It's more that I am attracted to music made by actresses who try to sing rather than French Pops. I like the atmosphere when an actress sings. I like a style of singing like talking and of course whispering.
As Marlaine Dietrich who was the first actress who sang , other examples are Marilyn Monroe, Charlotte Rampling's "The Night Porter" and Jeanne Moreau as well. Catherine Deneuve's voice is also cute, Marianne Faithful who appears in "Anna" just a bit, and Isabella Rossellini of "Blue Velvet." Anna Karina of “Pierrot le feu” ... "Actress' singing" is very French-touch. Laetitia Casta in "Rue des Plaisirs" which I saw recently was also good.
-- My own impression is that you made a wonderful record, where French, Post Punk, hymns and the aesthetic world of dreaming girls all live together splendidly. The cover of Suicides' "Cheri Cheri" for which Colin Newman described you as "a genius of covers" is the world reconstructed by SONOKO completely? Why did you cover this song?
If "La Debutante" was a collection where I brought only favorite tracks together, this was one of my favorite tracks. I sensed that I could sing Suicides' "Cheri Cheri" like a sweet and perfect love song just like Marilyn Monroe when she sang it in the movie where I heard it for the first time.
I feel that Kenneth Anger's movie expressed the aestheticism of the mismatch created by the fusion of a very stiff thing and a very sweet thing. It is clear that this music is fascinating to cult fans although I don't know whether it is the best thing on the album compared to the other tracks.
-- I first heard about SONOKO on the omnibus album "It's A Crammed, Crammed World!" (1987). Did you have any connection with other artists on Crammed other than the producers?
Since I was concentrating on recording while I was staying in Brussels, I didn’t have any time to play with other musicians. Belgium in those days was widely recognized as a center for music. Therefore, musicians gathered there naturally from various countries and a stateless atmosphere was created. Naturally, I got to know various artists.
Marc and Veronique (Honeymoon Killer's vocalist) took good care of me. I lived in a 3-story apartment building where Sammy of Minimal Compact (now active as DJ MORPHES) and others lived. Marca of Minimal Compact, Colin's wife, gave me a cute bag and a dear angel before I worked together with Colin.
I was called the "Enfant Gate" (spoiled child) by the Crammed people but I was loved very much. Although it may not be a compliment, French culture allows a fault to be seen as a charm.
