The A-Z of Music

The tailored track would be a contemporary reflection of the A-Z of Music,bringing to life in an original way the manifold of spectres of the topic. Arranged by composer Dave Harrington,the A-Z of Music effortlessly stitches together 26 live performances to create an unprecedented sonic and visual composition. From throat singer Tanya Tagaq’s political vocals to the quirky acoustic country guitar chords by Dougie Poole, A-Z of Music serves as an inclusive encyclopedia of some of the most interesting faces in music today. For both i-D and Marc Jacobs, nurturing and rising musical talent has always been instrumental. The partnership celebrates the art form, so creative freedom for all artists involved, including the composer, the director and the various musical performers, was very much at the core.Each artist selected an abstract word to identify their music for the film, eschewing outdated genre titles in favour of personalized and updated descriptions of their music ranging from A-Z.

INSIGHTS 

The 26 live performances each feature artists decked out in Marc Jacobs clothes and/or accesories. Not only was the film highly acclaimed, it got a lot of attention in media and outlets specifically relevant to the target group.

i-D's A-Z series is an acclaimed series that put the spotlight on various industries, people and topics by zooming in on an issue under an alphabetical microscope. Using the alphabet as the narrative, the series has featured chapters on fashion, various cities and dance, to mention some. For the music edition, they wanted something different. i-D wanted to tackle this topic in an original and pioneering manner that would illustrate the diversity in music culture today, both in style and sound. Partnering with Marc Jacobs, who wanted to reach an urban millennial audience and raise their profile as a cultural maverick and tastemaker, the A-Z of Music had to approach the topic of music in a pioneering, attention-grabbing way. Instead of using the alphabet to go through various music genres or artist, the team decided to bring onboard 26 diverse artists to form an original super track.

Jury feedback

MUSIC / BRONZE 

As if someone dropped some acid in your morning coffee. It is like a doorway to that place we call creativity, where raw passion, escapism and tribalism spark the fire of our collective mojo. If craft can make you feel this, it must be golden. Deep bow from jury and no doubt the audience."