Initial artist research (practical)

Jay Vaz

I looked at some of Jay Vaz's album cover designs as a lot of his work is based on this format/ scene (mainly the hiphop/ r&b scene). Despite this, these two designs in particular really stood out due to their use of texture and halftone effect, which is very relevant to the screenprinting aspect of the production of my album cover design. The colour palette of these visuals works really nicely, as the black is heavily juxtaposed by the red tones; this provides quite a dark atmosphere which conceptually links to what I want to provoke in my designs. I also really like the inclusion of abstract textures as it creates a nice contemporary feel, whilst staying allusive simultaneously. 

Metahaven

I really like some of the visual language that Metahaven use, as it is very popular in graphic design right now; they often layer images with abstract shapes and gradients, or replace sections of image with shapes or overlaying. I feel like this offers a more complex design, and adds an extra depth to photography through removing aspects. With my intentions to start the design process through photography, the strategy of the manipulation of image is very relevant to my concepts/ what I want to convey.

Vaughan Oliver

Vaughn Oliver is a key designer in album cover design, mainly working behind rock figures such as The Breeders and Pixies; this genre is loosely linked to the aesthetics of punk also. 

I really like how Oliver focuses mainly on textures in images when creating album covers; although they are not contemporary, they capture the moods of the albums very well through simple colours and lucid images. For example, the very lucid and daydreamy aesthetic of the Slowdive cover design fits so well with their shoegaze sound, by just communicating such with image.

What I like most about his work (especially for the Pixies) is that it focuses on building a brand image and aesthetic for the band; Oliver created the 'minotaur' box set for the band which was a collective selection of album sleeves. Vaughan even stating that it brought about a sense of community through developing typefaces/ visual identities for the band. 

Goaty tapes

unheated neighbours

split

traditional appearances 

I looked at a few record covers by studio Goatytapes, as they had a very definitive style when it came to designing records; most feature the same dreamy colour palette, with pastels and a worn effect. This fits well to create a very nostalgic atmosphere, through using film imagery and off-white tones; despite this, there is a certain eeriness that I get from these covers, which is what I was initially intrigued by. Consequently, this links to the ideas behind my own album cover, as there is a sense of a ghost town within post Soviet Russia; arguably the country is widely recovering and under a corrupt government. 

Posh isolation

europa dagbog 

I thought this cover design by Posh Isolation was relevant to my concepts and the mood of post punk due to its very melancholic imagery; the photo is the dominant element of the visual hierarchy, and is emphasised through a thick negative space. Additionally, it features imagery of buildings, which links to the imagery I want to explore; I think sticking to a black and white colour palette like this would be more fitting, and even using film for a nostalgic atmosphere? 

B.A.A.D.M records

I love how scary/ eerie the imagery for this cover is by B.A.A.D.M records is; the framing and close up composition gives the viewer a sense of unease and tension, which I find really interesting. I definitely want to achieve this idea of provoking a strong feeling in the viewer through striking images. I think as well as taking images of concrete buildings etc, I could look into other visuals that would fit Russian post-punk. Is there something religious possibly?

The Trilogy Tapes

These two covers by The Trilogy Tapes evoke a similar mood through super grainy/ low quality photos with high contrast. They fit really well into the context of post punk through this handmade nature; the visuals are very reminiscent of 70's punk zines/ posters. I also like how kind of creepy they are, which I could try to develop in my own work - although, would post punk be defined as creepy? I could do it in a subtle way possibly. 

David Rudnick

I found the layering of imagery with complex type in this example of David Rudnicks' work interesting, as it had a collage aesthetic to it, whilst having quite a blocky structure. This rule kind of relates to the ideas behind post punk, as it has the harsh drumming but is balanced out by the softer vocals; the harsh nature reflected in the collage effect, yet the use of negative space and swirly type is softer. I could also try to play with type in my own design, and experiment with the balance of type and image? This depends on if I want the image to speak for itself. 

Vienna Press

I looked at some of the examples of record cover design by Vienna Press, as they seemed to have quite an interesting style using the same manipulation of image/ colour palette. I really like the minimal halftone/ photocopier effect added to the images, as it has a diy/ handmade quality to it which links to the low budget context of post punk following the collapse of the Soviet Union. As well as this, the photocopier effect provides a certain moodiness to it, which relates further to my genre especially with the soft pastel pink which could be linked to post punk vocals. This juxtaposition works really well in conveying a melancholic atmosphere, which i could take inspiration from.