Last Thursday, guests celebrated the opening night of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Golden Ratio Musical Show, a sound and light show in the atrium of Westfield Century City. As part of the house’s Made of Makers program, which cultivates unique dialogues between watchmaking and the arts, Jaeger-LeCoultre partnered with the U.K.-born musician and composer TØKIO M¥ERS to present “TIMELESS,” M¥ERS's four-part symphony inspired by the Golden Ratio. The mathematical concept also inspires the design of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s classic Reverso watch.
Last week's event theme was aligned with the year of the watch's inception, 1931, with the space styled as a retro drive-in cinema. Guests snacked on movie theater-style popcorn and snapped memories while posing in a 1930s-inspired vintage car. The experience was elevated with champagne, espresso martinis, and a delightful selection of hors d'oeuvres passed to attendees including M¥ERS and actor Riley Keough.
Following a heartfelt introduction by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s CEO Catherine Rénier, M¥ERS performed his four-part symphony accompanied by a 30-person orchestra. After the performance, M¥ERS stayed on stage for a captivating solo show that seamlessly blended genres to create a composition as rare and refined as the Reverso watch that inspired it.
The festivities continued Friday morning with an intimate discussion between M¥ERS and CULTURED contributor Dave Holmes. Following an introduction by CULTURED’s founder and editor-in-chief Sarah Harrelson, the pair dug deep into the state of the music industry, the musician's experience with synesthesia, and the rich array of influences that he gleaned while growing up Afro-Carribean in the U.K. against the backdrop of '90s music culture. Inspired by figures as diverse as classical composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, Hayao Miyazaki, and Kendrick Lamar, M¥ERS infuses his eclectic taste into his music in ever-unexpected ways.
Fusing genres has blessed M¥ERS with an unclassifiable sound. As Holmes pointed out, that can be a challenge in an industry that traditionally favors single-genre artists. But it hasn't stopped M¥ERS. “Someone’s got to do it,” he told the audience. “Someone has to be first, and open the door for people to follow.” The conversation was followed by a short Q&A and a guided demonstration of M¥ERS’s multi-instrumental set, featuring the first synth he ever owned (which his grandmother bought him) and a performance of “Underwater,” one of M¥ERS’s original compositions, and an excerpt of "TIMELESS."
