Alexis Dehimi, a 36-year-old composer from the Ariege region of southwestern France, has built a career writing music for film, television and advertising campaigns for brands including Google, Chanel, Lacoste, SFR, France Rugby and the French Football Federation.
Dehimi grew up in Saverdun and now lives in Haute-Garonne. He said he had no idea the profession of composing music for screens even existed when he was young. As a teenager he played rock music in his parents' garage with friends and dreamed of becoming a rock star, joking that it seemed like the only way to make a living from music at the time.
From garage rock to film scores
Dehimi experimented widely as a young musician, playing rock, metal, reggae and jazz. His band moved from covers to original compositions. The turning point came when he was 24, at a Fete de la Musique event in Ariege. He had already left the region but returned at his brother's request to play at the opening of a restaurant his brother had just launched in Foix.
Among the crowd that night was Guilhem Machenaud, a director of advertising films and founder of the production company Capsus Tv. The two connected immediately, and Machenaud offered the young guitarist free rein to compose the music for one of his films, shot in the United States. Dehimi said he was instantly hooked and knew he wanted to pursue the work as a career.
Learning the trade through rejection
Dehimi said he learned the profession on the job, gaining experience project by project, facing rejection and learning to start again. In advertising, he found an industry where time is limited and pitches are often turned down. He said the constant rejection toughens an artist's ego, admitting it stings at first but that one eventually gets used to it.
Film work, he said, offers something different: a closer relationship with the director, more conversation and more research. He described discussing emotion, character and story with directors, and said he tries to bring his own vision along with what the images themselves cannot say.
To compose, Dehimi does not limit himself to a single instrument. He collects sounds and instruments wherever he can, picking up world instruments and small percussion pieces at the market in Saint-Girons. He has also trained himself on piano, drums, bass, bowed string instruments and bouzoukis.
Chasing trends and global sounds
Dehimi said musical trends shift over the years. Orchestral scores have dominated in some periods, followed by French touch electro music in the style of Daft Punk and Kavinsky. He said retro sounds from the 1960s and French variety music are now making a strong comeback.
His wide-ranging taste sometimes makes choosing a style difficult, he admitted, saying he loves wintry, intimate Canadian folk music as much as African world music, and film scores as much as international pop. He described his own style as a kind of synthesis of all of it.
From dreaming of an Oscar to major campaigns
A few years ago, working from his small home studio, Dehimi dreamed of winning an Oscar. He now views his career differently. He has composed music for advertising campaigns tied to the France men's national football team's World Cup and the Rugby World Cup, and more recently signed the latest campaign for Olympique de Marseille.
Asked what advice he would give a young person from Ariege hoping to break into the field, Dehimi said he would not lead with talk of success. He advised against chasing money, saying that as artificial intelligence becomes more present, authenticity and humanity will be what set people apart. He urged aspiring musicians not to hesitate to put their music out into the world.
