From Hip-Hop Fan to Full-on DJ with Pierre Carnet
Starting out his career in France, it was the hip-hop genre that initially captivated MassiveMusic Dubai’s managing director Pierre Carnet at the age of 14. Since then, the genre has been part of his listening diet and even fed into his becoming a hip-hop DJ.
Following that, it was at FF Creative Community where Pierre first became a music supervisor, which saw him then lead the music department and work with brands such as Amazon and Audemars Piguet. Eventually becoming an independent music supervisor, he worked on campaigns and feature films for Parisian luxury brands Chanel, Cartier and Yves-Saint-Laurent. Joining the MassiveMusic team in 2020, his goal is to develop music solutions across both the EMEA and APAC regions, as he finds direct-to-brand music solutions.
Sharing his journey, musical passions and varied listening diet – from Coldplay to Lil Wayne and Akala – Pierre speaks to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani.
LBB> Taking things back to earlier days, when did you first discover a love of all things music?
Pierre> There is some footage of me as a child dancing to disco tunes and messing around with a guitar, and I took some half-hearted piano lessons in the early days. But I would say, the real epiphany came around the age of 14 when I fell wholly into hip-hop culture, my first true passion in music.
Beginning as a fan, I quickly moved on to experimenting with DJing and downloaded a music production program called FL Studio to begin producing some basic beats. The rest evolved from there, becoming a full-fledged hip-hop DJ and producer in Paris in later years, before getting into the space that I am now: consulting on music for brands and entertainment. I believe hip-hop was a great base to begin with, as it’s a genre that samples and mixes many other genres and eras, allowing you to develop an extensive musical ear and culture naturally.
LBB> What were some of the early memories of songs or albums you have and are they attached to any specific memories?
Pierre> I remember my first iPod Nano (RIP, still one of the best products I’ve ever bought), which at first was stocked full of my parent’s playlists. Think Abba, Elton John, and classic French rock. But the first album I ever bought for myself was ‘American Idiot’ by Green Day on CD (feeling old yet?), which I remember listening to on loop in my bedroom to transcribe the lyrics and learn to sing them. Other key memories include ‘Gymnopédie No. 3’ by Erik Satie, the first song I ever performed in public on piano, and ‘Viva la Vida’ by Coldplay, the first pop song I learned to play and sing simultaneously. The most iconic album of my youth has to be ‘Tha Carter III’ by Lil Wayne. Finally, I credit the songs ‘Find No Enemy’ by British rapper Akala and ‘Ill Mind of Hopsin 5’ by Hopsin for influencing my core values and perception of the world that surrounded me as a teenager.
LBB> There’s something about music that creates a real sense of nostalgia and amplifies memories. What does music mean to you?
Pierre> I listen to music every day and everywhere I go, in a sense creating the soundtrack to my own life. This means that I am able to identify the exact songs or albums that I listened to at particular periods in time, and listening to those tracks brings me back to travels, experiences, people, emotions, and sometimes even smells and physical sensations. Music truly helps anchor memories in our brains and can be used to resuscitate those memories. This is something we leverage regularly in our work at MassiveMusic to help brands and filmmakers create memorable, iconic moments.
LBB> In your role as managing director at MassiveMusic Dubai, what does your day-to-day look like?
Pierre> The Middle East is the fastest growing region in the world for the music industry, and has been flourishing at an incredible rate over the past decades. As an active participant in this growth, I engage in a variety of activities, ranging from assisting brands and agencies in discovering music for their campaigns or crafting distinctive and unforgettable sonic identities to participating in panel discussions that emphasise the significance of music or providing guidance to composers and local talent on monetising their art. Additionally, I collaborate with film producers to curate the perfect songs to convey their narratives. I feel incredibly fortunate to have a job that consistently brings new and unexpected experiences, all of which are deeply rooted in my passion for music.
LBB> What are some of the pieces of work you’ve created that you are particularly proud of or attached to and why?
Pierre> For French brand La Redoute and their campaign ‘Lou’, I took care of the music, using the song ‘Une Minute’ by young singer-songwriter Pomme. Beyond the resulting film being a beautiful story, this is a particular point of pride as the film was directly responsible for helping to launch this artist’s career – she went on to be nominated for the Victoires de la Musique (French Grammys) the following year and has now become a household name in France. I believe this is one of the beautiful aspects of our job creating music for film and TV: helping to promote young talents and give them the exposure they deserve. In more recent years, I’m proud of this epic film we produced for NEOM, now recognised across the Middle East as an emblematic representation of the ambitious initiative known as ‘The Line’.
LBB> The Dubai office opened up in 2022 and was part of the company’s goal of expanding its global footprint. What has it been like working in the UAE so far and what are some of the unique aspects of the market?
Pierre> Our ambition with opening an office in the UAE was not only to expand our scope to the MENA region, but also to become active participants in helping to build the regional music industry. So far, this has been an incredibly exciting adventure given the unique musical landscape: every week, we encounter new talent to work with and new opportunities to explore the world of sound. Beyond this, from a career development perspective, I've found that the Middle East is a region where ambitious individuals with a positive outlook and a proactive mindset can often achieve their goals and aspirations. On a more personal level, I have learned to cope with the heat and sun which, as a Frenchman from Normandy (the cold Northern part), was probably one of the biggest challenges when settling in.
LBB> For brands looking to create a unique sonic experience for their audiences, what would you say is the best place to start?
Pierre> Well, give us a call! Jokes aside, I have to give a boring answer here: the best place to start is to do a little research and learn about how audio branding and music experiences are built at a professional level. Unfortunately, we still encounter too many marketers who believe that music is an afterthought – a cheap, fast and easy accessory for their brand, failing to recognise it as the vital asset that it is. Developing a proper sonic experience for a brand requires thorough strategic thinking, time and the right investment if you want to compete with the TikToks and McDonald’s of this world. Think of your brand as a whole – how you are using music across the spectrum, from advertising, stores and locations to apps and devices, and you will begin to see the true scope and potential of building out a proper sonic identity for your brand. Done that? Then, do give us that call ;)
LBB> The UAE is known for its technological innovation. How does this play into some of the technology and equipment that you use daily?
Pierre> Indeed, the UAE is a global hub for innovation in spaces like web3, AI and cryptocurrency, all of which, except the latter, have a direct impact on our business. At MassiveMusic, we’ve been working on developing tools that leverage AI for music curation, tagging and creation, as well as looking into the implications of AI for voice. I’ve written several pieces on voice deepfakes which is a passion topic of mine, as I’m convinced that, in a not-so-distant future, anyone will be able to clone a voice easily and use it for healthy creative purposes, or for harm, such as scams over the phone. We also get requests from clients for music and sound to be used in the metaverse, and work with many digital-first brands to develop their sonic ecosystems.
LBB> Where do you see the future of music going? Is there anything that you’re excited about trying out or seeing executed?
Pierre> I believe in an AI-augmented music world in the very near future. Tools for music and voice creation with AI are developing quickly, and the industry is racing to both adapt and capitalise on these innovations. I think we’re moving towards a landscape where creation is shared between humans and computer programs – half of the music in your playlist a few years from now may have been created by an algorithm instead of a person. Many see this as a challenge with a negative impact. I see it as an opportunity as, so far in history, every technological innovation has pushed artists to evolve and innovate as well, giving us new genres and ways of expressing art in the form of music.
LBB> Aside from work, what are some of the hobbies that take up your time?
Pierre> I still play around with producing beats at home and the occasional DJ set when the opportunity arises, but in recent years I’ve diversified my hobbies beyond music significantly. Dubai is a great hub for travel so when I can, I explore the fascinating countries of the MENA region. This has been a beautiful and rewarding journey so far, experiencing the incredible kindness of people across the region and the unique foods, sites, music and cultures in and around the UAE. Beyond this, I’ve been getting in touch with my inner Sporty Spice, running a sprint triathlon earlier this year and going on long cycling adventures every summer. Along with a few friends, we’ve been cycling across Europe for two weeks at a time, wild camping along the way – the latest trip in the summer of 2023 took us from Paris to Barcelona in 14 days, covering 1,200 km in total. And before you ask – no, the bike does not have a battery on it.
LBB> What’s currently taking over your listening diet?
Pierre> This is always a tricky question as it is very eclectic and changes every week. A couple of tracks I have on loop right now are the super-funky ‘Sexy Maserati’ by Babyman (discovered in the hilarious German TV show ‘Der Tatortreiniger’), ‘High No More’ by Saudi singer Hajaj for a solid jam, ‘Lala’ by Shkoon to mellow out, ‘Twee’ by Kaufmann when I’m in the mood for something darker, and ‘Sprinter’ by Central Cee and Dave, because I still can’t resist a good hip-hop banger.
