Supreme Music Asks Ricardo Distefano: And What about Music?
Another month, another great person we had the honour to interview on his perspective on music.
Music plays a crucial role in culture, in media and advertising, impacting how consumers perceive brands, products and services. Effective use of music informs meaning and understanding in ways which go beyond words, reaching us on conscious and unconscious levels.
We’d like to hear from the people behind the ideas about how and why they have chosen certain tracks and sounds for their projects and what their connection to music is in general.
1. Please tell us your name and what you do professionally.
Ricardo Distefano, managing partner/creative at DAVID+MARTIN Berlin.
2. Can you tell us about your first truly memorable musical experience and how it impacted you. Why do you remember it so clearly?
It's actually quite ridiculous. My grandfather used to constantly whistle the opening tune to Fiddler on the Roof. I always heard that melody and took it absolutely for granted it was his own invention – it simply was his sound. Years later, watching the film it struck me… blew my mind.
3. Give us an insight into the most memorable project you executed and did music play a role in it?
One of my favourite films I did, had a huge musical background to it. For the "Break it/Fix it" campaign for Loctite some of the bigger inspirations in the process were not only Schwarzenegger's "if it bleeds, we can kill it." but also Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."
In the end we composed the track to fit the film and had an up-and-coming British artist do the vocals.
EASTER EGG: I'm the guy yelling and throwing a phone on set in the film.
4. Did you, or do you play an instrument?
Embarrassing as hell. Took nine years of piano lessons. Never really learned to read music – or at least read and play at the same time. I'd memorise stuff quite fast – but forget it even faster. I’ve learned absolutely nothing from that experience and feel very “amusical”. Even though music is such a huge part of my job as an advertising creative. Also, I'm almost absolutely tone deaf … and colourblind. Hahah….
5. What's the most unexpected place or situation where you've found inspiration for a music or sound approach?
Not sure it's unexpected – and I think it probably happens to a lot of people – but I feel music has an almost serendipitous (hope that's a word) way of finding itself into my creative process. I always have random playlists spitting new stuff out – shout out to deezer – and lot's of times extremely perfect tracks pop up at extremely perfect times to fit a project I'm on. One example: I still remember when I was needing a reference for a film for Pattex. Something weird, almost atonal to fit the concept. That same week Wilco launched Star Wars. The opening track EKG was exactly what I was looking for.
