Sweet Ermengarde

I am delighted and excited: the artist Billy Phobia answers questions about his art and his view on the symbiosis between music and cover artwork. Many bands from the Solar Lodge label have been working with him for years. It’s high time to learn more about him and his art.
I know Billy Phobia for many years, since the SGM Festival in Madrid 2012, where he was the DJ and part of the organizer-team.

You are a very creative person on many levels. Music, art, design… what form of artistic expression do you prefer for your own ideas? Billy: Indeed, my joy’s soul lies in creativity. Well, I think that all of them give voice to my inner self and let me sharing it to the world in uniquely personal ways. However, only art makes me truly resonate with the thrill of the creation in itself, regardless the alleged artistic merit or the perception of the final result by others. At that very moment my senses operate at their peak and I feel fully alive. Conversely, as professional designer, I have to meet certain needs and make my ideas work. I enjoy the challenge a lot but there are many external factors affecting my expression to a lesser or greater degree, while I’m always trying to take it all to my artistic terrain. Similarly, it makes little sense to spin music at a club or curate a mix of songs without taking your audience into account at all. I’m myself on decks but also strive to find a balance between what I want to share and what circumstances require. Everyone is a DJ at home. In fact, everyone is a DJ now, but that’s another story. In short, although all these forms of artistic expression are meaningful and fulfilling, I would choose art as it’s a completely free and introspective journey without a clear fix on the destination.