For James Bargent, sound is way more than just a job - it’s oxygen for the ears. He joins Rascal having been raised by the sound industry. Having studied as a professional musician, before cutting his teeth with a major record label, he then spent eight years at MassiveMusic, eventually heading up production. He’s bringing to Rascal the accumulated experience of over a decade figuring out what makes our ears prick up.
The interesting thing about James is that he doesn’t just look at sound in isolation. He observes it, and therefore upholds it, as something that permeates much of the human psyche and society. He (half) jokes that his favourite sound is ambience, given that it’s the soundtrack of our lives. But joking aside, he’s a firm believer that sound maps the world. Throughout this interview, you realise just how much sound is capable of achieving, as well as the breadths and depths to which it can captivate.
Here, we find out why in an age of diminishing attention spans, sound can clutch it back, how it does much of the heavy lifting for storytelling, and can be a dead cert for creating a lifelong customer. Oh, and also the track right now that would have a blunt needle if he got hold of the record. He couldn’t be more excited for his new undertaking at Rascal; determined to create work that informs culture, not just reflect it.
Here’s what James had to say:
James> Thank you. Rascal has made deep waves through the industry since its conception three years ago, so I couldn’t be more buzzed to join the team. As for what led me here, I often ask people the same question since you always get a different story. I’m lucky to have always worked in sound, music and advertising. From studying professional musicianship, to a brief stint composing production music, interning at a major record label in sync, then eight years at a music agency that led to heading up production, and now head of sound at Rascal.
James> Rascal has very quickly built a reputation as a leading creative studio. It was set up by artistic people with creativity at its heart, and this is evident throughout everything the team does. As for sound, Rascal has some serious talent in the industry legend Neil Johnson and the emerging whiz that is Izaak Buffin. My goal is to help take the business to its next stage, building on its established sound offering. First and foremost, I want to create beautiful work that subverts expectations and lingers on the mind, while championing artistry throughout the industry.
James> There are three reasons why sound is so powerful, especially for brands. Firstly, it does so much of the heavy lifting for storytelling, which is the primary way to capture an audience in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Change the sound on a film, and it changes the story. It can make a love scene into a chilling horror, even with the same facial expression and body language from the actors. Secondly, it snatches the audience’s diminishing attention span in lightning speed; crucial in the social media age of 'skip ad' pre-roll buttons, scrolling feeds, and six second edits. You need less than one second of audio for an audience to recognise a song, understand the vibe, and get hooked. That’s an impressive amount of marketing power for very little airtime. Thirdly, brands build trust with their audience by sharing their taste in music, just like how you create an identity with your friends. Create a strong identity through music, and you’ve just made a lifelong customer.
I always challenge the creative to go above and beyond with sound. How can we create a story around the use of sound to make the campaign live on past its media plan and gain extra publicity? For me, sound and music are intrinsically linked, and the most satisfying result is when they dance together, creating an immersive sonic space that you can see with your eyes shut. The devil is in the details, and excellence is felt before it is heard. Let’s inform culture, not just reflect it.
James> I produced a project for renewable energy company Acciona, which involved re-arranging ‘Mad World’ by Tears for Fears (made famous by Gary Jules) in two very different styles: cinematic pop for a trailer film and blues rock for the main campaign. While making an iconically dark and depressing song work on a comedy style film might seem ludicrous, music is malleable and boundless and this project illustrates this. The fame of the song combined with a new and unique interpretation led to a highly successful campaign, driven partly by the audience’s active engagement with the music (the YouTube comments spoke volumes).
James> There are plenty but a big recent one is the work for Victoria & Albert Museum, 'Creativity. It’s What Makes Us', which won a Gold at the Creative Circle Awards this year for Best Sound Design. I love the way the sound design and music playfully interact and compliment each other. It’s a choreographed film, and the sound creates structure and pace while binding the abstract shots and dance. A feast for the ears and eyes. Well done to the very talented Neil Johnson and Rascal team involved.
James> It’s funny to talk about working with sound and music because it’s so abstract and subjective as a product. Even describing it as a product feels reductive. I often (half) joke that my favourite sound is ambience because it’s the constant soundtrack to our lives; there’s meaning in the overheard snippets of conversations between two strangers, the interaction of birdsong competing with the clanging of construction sites, right through to the most simple sound of your blood pulsing in your ears. Sound maps the world most accurately second to sight, but sound hits the emotional chord so much quicker and deeper. Narratives are propelled by sound and music. Therefore, an appreciation of its value is crucial in being able to tell effective stories that make a meaningful impact on an audience.
James> I have a new playlist every month of everything I’m listening to going back exactly a decade to October 2013, which makes it easier to reflect. Regardless of genre, I look for music that creates a strong mood, challenges my ears or goes beyond imitation to introduce something fresh. We’re just coming out of summer, and of course that’s party season, so I’ve had a lot of high energy, social music on rotation such as the new Confidence Man album, The Blessed Madonna, and Hudson Mohawke. This contrasted with more introspective, cinematic instrumentals from the likes of Rone, French 79 and LAAKE (coincidentally all French). And then a twist of the further flung Cape Verde folk of Cesária Évora to modern Latin inspired electronica of El Búho. I don’t feel guilty at all to say Kylie Minogue’s recent single, 'Padam Padam' is an absolute banger and if I had the HAAi remix on vinyl, the needle would need replacing.
James> Very true. I’m energised by being around different types of creative people. Joining Rascal means being in an immediate environment with various types of visual and audio creatives. Bringing these disciplines closer together promises to make collaboration more spontaneous and effective. I’m looking forward to collaborating with people in the industry who are passionate about doing the most creative work and willing to push the limits of what’s possible in advertising in this new era.