“She was laser-focused and exceptionally intelligent, but also sensitive and perceptive.”
A.G. Cook has shared an emotional tribute to his friend and close collaborator SOPHIE. In an Instagram post published yesterday (25 April), the PC Music boss wrote, “I’m still processing Sophie’s life…Spent a lot of time these last few months reflecting on her uniqueness, our time together, and the impact she had on so many aspects of my life. Wrote some words and uploaded them to agcook.com/msmsmsm.”
View this post on Instagram
The newly uploaded post sees Cook paying tribute to the groundbreaking producer and pop icon – who died aged 34 in January – as he reminisces on their relationship, shared memories and experiences. Cook also discusses SOPHIE’s enduring legacy while applauding her creative vision.
“She was laser-focused and exceptionally intelligent, but also sensitive and perceptive,” writes Cook. “It didn’t matter whether we were talking about people or relationships or materials or music – she approached every topic with the love, care and intensity of someone who has truly lived.”
“I first met Sophie on October 13th, 2012 – an unlikely meeting before BIPP and before PC Music, both of which would materialise the following June,” he recalls. “I’d in fact stumbled on a demo of BIPP on Sophie’s soundcloud earlier that summer, and immediately emailed her elusive MSMSMSM.COM address. I remember the soundcloud page well. SOPHIE in all caps alongside a bio that just said ‘EASYJET GENERATION’ alongside a bulbous, bright pink profile picture. And there was a lot of music, generously long live mixes that would soon disappear. But right at the top, two 30 second tracks – BIPP (DEMO) and OOH (DEMO) – that I listened to on repeat.”
“I couldn’t believe that there was someone out there, let alone someone in London, with such a strong vision and almost no regard for the walls between pop and experimental art.”
Elsewhere, he reflects on SOPHIE’s personality. He writes: “Many of her interactions had this pattern: a quiet but commanding charisma followed by a moment of distance, possibly even absence. Then suddenly the ice would be shattered by a surprising moment of playfulness, a whimsical joke or heartfelt remark.”
“This heightened sense of being felt and being seen was always present, not just in her intimate moments with friends or her public moments on stage, but even during those in-between moments… in the studio, on set, in meetings, in transit.” He also describes her as “critical, demanding, laid-back and mischievous all at the same time.”
“I know she made an enormous impression on the variety of people who (one way or another) became part of PC Music, and she would often raise people up, imploring them to pursue their individuality,” write Cook. “Around that time, I also got to know the rest of her family: her sisters, her brother, her mother, her grandmother, all of whom matched Sophie’s warmth, sweetness and intelligence.”
Cook mentions SOPHIE’s family elsewhere in the post, as he discusses her love for making people dance and recalls a set the pair played together at a family wedding. “Sophie was and always will be a wedding DJ. There were cute photos of her DJing weddings as a pre-teen, and one of the most joyous DJ sets we did together was for her sister’s wedding,” writes Cook.
“It’s funny to think of us striking a balance between our own tracks and the ethereal ‘mainstream’ selections that are considered acceptable at weddings, but Sophie loved to win over crowds, to make people dance, and she had a vast knowledge of music from different eras which she could deftly weave into her own world. Amongst her USBs were some backup folders simply labelled 70s, 80s, 90s that I remember falling back on for various nights and afterparties when things needed to get a little matrimonious.”
Towards the end of his tribute, Cook writes, “I’m still processing Sophie’s death… This was the first paragraph that I started to write in what became a long eulogy—but I think I’m closer now.” [sic]
You can read Cook’s tribute in full here.
Revisit Remembering SOPHIE, the architect.