sonar from renaud hallée

What already was an amazing and amazingly curated music blog has now become even better. Sitting conveniently in a unique position among web experiences, this is now a place for some comfortably curated viewing and listening pleasures. From some pretty exquisite tastes at that. I love all the little typographic details as well. Alot of heart and care has gone into this. So as time permits, or as your interactive experiences permit, have a look at the new YYY. Yes Yes Y’all!

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I’m a glutton for sponging up new sounds, especially when they come as intriguingly packaged as ‘Citizens of Tomorrow’ by the Tokyo Police Club (check it out). Feeling somewhat disconnected with the pioneering art of the music video, this comes well appreciated.

This came link came from my friend Hideki. I love this video by Daihei Shibata. Nice1.

A few months ago the infamous Damon Dash started making some serious moves. His new space DD172 has become a center cooking up some catastrophic cultural goods. When Mos Def was “chilling” one night with some serious folk the place was deemed the “24 Hour Karate School.” Since then there has been some serious hype bubbling around the space, the gallery, venue, and the much anticipated mixtape. Check out all the moves being made here at DD’s Creative Control. Hip Hop is still very much alive ladies and gentlemen. Support your local Karate Dojo. Start chopping.

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Saw a show with the artist/designer/collective Byul this past weekend. What can I say? Quite amazing. And the more that I research now, the more interesting connections seem to be made. The music is awesome and now after exploring their website for quite some time, their design work is quite stellar too. Have a look see at what is a pretty at times, cryptic website with lots of goodness to be uncovered if you just look. BYUL.

In late 2009, ABSOLUT entered into an agreement with the most iconic arena in the world, Madison Square Garden, to bring consumers in the New York market (and beyond), the ABSOLUT Concert Series.

Amongst other things this sponsorship set the scene for ABSOLUT’s latest creative artistic collaboration – “NY-Z,” a 12-minute behind-the-scenes documentary of Jay-Z – which was shown to 40,000 people at Madison Square Garden before the legendary performer took the stage for his BP3 concert. Check out the press release for more information, and don’t forget to check out the film on YouTube or on the ABSOLUT Facebook page.

Massive Attack have released a new short film entitled Saturday Come Slow, featuring their collaboration with Damon Albarn and highlighting the effects of sound on the human body, and sometime use as a torture technique. Saturday Come Slow is the fifth in a series of seven short films commissioned alongside their new album Heligoland, which is an essential listen by the way. Check it out.

We’ve posted about this work before. But here’s some new releases for it. The Yes/Pandemonium work for PSB is extremely happiness. Yes, poor english. But yes, exquisite design. Have a look at Farrow for more happiness. Hugs.

I’m kind of in love with this new album cover from Tocotronic. In a Saville-esque simplicity, it just rubs me the right way. Listening now to the album and I think the sentiment is spot on. Hugs.

So from unify and digital music to crafted box sets, we all love music. This lovely new box set of three album releases by the artist Duke Special has been designed Sparks, London. It coincided with his recent performance in the Brecht play Mother Courage at the National Theatre London.

The set is now on it’s third production run over 25,000 units, which confirms our suspicion that well designed phyiscal albums are desirable to music lovers everywhere. A screen printed gem on grey board is held with traditional book binding tape. The slipcase is silver foiled on a textured card.

Nic Mulvaney has just released a great app. Unify which allows you to transfer playlists from iTunes to Spotify. Just drag and drop. Enjoy.

designers prevail /

We popped our heads around the door of the halcyongallery earlier this week to see the new collection of Bob Dylan paintings. They are based on drawings and sketches made while on the road during the period of 1989 – 1992. It officially opens today until early April. Worth a look.

For some reason, I can never get enough of stop motion. Have a look see. Very nice.

The Beatles ninth album was designed by Richard Hamilton, a notable pop artist who had organized a Marcel Duchamp retrospective at the Tate Gallery the previous year. Hamilton’s design was in stark contrast to Peter Blake’s vivid cover art for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and consisted of a plain white sleeve. The band’s name was discreetly embossed slightly below the middle of the album’s right side, and the cover also featured a unique stamped serial number, “to create,” in Hamilton’s words, “the ironic situation of a numbered edition of something like five million copies.” Hamilton staked his whole design on achieving this effect:  “I suggested a plain white cover so pure that it would seem to place it in the context of the most esoteric art publications. To further this ambiguity, I took it more into the little press field by individually numbering each cover.”

Paul McCartney and Hamilton worked closely together to design both the cover of the album and a poster insert slipped into the double-disc set.  The poster insert was where Hamilton spent the majority of his design time. He selected a sampling of personal photos from the Beatles and created a collage only slightly more controlled in feel than if the photos were to be strewn across a tabletop. He explains his process: “Because the sheet was folded three times to bring it to the square shape for insertion into the album, the composition was interestingly complicated by the need to consider it as a series of subsidiary compositions. The top right and left hand square are front and back of the folder and had to stand independently as well as be a double spread together.”

]]> http://graphichug.com/2009/12/16/the-white-album/feed/ 0 http://graphichug.com/2009/11/25/omd-dazzle-ships/ http://graphichug.com/2009/11/25/omd-dazzle-ships/#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:08:30 +0000 Chris Ro http://graphichug.com/?p=11261

From 1983, yet again, Mr. Saville and amazing. Found while surfing a great site, Hard Format, this just continues my amazement. Have a look see when you get a moment.

This is really old and yes, I am behind the times. But just saw this today and love it. Here is a nice write up at Creative Review about it. But again, Mr. Farrow and friends have done their part to raise happiness in the world.

While browsing the selections at Other Music the other day, I was stunned by this cover. The internet jpg compression format does not do this cover justice. It is truly a mark of beauty. And now the more I research this group, and the more I find, the pieces are all coming together. Susanna and The Magical Orchestra is a duo from Norway on the Rune Grammofon label. And I did not suspect it at first but I find now that the collaborations have been plenty with one of my all time favorites, Mr. Kim Hiorthoy who directed this hauntingly gorgeous music video below. This music is kind of ridiculous. I love it. I will need to do more research but my feeling is, Mr. Hiorthoy is responsible for these beautiful covers as well. Hope.

Been loving the music from The XX. Yet another great find from Yes Yes Yall. Here’s a really lovely video from them.

Yet another brilliant designer coming out of Australia. Mark Gowing rocks. Beautiful work for the preservation music label.

Amazing. More at Daito Manabe’s YouTube page.

duo aaron behrens & thomas turner, known as ghostland observatory rock/funk out some electronic brilliance. listen to sad sad city on npr /

The good folk over at Mixtape Club have released their second session. Some of the guest contributors include Sara from Teegan and Sara, and graphic artist Bjˆrky. Happy Friday everyone.

Been listening to this album quite a bit lately. From Anticipate Recordings, Sawako makes some beautifully music. This is a nice cover designed by TheIngredient.

Some beautifully executed titles for the MTV video music awards by Prologue.

Okay, I honestly dont know how to describe this. I mean, I get what he is doing but man, this experience, is kind of a throwback. And well, yeah. Kind of something else. So I am posting this because we have had our discussions before about making old guys mad. And well, I give it to this person for seeing his vision all the way through and doing it. I think many old guys would be like WTH is this. So with that, check out this throwback interactive experience from Tunc Ak.

Ten people, ten tracks, ten album covers. The Mixtape Club is a celebration of the mixtape. Every graphic designer is a dj, whether in the closet or out. Brought to you by my former coworkers Steve and Brian with the help of some like minded cohorts. Enjoy the Hump Day tunes.

response to mr ro / classic / tomato / underworld tomato.co.uk

On Saturday evening, went and saw a dual performance from musician Ezekiel Honig and visual artist Joshua Ott/SuperDraw. It was awesome. Pretty inspiring. Reminded me of some good times back in Germany. It got me thinking again about this relationship between designers and musicians again. And how if we do not step up now and start to rethink this experience, we are in the process now of currently losing something very special. Anyways, the whole point of this post was to talk about the show. I thought it was an awesome collaboration. The visuals were mesmerizing and the audio, as usual, was breathlessly atmospheric. I think there is something about these occasional good matches that really tugs at the heart strings.

So this leads me to wonder, have you guys seen any other interesting collaborations? Jimmy pointed out that NIN/Bill Viola set a while back. But is anybody else doing anything interesting lately? Please comment! In the meantime, do check out the music of Ezekiel Honig. Warm, atmospheric, and in many ways, I somehow derive a sense of wisftulness. Well needed wistfulness that is. The visuals are from SuperDraw are interesting too. Joshua Ott seems to be crossing the very fine line between too much and too little. And I think he crosses it well as it seemed to match the sounds quite appropriately. Anyways. Have a looksee when you can. Hereís some vimeo of a performance form 2007.

Joshue Ott/superDraw +Ezekiel Honig live at monkeytown from superdraw on Vimeo.

As someone who spends an inordinate amount of time in bookstores and record shops, It’s nice to find out that a dozen or so of those “oh, that’s a nice design” moments that you have mentally filed away over the last couple of years turn out to be created by the same person. Seen is Rob Carmichael of Brooklyn, who seems to be trucking along nicely doing work for the music and publishing industries. Nice interview with him at Pitchfork (in their new series on album cover design) where I ran across this.

For the past three nights, Iíve been listening while working, to some of the interviews on Graphic Design on the Radio, a radio show hosted by Adrian Shaughnessy. Sorry, as you all know, I have been living under a rock and I can see now, I am almost exactly one year now behind the very last entry. Nevertheless, this is some, as they say, good sh@%. I was turned to hear from fellow hugger Bec, who, in an email discussing inspiration discussed how this was always a good tune in. A month after that discussion (I know, Iím always playing catch up), I finally get around to tuning in and my oh my, I wish I could have tuned in earlier. I’ve for whatever reason, been in identity crisis as of late. And I cannot say this has helped me get beyond that anymore. But it did bring many a smile to the face while listening. Which is more than I can say for the rest of the moment. I particularly was cracking up over the Kim Hiorthoy interview. Seriously. I do not think it was meant to bring laughter. But I actually chuckled out loud.

I do appreciate what Mr. Shaughnessy is doing. Every piece of writing I’ve read from the dude is spot on, encouraging and filling what I see to be a void. I cannot say Iím past my identity crisis but I say thanks again Mr. Shaughnessy for doing good things for this planet. We could all use some more of this. So this show, is an awesome fusion of all kinds of goodness. The designers get to play some of their favorite tracks. And a lot of the discussion, stems over music and design. A relationship, I have mused in the past, is now long forgotten. So this leads me to think what other good things can we do? What good is there left to do? How can we as human beings, bring the level of happiness up a tad? Is there nothing left that we can do? Anyways, sorry for the vociferation. But I thought, perhaps in this day and age, you all might want a slight uplift. Sorry if you have seen this all before, but if you haven’t, seriously, tune in to this radio show for just a bit. As they say again, good sh!@. Have a great week everyone!

mad maxim

Sculptor Antony Gormley’s latest experiment involves asking UK citizens to step up and raise their self on the pedestal that is the empty Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in London, a space normally reserved for statues of Kings and Generals. Every hour, 24 hours a day, for 100 days a different person will make the Plinth their own. The artists’ latest stunt, entitled ‘One & Other‘ is open to anyone and everyone from any corner of the UK to contribute to the experiment. They will become a living monument – if only for one hour, as a collective representation of humanity. What a shame our Dear friend will be in Oz and won’t be able to contributeÖ!

Look familiar?

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Here, for you viewing pleasure, the work of Hipgnosis. The graphic genesis of Storm Thorgerson, Aubrey Powell, and Peter Christopherson. True pioneers in image making.

“Thorgerson & Powell’s surreal, elaborately manipulated photos were a film-based forerunner of what would, much later, be called photoshopping.” – wikipedia

Mads Perch is a London-based Danish born photographer. The man’s got style with fingers in the music, editorial, and fashion worlds. His ability to blend different styles makes him a promising figure. It will be interesting to see where this man’s work takes him.

Behold the Warp records 20th anniversary box set: a sprawling showcase of what I would say is definitely the best + most complimentary mix of design and music of recent times. As expected, incredibly tight all around. Delicious.

The very gifted Mr. Mitch Paone has updated his website with a real nice range of work spanning broadcast, print, branding, art and better yet, music as well. Check out this pretty amazing range of work when you get a chance.

Terrible name, but the photos are worth a look.

Thanks to Iain at Slater for the superb Paul Weller poster I just received this morning! 28 of 250 this piece demonstrates matt black foil block to commemorate the re-opening of the Ulster Hall, Belfast. And my first venue many years ago!

Another great piece by Matt and Simon Pyke. A great visual dialogue between static and kinetic, old and new, permanent and transient. Also available for download at the itunes store.

In an attempt to compensate for a recent absence of contributions to the GH feed, Iíve decided to incorporate a multitude of links into a single post – centering around the forever popular subject of post-modern typography, namely those bold, bold display typefaces weíve been seeing everywhere. I bear no shame to admit that over a year ago, whilst probably these type treatments were already on their way to the ëused and abusedí pile, I did endeavor in some brief font design work:

The work in progress results (entitled ‘Drive’) initially bear a striking resemblance, to my recent astonishment, to this font – ëModí available for free trial through this delightful little site/foundry called Font Fabric.

Not to imply that those peeps over there are behind with the times, not at all, as they do a tremendous job in dishing out some really nifty fonts to serve across most platforms. Iím simply stating an observation that through some form of long-distance osmosis, that amidst all the online, public displays of experimental display typefaces itís encouraging to see that someone out there has been pursuing the same line of work – but has in fact done so through to proper completion. Font Fabric – Iíll be leaving ‘Drive’ alone for now guys, as it seems Iíve most certainly missed the boat on that one. Though Iím open to any suggestions and/or criticisms (constructive only of course) from anyone who thinks this could be restarted? Excuse the pun. On track to updating my music compendium; I was also blasting The Decemberists into my ear lugs recently when, on further investigation into the creator behind their latest albumís cover artwork (ëThe hazards of Loveí), I found the culprit to be none other than Mario Hugo. At the risk of repeating what has already been said in previous articles and other blogs, Marioís typography and illustration is an enchanting mix of surrealism, neoclassicism and the most sincere ëhumaní touches. I would recommend taking a look around his website. Most striking for me is his Non Format-like typography (back to the bold display typefaces again). Notably his concept work for the album Beck, as seen here:

Also check out his own type designs – which shout emergence of 60ís constructivist influences with modern, high contrast gradient blends:

To abruptly sum up – personally I think it’s refreshing to see such individuals, notably a fine artist in his own right in this instance, breathing fresh life into this near-tired typography trend.

Finally saw this movie after about a year of it being on my list of things to watch. A pretty interesting movie documenting an entire game but through the view of just one player, Zidane. It was an interesting experience for sure. I think the music makes up for a great amount of the atmosphere. The soundtrack is by Mogwai. Interestingly enough, the title sequences are done by our favorites, M/M Paris as well. Check it out if you can, although I had some region code problems with this and looks like, it is still not available in a stateside version. The movie is by Douglas Gordon & Philippe Parreno.

A home-made-like video for the Morr Music group Populous. Check it out when you get a chance!

I was just listening to NPR and heard about this wonderful album made from source materials (both video & sound) found on YouTube. It was created by a musician called “Kutiman.” It’s pretty impressive and from what he mentioned on NPR it took him 2 months to create the tracks and videos without sleep or food. It makes me want to pull out my track suit out of the closet bboy style and breakdance. Enjoy.

In keeping with the incredible amount of buzz surrounding everyone’s favorite avant-garde band of the hour Animal Collective, I felt that I should join in on the fun. I found this music video a few months back for the title track off of their ep Water Curses. Im not sure if I love the video, or if I just really dig the song. you be the judge.

Everyone loves to drink lemonade! so the aptly named Lemonade Drinkers based in London love lemonade and are responsible for creating such recogniseable sounds for advertising including Coca_Cola, MTV, Motorola and the lovely Guinness.

Nevermind the fact that this has been mah song (what-what) for under a year now. The accompanying video, just released, is a fun paper cut-out stop-motion animation. And, it’s also a gentle reminder of how even just a little craft can go a long way. Es cute. mykonos video

The perennial gathering of hippies and hipsters, commonly known as the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival announced today the artist lineup for the June 2009 event. In honor of the announcement Ghost Robot has created a faux cut paper animation highlighting the main acts. Definitely worth a look http://www.bonnaroo.com Unfortunately, the animation is more exciting than the festival’s main headliner (apologies to those who enjoyed this years Super Bowl halftime).

The internet has been a buzz with the name Theophilus London. A rising star in the up-and-coming electro hip-hop scene, London’s got a pretty unique sound. Now, I won’t pass judgment on his music. Rather, I’d like for all of you to take a look at the cover of his mixtape that’s being passed around like yesterday’s viral.

Any pop music fan will immediately see Elvis Costello’s suit replaced by a leather jacket and an oversized new era cap. I realize this is just a mixtape cover so not as much time and attention is needed to be paid. But the lack of originality despite the rich history behind Elvis Costello’s This Years Model cover is a bit disheartening. It makes me agree with Chris‘ disappointment with the coming death of album artwork.

Designed by Barney Bubbles, the cover of This Years Model was originally printed with an intentional misprint. Bubbles was known for such playful alterations. This Years Model showed a lot of restraint on his part as a designer. Much of his work for Costello was much more playful and vibrant. I can’t help but see Bubbles really needing to add a little color into the design by exposing the color registration.

Last week, I found myself in a record store for the first time in a long time. At one point, it was great to see just the pure wealth of graphic design around me. Truly ridiculous and always a way to get nicely lost for a nice period of time. To disappear a bit in a wealth of typo/photo/graphic – graphic goodness. But things are different this time around. I was greatly saddened by the witness of a great wealth of graphic design that perhaps is soon finding its way out of a home. What will be the alternative? What will be the other options? Apple’s coverflow gives me actually no satisfaction. Seriously. Sad. A jpg? Yeah, pretty sweet. The fantastic relationship between graphic design and music needs to continue. But in what context? What form? I have spoken before about the great joy I find in the Peter Saville cover. The experience. The way one gets lost in a design and the tracks that inspired/represents it. How can one re-create this experience? What is the next incarnation of this? The tactility. The format. Is it the old codger in me who simply says, “It ain’t gonna be the same!”?

While browsing, I found this intriguing cover for the re-release of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Brian Eno and David Byrne. Upon doing some more research on this, I discovered it was designed by the Buchanan-Smith studio. And it is an interesting story. In homage to the original cover, done by Peter Saville, the actual artwork is made from the original artwork in what appears to be some photoshoppin elegance. There is something I like about this. It is an homage to the later Saville in using something that we all have access too and using it with such class and restraint that it takes away from any notions of the technical or artificial. I think the sentiment is something along the lines of, hey, I used a fucking brush. So be it. And I did it just like that. But anyways, I do enjoy this. And formally, I do enjoy the output as well for I think in a strange way, the two covers are non-alike yet the feeling remains the same.

Anyways, check it out if you have the time. Here is a post from Buchanan-Smith about this cover. Here is a quote from that same post from David Byrne: I talked to Peter Buchanan-Smith, who designed the re release CD package, about either including or referencing the original album cover rather than coming up with something entirely new. This is the marketing man in me speaking- I imagined that a person who had seen the original cover would have an idea what they were looking for when seeking out a re release, so a completely unrelated image would throw them off the scent. Peter, as a creative type, didn’t feel comfortable simply reproducing Peter Saville’s original layout over Brian’s video photo, so he came up with a way of referencing the original obliquely. He took the original and digitally manipulated it, while retaining all the original colors- he smeared it horizontally (which was used), twisted it into vortexes and made it all radiate from the center. Surprisingly, one still had a kind of vestigial sense of the original cover in all of these versions. Here is the original Saville cover. A beauty.

Familiar faces and names this year in Netdiver’s Best of the Year. Was really happy to see Ricky Allman (above) whom some of you may also know from the graduate program at RISD, incredible painter and great guy. Also Kim Høltermand (directly below) whose photography I’ve been meaning to post for awhile. And friend of friends, NY-based Venezuelan artist Nuuro aka Alex Ghersi whose website was made by Mike Tucker (below)

I took piano lessons for many years, back during what feels to be a distant but familiar past. I came upon this video today during a conversation about precision, and I was struck by the eloquence with which a man spoke about music, both with words and with his hands. This intrigued me. To talk about the process of music (specifically, of playing music) sounds like talking about language, which sounds like talking about texture, which sounds like talking about design. Talking about a process while simultaneously playing out the process itself, and to be dynamically aware of the changes it creates. In the Masterclasses series with renowned pianist Daniel Barenboim, he speaks about what it is and what is takes to truly play Beethoven. Lang Lang, a colleague and younger talent in Beethoven sonatas (b. china, 1982), gets some intense advice on how he can be better at playing. It is not simply a matter of playing the notes. “It is not just sound. The problem is that this content cannot be really be articulated in an objective, rational, scientific way — with words. If it were possible to articulate it in an objective, rational, scientific way, the music would not be necessary. But the fact that it is not possible to articulate it in an object, rational, scientific way doesn’t mean that it does not have a content. And therefore, the question is, what is this content and how do we realize it?” – Barenboim, intro In another segment, he answers a question about crescendo, how to will a crescendo into being in the piano. It is not just pressure from your hands. I love that he doesn’t use the word “passion” here. To will a crescendo, to imagine the crescendo, and for the crescendo itself, when it occurs, to be the result of this imagining and willing. To relate back to design — I’m thinking about the idea that there is a content that is not the words written or typeset on the page, this content that is not expressed by the colors used, the paper used, the typeface, the size. That there is this something else that one articulates, something that could not be pronounced otherwise. Something that only through some said medium(s), by a hand and mind of a craftsman, can come together and be seen — and perhaps for the first time. And that each time we do this — we, as the presenters of this content — see it and will it into being every time, both in the imagination and into the world.

While trolling the net trying to score a copy of the minor design classic “Godard: Images, Sounds, Politics.” I came across the portfolio site of its visual creator: Richard Hollis. An extremely accomplished, (he’s almost old enough to be your grandfather) yet still under-the-radar graphic designer. Dig the letterheads he did for the members of Pink Floyd. Solid.

A young visual artist Masakatsu Takagi. Great colors and music. You have probably seen this on Apple Pro profiles.

On Monday, the ever-flamboyant and image saavy hip-hop superstar Kanye West released his 4th studio album 808′s and Heartbreak. As soon as I saw the album art a lightning bolt went off in my head that screamed Peter Saville.

After looking into some of the covers that I thought were explicitly referenced by Kanye I felt that I might be making too much of it. I was also thrown off by the Kaws designed alternate cover.

Further research reveled that the present cover was used to satisfy Kanye’s design-conscious fans. This clearly shows that Kanye knew what he was doing.

“newer artwork with perfected type 4 all design snobs.” – from Kanye’s blog via nytimes

All that said, I think this is a nice minimal cover with subtle references to Saville and other 80′s designers.

Hello all, my first post here. Glad to be part of GH. Simple, beautiful and serene photographs by Brooks Reynolds on a project with music performed by Everlea Carpe Noctem

Some of the Camoflauge magazine images remind me of one of my favorite early 80s goth figures, Siouxsie Sioux. She’s an original, and if you haven’t taken a walk back in time with this artist I highly suggest The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees. She also made some of the most beautiful videos of that era.

I just saw this interesting article about Osang Gwon‘s process for creating the cover art on Keane’s new album “Perfect Symmetry”. The album art and campaign were produced by design studio Tourist. I don’t know much about the designers but I do like the art.

I thought I would share this awesome live performance of Stevie Wonder on this Sesame Street. (I really love this picture of Stevie btw.) When I see clips like this it makes me thankful that I grew up with PBS.

Eyes and Ears – EP Release Date: Oct 07, 2008 Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap Total Songs: 5 (P) 2008 Ubiquity Records, Inc. Ohmega Watts (iTunes) - Related Links Ohmega @ myspace Ohmega @ Ubiquity

Amelia Bauer is probably already on everyone’s tongue, because the album she designed for Department of Eagles came out only 2 days ago, but I wanted to prod New Yorkers into checking out her gallery show at Capricious Space in Brooklyn before it closes this Sunday, or at least those intrigued by art dependent on the fact that trees are beautiful (of whom I am one). I would also recommend spending some time with the links section of her website. The community of artists she links to all have such compatible, complementary work. Fun to imagine the dinner parties and love triangles they must have.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Dylan Martorell. Dylan is a Melbourne based artist, musician and designer. His work often evolves from drawings, into musical ventures, to performances. I find his work delicate, detailed, and mesmerizing. He works mostly with pen on paper, creating complex illustrations by using ‘structural building blocks of nature as a reference point.’ Truly unique and quite tribal in feel. They make me want to pick up a pencil again and get lost for hours. He recently began creating hand-written musical scores based on patterns he discerns in botanical structures. Really beautiful!

Posting this because it’s soon to be old news. Pitchfork.tv found a very cool loophole in the law that allows them to screen whole DVD’s online for one week only. They’ve been running this show since their launch in April earlier this year and have aptly called the show ‘One Week Only.’ This past week they have been screening the Cornelius‘ amazing companion DVD Sensurround. The DVD has music videos of all song recorded on Cornelius’ album Sensuous. All the videos are directed by the ever-talented Tsujikawa Koichiroexcept for two, (‘Toner’ by Takagi Masakatsu and ‘Watadori’ by the art/design collective Groovisions.) This is an amazing DVD and it really shows of Koichiro’s talents, methods, and themes. The DVD will be replaced by a new one this Friday so check it out before them if you have time!

On a bleary Sunday here in Boston I bring you Homage or Fromage v. 2. Above we have the cover art of 154 by the critic’s favorite band, WIRE. The album is heralded as the WIRE’s most ‘art school’ album by these art school dropouts, (some did graduate…but dropouts are always cooler.) And everything about this album is an art school piece. Its forays into deeper sonic adventures, the drab lyrics, and most importantly, the beautifully modernist sleeve design! The cover was done by the members Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis themselves, (they did all the cover work for all the albums released on Harvest.) It’s impeccably designed and perfectly fits it’s medium, the square record sleeve.

Above we have the ‘get wired’ sweater by MISHKA NYC. This soon-to-be-released Fall 2008 sweater is a direct “reference” to this critically acclaimed album. I can’t blame them for trying to use the cover art in such a 80′s driven fashion market. But I have to say this is a sincere FAIL and for one reason. 154′s cover design is PERFECT for the square LP sleeve. Once it breaks those perfect dimensions….it literally falls apart. All the elements instantly float…and it becomes geometric wallpaper. So…honest effort MISHKA, but this one is definately some fromage.

A friend of the Saville, Parris, Wakefield team, Simon, sends us a note and a link to some of the work they are doing. It looks like they are doing work directly with Saville, Parris, Wakefield and a fair share of great work of their own. Peruse, browse, what have you at your convenience. It was pleasing to find some OMD work from 1998 in here. In their own words: The OMD Singles is a compilation album of all OMD’s greatest hits. Andy McCluskey’s brief was to capture the band’s ethos, ‘human electric’, in one definitive image. A combination of human DNA scans and colours sampled from electrical diodes were used to create these models of chromosomes.

Here are some nice other bits too:

And just a few more:

Overall, nice work.

Mimmo Rotella was an italian artist who worked primarily in collage and decollage. Rotella would take torn advertisements from the streets of Rome and continue to recompose them through a careful process of reduction. This technique produced wonderful results and his work is instantly inspirational for anyone remotely interested in typography.

Happy Mondays Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches designed by Central Station Design. Central Station was a trio of zany British designers working in the wake of Factory Records and the whole Madchester scene. In contrast to a lot of the design of their peers Central Station’s designs were characterized by a heavy handed and bright palette. Their work is like Andy Warhol on and X and acid binge. They definately were a product of their times. Rob da Bank, the electic BBC Radio 1 DJ, created a bit on his great radioshow The Blue Room a few years back called “Homage or Fromage.” The bit compares an original song and a cover version. Following that idea I present the first part of Homage or Fromage on Graphic Hug. The goal is to fine interesting pararllels between works. The judgment call is up to you guys.