In his inner circle many will agree that he’s a true ocean lover, a fine Skipper, a great Chef and a loyal friend. But more important, he is considered to be a true creative soul and a talented professional in Graphic, GUI Design & Art Direction…now, here’s my side of the story…

Towards the end of last century, and the dawn of a long-awaited new millennium, Silicon Valley was considered as the New Frontier; a sort of Promised Land for High Technologies; THE place to be for any ambitious entrepreneurs, adventurers of all types and other modern-times explorers. Nonetheless, it was the valley of egocentricity, megalomania and out-of-this-world valuations, where dreams of gigantic NASDAQ IPO’s could translate into instant fame, gratification and tons of greenbacks.

At the time, it was also my final destination; where I had in mind to explore opportunities and technological innovations for the anticipated dematerialization of music. This is also where I got acquainted with Pascal, who had made the big jump just a year earlier.

It is of public knowledge that a Californian garage can be considered a legendary national landmark in a TV commercial for HP; but it can also be an interesting place for a start-up to operate and develop its innovative ambitions. For a while, Pascal was working in such a place as a Graphic Designer and Art Director, but not as a mechanic…although!

His garage was really cool, located in Woodside Hills, Northern California, in the residence of an ambitious High-Tech entrepreneur. As a creative mind, Pascal had managed to decorate his working environment in an unusual and original manner, using green synthetic grass-looking carpet as the main attraction. With the help of a few well-selected personal objects, his garage was really a pleasant working place, and had such a great atmosphere.

But maybe not often will anyone experience the vision of a Designer combining goose feather drawing, the use of charcoals, markers and pencils; handling at the same time a scanner, a stylus and a graphic tablet linked to a double-screen Macintosh in a creative process, while listening to Eric Clapton’s latest CD. This was Pascal’s own personal way of expressing his talents and creativity, and sincerely the results of his work were impressive, and always met with the highest standards in terms of quality.

I am convinced that Captain Pif has still a long and interesting creative journey ahead; whether he chooses to set sails for the New or the Old Continent. And as I am writing these few words about our shared experiences, can only remember the magic of times when sailing with our favorite Skipper and a few good pals under the Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco Bay. Such a great moment of emotion and friendship indeed…

“Bon Vent Captain Pif”…Always keep your creative head on to the wind!

Franz Auffray
Founder & CEO – Music Pilot Corp., Silicon Valley
Former Sr. VP PolyGram International