Jean Motell, Former Party Crasher turned Creative Mogul, Announces His First Full Length Movie to be Released Next Summer
Industry: Entertainment & Games
Jean Motell Talks Music and Fashion at his Studio in Paris, for the release of his new single "Last Highway". He announces his first full length movie to be released, next summer.
Paris (PRUnderground) January 4th, 2021
In 2019 Jean Motell printed the first issue of Scanner Magazine, a Parisian visual art zine. Founder and editor of the biannual publication, Jean Motell is also a former party crasher and made an iconic book about it “How to make it when you’re broke and nobody”. And a dozen of others, just like “The Smiley Dictionary For Old School Text Messages” or “Gatecrash”. He’s also an alternative musician and directed his ten first music videos, and the best is to come with a full length movie planned for next summer.
We caught up with Motell in his Paris studio to talk about Music and Fashion, around the release of his last single “Last Highway”.
Q. How is Scanner Magazine connected with fashion and different from mainstream commercial publications?
A. Scanner Magazine is my voice, a document of the moment and also an art object of my personal black and white aesthetic. It’s a way to summarise my photographic & visual work. Fashion does have an influence on my work because I used to hang out in fashion week parties in Paris & London, by accident (and love of Champagne). I saw the scene from backstage… Fashion would be a way to monetize my magazine but it’s not the purpose of Scanner Magazine. We are independant and we don’t need so much money to live. Our headquarters are now located in Bang Kapi District, Bangkok.
Q. What is Fashion today for you, as an underground artist?
A. Fashion is a global market, just like art and mainstream culture. If you do underground fashion, you can be visible through the internet. But fashion is an oligopoly and if you’re noticed by someone in charge, your style will be vampirized and remixed in a forthcoming fashion show. It’s quite the same with music and as an underground musician it could be quite an opportunity. I’d like to bring more goth, post punk and alternative references in mainstream music, that’s what I said to Katy Perry in a cocktail party but she never called me back! It’s not surprising because I didn’t have the time to give her my phone number.
Q. How is your music different from other music releases? How is your forthcoming movie different from other movies?
A. I know, the musical offer today is huge. What is the point today when you release a track or a movie? The way I make music is intuitive, and the result of a long journey. I began music twenty years ago with experimental music and today I don’t question myself why I make music. After all it’s the job of music critics, not mine. But you know in France the media don’t care about alternative music, except urban music derived from hip-hop. All I can say is I make music with sincerity, and the musical cocktail I propose is very personal. It’s a unique mix of early goth / electro music with a hint of lo-fi and rock attitude. And my work is quite driven by my ability to navigate in alternative culture but also mainstream culture. I’m the bridge between these two cultures and because of my lo-fi touch, I’m a kind of Michel Gondry of the musical industry. And that comparison is quite relevant, because I produce my own movie: next summer, my first full length movie will be availble, with an amazing original sound track. Shot with a miniDV camera, it will be an experimental journey through my own creative process, very intimate.
Jean Motell new single is available on all platforms, released by Disque Noir.
His fist full length movie will be availble next summer, with an exclusive original sound track.
