Music Bound Us: Five Songs That Inspired Fragrances

Markus Popp, a well-known electronic musician, theorist and founder of the Oval project, sincerely considers perfumery to be new music and even lectures on this topic. In his opinion, two such different directions have much in common in their structure: “They are precisely constructed, but rather abstractly perceived by the senses. It turns out a kind of mixture of magic and technology. Technicians are working on both, however, the end effect of both is completely emotional. Agree, it's extremely funny to create something according to well-known laws, but get an absolutely individual and unpredictable result. " Italian designer and organist Filippo Sorcinelli created the Sauf perfumery project, where he combined the two main passions of his life - classical music and a passion for aromas. The smells are somehow inspired by the organ of Notre Dame,and the bottles in which they are stored resemble in shape the register handles of an organ "drawbar".

It is not for nothing that there are so many general terms in perfumery and music (notes, chords, harmony, composition). It is also customary to “listen” to fragrances and music, although the use of this verb in relation to perfumery is considered by many to be incorrect. We propose to leave empty disputes, take headphones and spray the following scents in the air - they are the ones that distinguish the greatest number of points of contact with music.

Tindrer, Baruti

A fougere scent with notes of greenery, galbanum, verbena, violet, heliotrope, musk and oakmoss.

The word tindrer in translation from Danish means "sparkling". Also called the song of the group Under Byen, which is very fond of perfumer Spyros Drosopoulos, who invented the Baruti brand. After listening to the song a million times, he wanted to make its ephemeral analogue with the help of perfume notes. The result is a play of elusive contrasts - shining, changeable, but not breaking the harmony of each other. The scent evokes associations with a gloomy April morning in Amsterdam. Coolness blows from the canals, misty haze, outlines of bicycles. And then the sun wakes up, steam comes from the ground, making its way through rotting foliage and freshly cut greenery. Fragile happiness, a bouquet of violets and an irresistible desire to get out of a cozy bed for some fresh coffee.

Sexual Healing, Art Meets Art

Oriental gourmand aroma with notes of spices, honey, vanilla and tobacco

Art Meets Art is a French creative studio that always stays behind the scenes, but allows invited perfumers to create in nothing to themselves. The debut of the brand fell on the cult songs of all times and peoples (from Like Virgin Madonna to the Spanish ballad Besame Mucho) - four famous perfumers were asked to decide on their favorites in order to freely perform the song with the help of aromatic notes. Our unspoken winner is Christoph Raino, who swooped on Marvin Gay's 1982 hit Sexual Healing. The perfumer decided to convey not only the meaning of the song, but also the velvety sound that distinguished the singer. The composition turned out to be incredibly sensual: frill in the best traditions of decadence and an enticing neckline under a thin layer of sunscreen.

Neon Graffiti, Jazmin Sarai

A floral green scent with notes of bergamot, grapefruit, cardamom, mint, ivy, jasmine, mimosa, cedar, incense and ambroxan.

The Canadian perfume house Jazmin Sarai was founded by Dana El Masri. Having diligently studied all the intricacies of perfumery in Grasse, she returned to her native Montreal with a clearly set task - to give the music a scent. The name of the brand is a play on words, jazmin is a cross between jazz and jasmine, and the term sarai, which, unlike our language, is translated from Arabic as “palace”. Each time, listening to her scents, Dana imagines herself in the palace, along the corridors of which the wind carries smells and sounds to her. Inspired by synesthesia and the power of influence, in which one human meaning influences another, the perfumer listens to the songs of his favorite performers and devotes perfume to them. So far, Sade, D'Angelo, Led Zeppelin, Otis Redding and MIA have received this honor. It was the track of the last performer Sunshowers (2004) that became the starting point for the fragrance Neon Graffiti - a neat trick of different musical styles in Dan's song also conveys through “incongruous” at first glance (or nose?) Notes. The perfumer asks to introduce us to a concrete city after a refreshing downpour, where all the walls are decorated with a cobweb of bright graffiti patterns.

Heroes, Franck Boclet

Woody oriental scent with notes of bergamot, wormwood, galbanum, coconut, geranium, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla and amber.

The famous brand in the perfumery scene has acquired a new collection of Rock & Riot fragrances, soaked through with vinyl, the spirit of the 80s, rock idols, cigarette smoke and permissiveness. David Bowie composed Heroes when he saw a couple in love on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall. However, many years later, the singer admitted that the source of inspiration for the song was more specific: “My producer Tony Visconti was married to backing vocalist Antonia Maas at the time. Despite the fact that their marriage was in ruins, I was silent like a fish. We were on tour in Berlin when Tony became seriously interested in that German girl. It was strong, sad and touching at the same time, the words of the song gathered by themselves. Now that all the formalities have been settled, I can reveal this secret."

Music For While, Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle

A fougere aroma with notes of lavender, anise, bergamot, mandarin. Geranium, pineapple, labdanum, caramel.

This fragrance has an indirect relationship to music. Here is the case when the name is primary. And then everything develops incrementally. Frederic Mull just toured Los Angeles enjoying a French podcast about classical music: “That was Henry Purcell and his 16th century Music For While! But it sounded so modern, I would even say timeless. " The perfumer Carlos Benaim was commissioned to recreate the effect “while the music is playing”. Both he and Frederic were thinking in the same direction: 70s, aristocratic Paris, the rise of Yves Saint Laurent's career, Jeanne Moreau in the movie Lovers. The scent develops around the lavender note, which does not drive away moths in the Provencal-style closet, but, on the contrary, slowly and surely drives you crazy with out of nowhere sexual energy. Frederic Mull explains: “This is the peculiarity of lavender - it has so many nuances,that by pulling one, you can play against the rules. Lavender has shades of pine needles, vanilla, patchouli - if you feel and comb them correctly, you get something incredible. It's like with black and white photographs of Helmut Newton, only two hard colors, but what a life! ".

Photo, collage: archives of press services, Ekaterina Isaeva