AREA AT THE TOP WITH CLOUDS OF FOG BILLOWING OUT OF ITS ENTRANCE. THE AREA IS UNLIT EXCEPT FOR A GRID OF BRIGHT WHITE LASERS THAT SPLIT THE SPACE IN HALF, OBLIGING GUESTS TO WALK THROUGH A WALL OF LIGHT – AN EFFECT I USED IN ONE OF MY RUNWAY SHOWS.

THE MUSIC IS BY BYETONE, WHO PROVIDED THE SOUNDTRACK TO THE STEP-TEAM DANCE ROUTINE AT MY SPRING 2014 SHOW IN PARIS LAST SEPTEMBER. HE AND THE ARTIST CARSTEN NICOLAI ARE CO-CREATORS OF THE GERMAN ELECTRONIC-MUSIC LABEL RASTER-NOTON, WHICH REPRESENTS ALVA NOTO, EMPTYSET, RYOJI IKEDA AND MORE. THEY HAVE ALL CREATED EXCLUSIVE VIDEO AND MUSIC COMPILATIONS FOR THE SPACE, WHICH IS MAGNIFICENTLY DOMINATED BY RYOJI'S LIGHT AND SOUND INSTALLATION. (LAST MONTH, RYOJI'S SPECTRA LIT UP THE LONDON SKY IN A FIRST-WORLD-WAR COMMEMORATION THAT WAS AN EVOLUTION OF A PIECE I SAW IN DUBAI LAST YEAR.) THE PURITY AND RIGOUR OF THE AESTHETIC UNIVERSE RYOJI AND BYETONE CREATE IS WHAT MAKES ME SUCH A COMMITTED FAN.