The Argentinian designer shares his memories of studying at the RCA to the sound of Kasabian
“I’ve chosen Kasabian’s first, self-titled, album. In a way, it’s the soundtrack to my work. It came out in 2004, just when I was starting my Masters degree at Royal College of London — so for both Kasabian and me it marked the start of our careers. I remember thinking that it was just perfect, it had all the energy I felt I needed; it was on constant repeat in my earphones at college, especially Club Foot – what a tune! It was the second single off the album and Wiz directed the video. He’s an amazing filmmaker and has worked closely with the band for years. That made me think that I wanted to work with Kasabian myself and one day direct a music video for them. For me, it was something to look forward to. It’s kind of mind blowing that I’m now their creative director.
Sergio and me found each other straight away. He does all the music for my presentations; he’s like a creative confidant. We started collaborate in 2010 and I have worked on music videos, album artwork, the live tour, where I looked after everything visually important, like the lighting and clothes etc. Kasabian’s music is powerful and direct, it caught my imagination.
Some people write them off as a Noughties version of Oasis and their 90s guitar music. But actually, Kasabian has in many ways paved the way for crossover music, mixing electronica with hop hop. They want to produce experimental and forward-thinking music to develop new sounds. There are also elements of punk and 60s psychedelic in their music. What I like about Kasabian is that they manage to infiltrate the masses with this message, and as such they are widely successful. ‘Commercial success’ isn’t a dirty goal if you achieve it while retaining your integrity, and that’s exactly what Kasabian has done and why I like them!”
Aitor Throup’s New Object Research collaboration with Dover Street Market is available to purchase from DSM until Sunday October 28, 2012
