Record sleeve research

Record sleeve research

In preparation for the secret 7 competition I have gathered some examples of record designs I liked gathered from internet sources and from a visit to Clash records in Leeds. I chose some examples with different print methods and finishes to give me diverse examples of research.

Jason Molinas - The Magnolia Electric co. 

Bellow is an example of a record sleeve with some dark style fantasy illustrations incorporated into the design. The illustrations themselves are analogue drawings created with traditional pencil techniques combined in conjunction with digital coloring in the background. The darkness and the fantasy style drawings is what drew me into this, a striking image is what will make my record image stand out from the rest so this could be a focus point. 

Hot Chip - Made in the dark.

I mentioned in my evaluation for Design Process I want to use physical print methods and this inspired me to use a method of foil blocking with embossed details. This gave aesthetics off different tonal values in the circular image through the use off embossing reflecting light differently within its crevices and raises. The use off gold foil blocking added a touch off elegance wich alongside a simplistic minimal layout works well. The use of uppercase sans serif typography is minimal with the attention again been concentrated onto the image. 

The typesetting on the rear is reflected from the positioning off the from cover, simple left aligned typography flushed up the left hand corner of the sleeve. This maintains that simple minimal layout originating from the front cover. 

Muse - Absolution.

Bellow is another image strong record cover this time using a digital photograph instead of digital or analogue created images. The design makes use off the photography by contrasting the label information in the top left corner. It contrasts through the use of light and dark elements, the light coming from the white label which contrasts on the photograph through its dark tonal valued background. The range of font choices also display typical hierarchy in a chronological format, with the large typeface hitting in first on the top line (Band name) through the use of type size, the sub header on the second line "absolution" (Album name) hitting in second through volume of type weight and the use off uppercase sans serif fonts, the information underneath is in a smaller lowercase sans serif font 

David Comes to Life - Fucked up.

This was one of my favorite sleeve designs, using contrasting tonal values within the color value yellow to create another image strong record sleeve. The images off the bulbs themselves look to have gone through some manipulation on photoshop, it looks like a posterize filter has been applied or the threshold levels been changed, although the connecting point looks to have more detail in there than the glass. This section may have been selected out, been grey-scaled and had a halftone edit applied. The graininess of this image works well with the serif typeface choice, if a sans serif typeface was used there would be too much of a contrast of clean and simple with the texture and grittiness of the imagery. The idea off centralizing an image seems to be common practice as presented here, within a square frame it just seems to work best giving freedom for were the type elements can be placed and still drawing sufficient attention to the image element. 

Chuck Ragan - Covering Ground. 

Finally an example which isn't relaying on imagery. This decorative use of old style wood blocked serif typeface and floral decorative borders creates a sense of imagery throughout the use of a lithography method of printing. There is a certain roughness and deterioration were the ink hasn't applied as thick and bold on the transfer giving off a feeling of visual wearing over time. I like the idea of using a border to frame in the central typographic element. If the typographic element in the centre had no border surrounding it, I think it would feel lost and due the printing style this clean use of minimalism wouldn't work. If it was a small point set sans serif typeface cleanly presented central to the design it would, but due to the decorative feel of the typography I feel the floral border strengthens the whole layout. 

Use of hand drawn lettering again keeps this decorative old style feel up. The use off an abstract drawing off an old vintage frame strengthens this old feel even more. The whole black and white scheme throughout is broken up by a small red element of the record label company found in the bottom left corner. This use off a small contrasting element presents the idea odd contrast off extension, using a small proportion of a high impact high contrast color brought the eye in even more too it.

A more abstract representation now using vector image making techniques and digitally produced letterforms to work with this techno/retro vibe. The idea of techno was presented through the use of vibrant neon hues with light and dark pink tonal hues and psychedelic vector line art using geometric shapes and linear elements to create an abstract image outcome. The use of angled lines to me present light beams often seen in clubs, an interesting abstract representation off a common club connotation. Using abstract imagery to present the artist and there album is something I want to look into. 

Slayer - God Hates us all.

Another example I really liked both front and back cover was this minimalist religious influenced slayer record. Using gold ink either foil blocked or screen printed on the record a nice effect is created. Using the common symbol used to represent Christianity an abstract logo is created to represent the album. The structure and composition of the album works well with the positioning of the typographic elements and the abstract symbol and all frames up nicely in a centre justified format. Gold is seen to be the color of generosity within religion, I feel the use of gold was influenced by the record title "god hates us all". A sly sarcastic dig at religion and its "generosity". I like how the sans serif typeface with its sharp point serifs contrasts well with the linear, angular abstract cross symbol. 

The type positioning here is slightly offset to the right, I think a multiple column grid allowed this minor offset. It works well though with the same serif typeface making an appearance on the back cover in left aligned format. Contrast is applied through type weights with the track-list been high in the hierarchy so this is bolder than the less important information displayed underneath. 

Fiction - The Big Other.

I chose this album more for the playfulness off the typeface choice on the track listing on the rear cover. But I do like the abstract digital photo montage used on the front.

The de-bossed foil block typography is very playful in its construction and positioning. Using vibrant dots to replace the title of the 'I's and the full stops after the track numbers kept the eye bouncing about the page a lot before arriving at the actual track list names. The colorful dots remind me of bouncy balls so this idea of moving the eye around like this fits in well with this thought. The typesetting is made up of a range of fonts from a sans serif type family, they appear in random uppercase, lowercase, lightweight, bold weights, regular weights and rotational positioning to strengthen this playfulness of the whole record design. It also keeps the eye moving about but when your trying to read the track name it is quite irritating, but the track names themselves are quite short and concise so its not too bad. 

To help me understand why theres such a big fascination within record cover design I began to look at iconic record designs and what makes or made them great both aesthetically and conceptually. I buy music from iTunes more than I buy records and CDs as I find it easier to manage so am not clued up on the benefits of owning an actual "physical" copy off the music. 

Here is an album created by Ian MacMillan for The Beatles, Abbey Road album and isn't based on aesthetics or design elements within type and image. Purely on the use of a strong image, the image presented is an iconic image showing true britishness through the band members individual styles, John in a white suit looking cool and fresh contrasting down too Paul walking bare foot in casual scruffy clothes. Through this album the crossing seen here was given grade II listing in 2010. This album is a classic example of how a simple iconic high impact image can speak 1000 words. 

Bellow is an album created by Mark Furrow for Spiritualized, Ladies and Gentlemen we are floating in space album. Although the aesthetics are very nice, I love the simplicity of the image and the linear elements used to frame up the typography used in conjunction with the very medical "clinical" blue which connotes this minimal design even better. The cover was made to look like prescription medicine and Mark pulled this of very well through his color choice, type choice and linear elements, the album played of the huge drug scene within the transcendental music era. The recommended dosage ="one tablet 70 minutes" to me is representing not just the CD playtime but the effects off a drugs consumption. Highly controversial and is what makes it so iconic. This is an obvious play on the music seen at that time presented through an interesting concept of interactivity and linking common connotations with the genre of music and the physical design of the record. 

A box set of the record was created to take this concept further, each track was placed on 3inch CD encased in a foil blister pack, more links to transcendental music and its drug links were used by including instructions saying "what is spiritualized used for?" Answer: Spiritualized is used to treat the heart & soul"

 I absolutely love this design for its aesthetic purposes, Joy Divisions, Unknown pleasures album was a collaboration from designers Peter Saville, Joy Division themselves and Christ Mathan. The decision to not include typography was decided when they felt the centerpiece should be a piece of abstract imagery, the image is meant to present a series off waves representing sound pulses. The suggestion came from Joy Divisions drummer Stephen Morris who was inspired by something he saw in the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy in 1977. An interesting combination of presenting sound in an abstract and visual way.

The final example here is Pink Floyd's, Dark Side of the Moon album created by Storm Thorgerson. The image here was out off Storms comfort zone, he was used to taking iconic photographs. But Pink Floyd's bassist suggested not to use photographs so the challenge was set. A photographer creating graphics. The image came from inspirations from one of Pink Floyds light shows and is a play on the common color experiment with a prism and is said to present the concept "thought & ambition" in a visual way. The idea is that thought is the white light that goes into the prism, ambition is the high aims that are to be achieved through the representation off the color spectrum. A very abstract visual response to an interesting concept.