Projector (Guise Recordings) LEAVE A COMMENT - PERMALINK Posted by Vivian Hua @ 2011-04-22 10:52:09
Digital releases be damned! In sharp contrast to our hyper-digital cover art feature with Anamanaguchi is this hand-packaged CD and vinyl release for Field Days' Projector. Field Days is the project of Patrick Damphier, solo artist and touring bassist for folk band, The Mynabirds. His debut album, Projector, was recorded through analog means, and to celebrate this lack of digital reliance, Damphier brainstormed a hands-on piece of album artwork to serve as accompaniment.
"The songs on [Projector] were recorded entirely on a cheap [4-track] tape machine in a basement. I thought it would be neato to have the packaging be homemade as well," explains Damphier.
With the help of Elizabeth Williams, Damphier handscreened the CDs for Projector using a Riso Gocco
printer; the vinyls were screenprinted by Andrew Vastagh at Boss Construction and later assembled by
Damphier and Williams. Each overall package was individually stamped, stained with multiple colors of Winsor
ink in random patterns, and taped together using a variety of Japanese washi tape. Different colors of embroidery floss were then used to assemble them all together.
"From start to finish, each album package [took] about two hours to complete," reveals Damphier. "We didn't so much set out to make the process as time-intensive as it became. We mostly just wanted to give people a reason to seek out a physical copy."
On physical media in a digital age, Damphier comments, "While I appreciate the convenience of digital media, I prefer to look at an actual photograph from a dark room or listen to a vinyl record."
For now, Damphier has no plans to undergo such a painstaking album packaging process again, but hints that he "may do very small projects similar to this one in the future."
Below, a video showing detailing the intensive album packaging process, including a track from the album.
Chaotic 8-bit musicians Anamanaguchi have certainly taken album covers for digital releases to the next level with their album cover for their Airbrushed 7". Now known for crafting the soundtrack for the videogame Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, this brightly-colored work of pixel art captures the exuberant and dynamic spirit of the yougn Brooklynites.
Below, cover artist Paul Robertson and Anamanaguchi guitarist Ary Warnaar give their viewpoints on the artwork.
How did you become involved with the project?
We came into contact through working on the Scott Pilgrim game together. They said they were fans of my work and I like their stuff a lot, so I was happy to work with them.
What was the creation process like, in terms of concepts, and back-and-forth with the band?
They just said to do anything I wanted and to make it completely crazy, so I put together a sketch of a bunch of cats and slimes and poop and sent it to them. They said I should go even crazier with it, so then I added some gore and naked girls, and it was approved and ready to be animated.
How long did it take, and how many animated frames are there?
It took about 2 days all up. The characters are 8 frames and the background is 24 frames, so the characters loop 3 times for every 1 loop of the background.
What do you make of the resurgent popularity of .gif art? Are there similar file formats that might accomplish the same thing?
I think .gif is easy to use for most people, so that's why it's popular.
Do you foresee animated covers being popular in the near future?
Yeah I think it's a cool idea. You can do alot of really neat stuff with looping animation. If people make them as awesome as possible, then they should become popular.
Ary Warnaar
Why the original decision for the .gif art, and how was it received?
Releasing chip music online through netlabels or on forums with digital art is pretty standard. We thought it would be fun to make our own website to release a couple tracks, and have art made by people we like for all the tracks. When it came to using animated .gifs vs a still picture... .gifs are just cooler.
What was the creation process like, in terms of concepts, and back-and-forth with the artist?
We picked each artist depending on what kinda mood each song had. The first single we put out, "Airbrushed," came out right after we had finished working on the Scott Pilgrim game alongside Paul Robertson. We wanted to work with him outside of that project without the creative limitations of the game. So basically, the "back and forth" just consisted of us asking him to make something with no reservations [in a way that] he thought worked with the track.
Do you foresee animated covers being popular in the near future?
I don't see why not. I don't really see them being a standard or anything, but I could see that being an option artists consider when selecting / making / commissioning album art. iTunes store probably needs to start accepting .gifs first...
What inspired this particular visual aesthetic? How much direction did you give?
Paul Robertson's art always seemed to have a lot in common with our music. The crazy hyper over-activeness, the intricacy, the inappropriateness... We didn't give much direction because of this. We knew it would come out awesome (and appropriate).
Limited Edition 7-Inches (Various Labels) LEAVE A COMMENT - PERMALINK Posted by Vivian Hua @ 2011-02-07 21:47:07
Every year, Bruise Cruise transports a cruise-load of individuals from Miami to the Bahamas, for an alcohol-fueled and music-driven party on the water. This year's seven-concert event will take place over the course of four days, hosted by Chain And The Gang's dry-humored Ian Svenonius, and featuring music from Black Lips, Surfer Blood, Vivian Girls, Thee Oh Sees, The Strange Boys, Ty Segall, Quintron And Miss Pussycat, Turbo Fruits, Jacuzzi Boys, and DJ Mr. Jonathan Toubin.
This year, Michelle Cable from Panache Booking and Jonas Stein -- the founders of Bruise Cruise -- invited artist Rob Corradetti to, in his words, "create a series of limited-edition 7" record covers to coincide with the maiden voyage."
There will be one brightly-sleeved 7" record for eight of the bands that have been invited to perform on Bruise Cruise, as shown below. "[The images] are a combination of drawings, screen prints, and collage elements that I photographed and did final work to in digital form," Corradetti describes. "Most everything is made in reality but ultimately finalized on a computer."
Upon first glance, there are obvious hints of nautical and "lost civilization" imagery. The nautical themes were the result of brainstorming sessions, but the other influences were a more personal touch added by Corradetti himself. Most of these images stem from his subconscious. "People say that my drawings have an ancient civilization vibe going. I just like to put on the music and draw and collage and try to formulate a response to what I am hearing."
For an artist like Corradetti, who has always "been a huge fan of garage rock and '60s music," having the opportunity to work on a project featuring notable garage rock musicians has been a good feeling. "[All of the bands] do a great job of capturing the raw and inherent power of rock and roll, while at the same time, add something modern to the equation... it was a fun challenge."
Small details can be found throughout the 7" covers. The pieces interlock with one another in special ways, and all have been thoughtfully crafted to match the tracks they represent. But Corradetti doesn't want to give too much away. "I leave the rest up to the owner of the albums to figure out," he says. And hopefully you will be able to attain a copy, as these limited edition beauties are only available on the Bruise Cruise itself, in select stores that carry vinyl, and randomly on Ebay.
In addition to these pieces, Corradetti certainly challenges himself to create otherwise interesting art, as well. Up next is a series of pillows called Stache Pillows, which conservative parents will no doubt be appalled by. These pillows are not shaped like mustaches, but will be created as hiding places for people to stash their drugs and condoms. Corradetti will also be participating in the MoCCA Festival, sponsored by the Museum Of Comic And Cartoon Art, in New York this April.
For The Acorn's latest album, No Ghost, band member Howard Tsui was enlisted to create the album artwork. The chosen cover piece, entitled Spectral Residue, is thematically appropriate, and showcases Tsui's knack to draw influence from the supernatural.
To quote Tsui's artist statement about the series:
"Abstract shapes and gestural brushstrokes are applied to rice paper that is taped onto gallery walls. The paper is then removed leaving
behind faint marks, textures and forms that have bled through the rice paper. Metaphorically, the 'life' of the painting is transferred
onto the wall, while the crumpled and torn paper alludes to a lifeless body. Through automatic drawing, I tease out demonic figures out of
these abstract forms using a sulfur and smoke staining technique achieved by burning matches. These ephemeral works depict writhing souls
that serve as paranormal residue haunting gallery spaces during and after exhibits."
Up next, Tsui will be taking stories from Vancouver's elderly Chinese population. "[Their stories] will be compiled, re-interpreted and
transformed into otherworldly divinity tales," says Tsui. "[The project is] inspired by the Japanese version of phantasmagoria called
'utsushi-e' -– an eerie storytelling tradition that combines live narration and music with illustrated projections."
Tsui was also recently given the opportunity to "perve out on some cadavers," for research in a future project. "It's a project about the horrors and hazards experienced by surgeons during the War of 1812," he says. "Aside from other components, I think I'm going to make an interactive pinball machine to illustrate the wonky paths that musket balls take, once they enter the body."
Visit his website to see:
1) "Superimposed collages of Hokusai's manga that employ Arcimboldo-esque face morphing strategies;"
2) "Hyper-narrative scroll paintings that merge East Asian horror folk with oral history in order to satirize fear;"
3) "A multimedia sculpture of an Imperial procession that features Qing dynasty eunuchs and a possessed Empress Dowager.
Sarah Winchester is a multi-talented gal. After graduating from MassArt in Boston, Winchester has embraced a life rich with art and music. On the art side, Winchester paints, draws, and makes linocuts, while satisfying her musical side through A Weather and her personal project; Team Love put out her digital EP, The Northeast Kingdom Demos, which is available as a free download through the Team Love Library.
Read on, as Winchester discusses the approach she took towards crafting the artwork for A Weather's Everyday Balloons, and find out why the band's sparse musical grooves are fitting for such an airy cover.
How did you become involved in designing the album cover?
I am the co-vocalist and drummer for A Weather, so I am invested in every aspect of the band. At the beginning, I designed and made fliers for our shows. That led to the cover for our seven inch, The Feather Test. So, like many indie bands, I ended up as the official A Weather artist out of necessity, but also because my artwork fits our music pretty well. I really enjoy the process of developing our aesthetic. The Cove cover brought with it the need for a poster, a sticker, and a t-shirt, and they all grew from each other. The Everyday Balloons art is my attempt to expand on our foundation.
What restrictions, if any, were you given?
No restrictions really; Team Love is incredibly trusting and supportive. And so is the rest of the band. I did decide that all the text would be hand-written, which I knew I would learn to regret. And I did in a way; [it was] very tedious, [but] hopefully worthwhile. I am a hand-drawn kind of person; I don't know how to make graphic text look the way I want it to, so that was my solution.
What medium / processes were involved in the creation?
From the initial sketches for the EB art, I knew I wanted to incorporate illuminated letters into the liner notes, and that each illumination would be based on its accompanying song. I was also pretty attached to using watercolor. But the cover design process and concept were a little harder. I am very new to watercolor as a medium, and I often unintentionally use them like I am painting with oils, which you can see on the front cover. There are some watercolor-y moments too, I think. I just learned as I went, and made A LOT of mistakes on that cover. There was a lot of crying, and many fuck-ups, and several times I thought I was going to have to throw the whole thing out and start over. Luckily, I managed to rescue it from the brink.
I work from a combination of life drawing, imagination, books, and photos. I use a lot of my own snapshots of animals and places - Vermont mountains, Oregon trees, family pets, etc; - as references. I also checked out a lot of big, coffee table books about wildlife and nature from the library. Some were the kind that measure three feet across and weigh about twenty pounds. Those were awesome.
What was the concept behind it?
It went through a lot of stages, and Aaron (Gerber; guitarist [and] co-vocalist) and I had some conversations about key components -- like, would including a balloon on the cover be way too literal? Eventually it seemed like I could make it work and I think it does. I wanted an emotional, subtle, little balloon.
I always try to think of the music of course. Using a lot of negative space that became sort of a focal point, in that it really is a painting of a sky; that was deliberate and somehow reminded me of the songs. In general, the cover came from a combination of A Weather's connection to the East Coast/New England and to Oregon -- both [to] the landscapes and emotional qualities of those places. 1234567891011121314 - Next
Digital releases be damned! In sharp contrast to our hyper-digital cover art feature with Anamanaguchi is this hand-packaged CD and vinyl release for Field Days' Projector. Field Days is the project of Patrick Damphier, solo artist and touring bassist for folk band, The Mynabirds. His debut album, Projector, was recorded through analog means, and to celebrate this lack of digital reliance, Damphier brainstormed a hands-on piece of album artwork to serve as accompaniment.
Every year, Bruise Cruise transports a cruise-load of individuals from Miami to the Bahamas, for an alcohol-fueled and music-driven party on the water. This year's seven-concert event will take place over the course of four days, hosted by Chain And The Gang's dry-humored Ian Svenonius, and featuring music from Black Lips, Surfer Blood, Vivian Girls, Thee Oh Sees, The Strange Boys, Ty Segall, Quintron And Miss Pussycat, Turbo Fruits, Jacuzzi Boys, and DJ Mr. Jonathan Toubin.
For The Acorn's latest album, No Ghost, band member Howard Tsui was enlisted to create the album artwork. The chosen cover piece, entitled Spectral Residue, is thematically appropriate, and showcases Tsui's knack to draw influence from the supernatural.
Sarah Winchester is a multi-talented gal. After graduating from MassArt in Boston, Winchester has embraced a life rich with art and music. On the art side, Winchester paints, draws, and makes linocuts, while satisfying her musical side through A Weather and her personal project; Team Love put out her digital EP, The Northeast Kingdom Demos, which is available as a free download through the Team Love Library.
