Irène Drésel is the musician and photographer who makes music that lies somewhere between electronica and minimal sensual techno as well as hypnotic images that appear to visually interpret her sound. A few years ago, upon graduating the Paris-based art school Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Irène decided to trade the frantic romance of the city to that of the peaceful countryside, where both her mind and melodies are free to roam in her surroundings acres of bountiful nature. Ahead of releasing her debut album, here Irène shares five senses from her universe.
All of my work is instinctual.
When it comes to making music, I just close my eyes and allow the melodies to effortlessly drift through me until they finally surface. Through my lens, I try to capture the inherent contradictions found within nature that I notice in my everyday life.
If my song Lutka was a scent, it'd smell of flowers and wood.
The music video features animated images of blooming lilies and roses and at a show I played at the venue Silencio, I collaborated with a flower stylist named Amy Humphrey to cover the stage with fresh flowers. The flowers symbolize a sensual and feminine element that I felt when writing the song, and I wanted the audience to feel immersed in that feeling.
Nature infuses my music and helps me regenerate myself.
When I run out of ideas while composing and need a break, my veranda, a very calm and sunny place of tranquility, becomes my shelter. Nature is a ceaseless source of inspiration for me so living in the countryside is ideal.
I hope for my music to feel like a warm embrace to each listener.
Music is extraordinary in the way it can create a shared feeling, enable people to feel anything from chilled out to angry, for others to feel less alone and for me personally, inspire the need to belly-dance (laughs).
If I could share a meal with someone, it would be Maria Callas.
As one of the most revered opera singers of the 20th century, she influenced so many and her vocal range was astounding. I wish I had the chance to hear her sing O Mio Babbino Caro (a cappela) in real life, I can only image how breathtaking that would have been.