Bedroom Tapes: Photographing the Creative Process by Julien Aussel

Julien Aussel, creator of the brand Good Morning Keith, tested out the LomoChrome Metropolis film for his photography series titled "Bedroom Tapes". The series aims to document the process through which a musical project is realized, from the humming of a song to its final recording. In this article, Julien took pictures of the artists Sos Citizen and Vera Daisies.

Hi Julien and welcome to Lomography Magazine! Can you talk a little bit about yourself and your work?

Hi ! I was born in Montmorency, a city located in the northern suburbs of Paris. I spent all my childhood and teenage years there. I was lucky enough to live near my grandmother, with whom I spent most of my time growing up. When I was at her house, my favorite pastime was rummaging though the cabinets and the boxes filled with old family pictures. I used to pick a box, or a few photos I found nice, or even the ones that had captured my attention. Then, I brought them to my grandparents to find out about their history. I loved that moment. They told me about the context in which the pictures were taken, who was who, how everyone felt that day.

It's also thanks to my grandmother that I developed a taste for clothing. She's very stylish, and carries herself around with a very unique sense of elegance. She enjoys sewing, whether for little adjustments or original creations (I once got to wear a custom made Aladdin costume). I still have a few photos of her I find particularly inspiring, because she looks so classy and confident.

My passion for clothing, music and photography grew stronger during high school. I would listen to all of the records my father owned! I started playing the guitar and had a Tumblr account I used to collect the photos of my favorite photographers. That's when I had the idea of creating Good Morning Keith and immediately filed a trademark. I was still in 11th grade at the time.

My parents and I made a pact: I was to graduate first, and then I would be allowed to launch my brand. As a result, Good Morning Keith was only created in February 2018, after I got my Master's degree in digital marketing. This project combines my three biggest passions: photography, music and style. It enables me to collaborate with artists I find inspiring, take photos and draw fashion sketches.

When it comes to photography, what do you find most inspiring?

At first, I was only drawn to photography for aesthetic reasons. I liked beautiful pictures. I remember discovering the Rolling Stones, and especially Keith Richards. I thought his pictures were truly impressive and I always wanted more of them. I learned about their history and I tried to connect the pictures with the corresponding albums and years. Thanks to this research, I discovered many photographers such as Terry O'Neil, David Bailey, Jim Marshall, Dominique Tarlé, Ethan Russel and Jean-Marie Périer.

I was fixated on Exile On Main Street. I started looking for photos, anecdotes, videos, and stumbled upon the series realized by Dominique Tarlé. He had the chance to document the life of the band when they were recording the album, and the pictures he took had a huge effect on me. Besides their beauty, I find it fascinating that one still image could contain so much history. I'll always find it fascinating. As such, I would say that what I find most inspiring about photography is the stories pictures can tell.

You used the LomoChrome Metropolis film for this project. Why did you choose it?

I knew Lomography films had a very unique look. A friend recently tested out the LomoChrome Purple and he was very happy with it. His success made me want to give it a shot. After looking through Lomography's catalogue, LomoChrome Metropolis caught my attention. I like its contrasts and how it affects the colors, making them look so desaturated.

Can you tell us about the models of your pictures?

These photos are part of my Bedroom Tapes series, which documents the making of a musical project during the early stages of the creative process. The goal is to visit young musicians when they start immersing themselves in a new project, to better capture their environment and mood at this critical time. I love diving into a specific universe and discovering what happens behind the scenes, what kind of posters the artists put on their walls, what lucky item they bring everywhere they go, and how they manage to work in a space that is very often their bedroom or some other room within their home. Sometimes, we learn more by looking than by asking questions.

Through the photos, we get access to the intimate work environment of Vera Daisies and Sos Citizen. Two artists I love and most definitely recommend! I discovered them through their music. Each artist has a unique universe and a different approach to making music. For instance, Louise (Sos Citizen) has a habit of working on the floor, writing everything in a notebook. On the other hand, Margaux (Vera Daisies) never writes anything and does everything from memory! A graphic designer and a Jurassic Park fan, she has tons of posters and memorabilia on her walls, as well as many little dinosaur figurines.

What advice would you give other Lomographers who want to try this film out?

My only advice would be to fill the images with information and colors, indoors as well as outdoors.

Do you have any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

I still have the ambition to grow Good Morning Keith. Thanks to this project, I can indulge all my creative passions! I don't know exactly when the interview will be published, but I'm currently working on a collaboration with a band I like enormously.

In the future, I'd like to open a store - I've been thinking about it for a few months now. For now, I'm working on photo series connected to my brand like Bedroom Tapes!

Thank you to Julien for sharing his work with us! Follow Good Morning Keith on Instagram and check out Sos citizen - on May 27th at Le Pop-Up du Label and Vera Daisies - on June 1st at L'international for those in Paris!

2023-05-27 #culture #people #music #interview #documentary #france #lomochrome-metropolis