Your Instagram account is a reference point to almost everyone I know. But the internet knows nothing about you. Few words about yourself?

I prefer to keep it a mystery. I think we live in a time where everyone gives everything about themselves away online and I feel it holds more power to keep something back. On the internet you can be whoever you wanna be so I don’t understand why people often choose to share the worst version of themselves. I don’t think that’s the point of the internet. It’s not real life. To me anyway.

You’re a musician. What kind of music do you do and where can it be heard?

I’ve made many different types of music and played in all sorts of groups over the years from Garage bands, to Synth Punk to Industrial Noise and even Lounge music. I used to play Guitar and front bands but these days I prefer to make electronic music. Currently, I’m making a 5 track EP with the artist, musician Maresz Miucula. That will see a physical release later this year on Veronica Vasicka’s Citi-Trax label (a sub-label of Minimal Wave). We’re putting the finishing touches to the recordings and then we’re going to start work on producing the videos and photography to accompany the release.

Is there any connection between you and the fashion world?

For several years I’ve done creative consultancy with an array of luxury brands, mainly providing image research for projects. Currently, I’m working with a LA/Paris based brand. They’re opening a record/rare books /coffee shop next to their boutique in Paris so I’ve joined the team working on realising that. I enjoy working with them because I feel a kinship with the ideas they have and the references they use. I prefer to be in collaboration with someone rather than them percolating me for my ideas but I’m always open to working with people if it’s an interesting project. I mean, I give a lot of research away through Instagram which people probably use for free.. of course it’s nice to make a living but I get a kick out of knowing I might be having a tiny influence on where the culture is going too rather than just financial compensation. DJs back in the early hip hop days used to remove the labels of their records because they didn’t want other DJs to know what records they were playing but I’m the opposite. When I make my DJ mixes (Sheet Noise Radio on Mixcloud) I always give the full tracklist because I’d rather someone take those tracks, play them out and for them to become better known. I think it’s the same with the imagery I share.

Exactly my next question. Why and when did you start Sheet Noise?

I came up with the name around 2014 but didn’t start the Instragram page until the beginning of 2016. Originally when I started on IG, a lot of creative people used to share a lot of imagery very similar to what I do as a way of putting your flag up and connecting with people. So a lot of my friends used to do that but I just took it further and decided to dedicate my feed to that. Then maybe the app changed a little bit and it became more focused on stories or got a bit more Snapchatty but I continued down this route. I guess it’s evolved over time, like we all do as people. What I post now is a lot different from what I posted then.

Where are you getting your feed from?

All over the place really. Usually images from books, magazines, record sleeves or just all over the internet. Sometimes you go down a Google wormhole looking for one thing and it just takes you on a different route.. For me it has to be an image that pops visually and when I find an image like that on my searches, I know when it’s right for my aesthetic. Sheet Noise has a look and a feel. I’m aware of that. There’s a lot of things I’m into that I don’t post on this account because of the aesthetic and following that’s developed over time. The Sheet Noise thing kinda has it’s own lane.

You must have noticed that Instagram has changed quite a lot recently. I’m talking about the last 3/4 years. How do you feel about all the new Instagram generation?

What I don’t like is the TikTokification of it I guess. I hate all the suggested posts and reels of dumb shit. I prefer to keep that stuff out of my brain. One of the biggest problems I encounter nowadays is the censorship and the puritanical nature of the app’s gatekeepers. You now have to be really careful what you post as your account could be deleted or your reach reduced to nothing. I’ve been sanctioned for posting an image with an arty bum cheek or a slightly visible nipple before.