Design

Sculpture ‘Plastic Infinite’ 7″ picture disc

Now available – a new release by Sculpture on a 7″ picture disc with zoetropic tendancies – BUY HERE NOW –  View with strobe 25 flashes per second or video camera 25fps, very high shutter speed, progressive.
Includes immediate download of 2-track album in the high-quality format of your choice (MP3, FLAC, and more), plus unlimited mobile access using the free Bandcamp listening app. It’s their best yet and the video below shows just how detailed and beautiful the disc can be when filmed spinning.

Posted in Design, Music, Records. | 2 Comments |

Lego Albums

You know me, I love music and I love Lego. Well, a guy called Harry Heaton has started making classic (and not so classic) LP covers out of Lego. He has a tumblr full of them and is taking requests.

They’re made using Lego Digital Designer apparently which is the Lego equivalent of CAD so they’re not actually physically real but that would take a long time, a lot of money and I don’t think Lego actually make that many shades of beige. Anyway, kudos to Harry for marrying music design and Lego.

Also kudos to Harry for making a version of Bonobo’s ‘The North Borders’ LP sleeve! :)

EDIT: I think I worked out how to do it 😉

Posted in Design, Toys. | No Comments |

‘Roots’ of London Underground poster by Thibaud Herem

This is a new poster for Transport for London, drawn by Thibaud Herem as part of the 150 years of the London Underground birthday. TFL now have an official Tumblr that they will be filling with images for the anniversary. Talking of posters on the Underground, there is a great series running currently, drawn by French illustrator, McBess. They are general safety warnings with poetry written by members of the public and are all over the place in various sizes. I think we’re in a new golden age of design for the London Underground.

Posted in Design, Poster / flyer. | No Comments |

Frankie Goes To Hollywood ‘Relax’ 30th Anniversary 12″

Out on Feb 14th, 2014 – 30 years after the record was banned by the BBC and still sitting at No.1 in the charts – yet another version of Frankie Goes To Hollywood‘s notorious ‘Relax’.

This time it’s ‘The Sex Mix’ (Edition 3) – formerly known as ‘Sex Mix Edit’, a hitherto undiscovered mix that first surfaced on a Japanese compilation called ‘Return To The Pleasuredome’ a few years ago. The original ‘Sex Mix Edit’ (or Edition 2) is a little known 8 minute odd edit of the  original 16 minute ‘Sex Mix’ that came and went (pun intended) in late ’83 before being replaced by a 7.20 minute ‘US Remix / New York Night mix’ which many consider as the definitive 12″ of ‘Relax’.

This new mix (Edition 3) had been created by Trevor Horn session man and renown percussionist Luis Jardim in December ’84 – who knows what for? It was then filed away, forgotten, later mislabeled and then extracted over 25 years later to end up on a compilation on the other side of the world. Hardcore fans from The Alternate ZTT Board soon spotted the difference and this sent the reissue curator, Ian Peel, back into the ZTT archives to search for more info and tapes that would lead to this previously unheard remix being given a proper vinyl release nearly 30 years after it was created.

Confused? This isn’t even half the ‘Relax’ mix story but I’ll save that for another time. Here, the original XLZTT artwork and Anne Yvonne Gilbert illustration have been tweaked by Element Series designer Philip Marshall to mirror the colour scheme for the 2012 Frankie rarities compilation, ‘Sex Mix’. The tracklist is: A. Relax ‘Sex Mix’ (Edition 3) B1. Ferry Cross the Mersey B2. Relax ‘The Instrumental’. You can pre-order it from Amazon here


Posted in Design, Music, Records. | 1 Comment |

Art of ZTT updates

My other site – Art of ZTT – is finally getting some updates after I’d let it languish all summer. It’s a design blog showcasing the design work of XL and the work they and assorted photographers did for the Zang Tuum Tumb label which was a huge influence on me in my teens. The label is 30 years old this year and putting out several compilations in early 2014 with rarities and wonders from their archive.

Yesterday I went to see photographer John Stoddart who shot Frankie Goes To Hollywood before and after they were famous and an interview with him will be online soon. Recently put up is an interview with Yvonne Gilbert, the artist responsible for the iconic two bodies image on the sleeve of ‘Relax’. I’m working my way through their releases, semi-chronologically so next year will be a big one.

Posted in Art, Design, Records. | 1 Comment |

Artifacts #11 – Home made cassette covers

We’ve all done it – made cassette tape ‘covers’ for our taped compilations of yesteryear. I first got a tape recorder around the 1980 mark and here are some of my designs from the following decade. Note the attention to detail with the backwards ‘D’ on the ‘Adam’ :)

This Frankie compilation was supposed to reflect the different singles left to right: Relax, Two Tribes, Power of Love, Welcome to the Pleasuredome.
 You can see how much I was into the design work of XL back then and, subsequently Accident (the same team under a different name) for 808 State later.


I loved Sigue Sigue Sputnik‘s info-overload graphics, the Hockney-esque polaroids and the futuristic sense of it all, something The Designers Republic took to another level later.

Posted in Artifacts, Design, Music. | 2 Comments |

Dark Seed ‘Nocturnes’ 12″ + poster

If you didn’t know better you’d swear this was on original old sci-fi B Movie soundtrack that had been long forgotten, a Logan’s Run or Space 1999 cash-in from the late 70’s or early 80’s. But it’s not, although I’m sure that was the intent, and the design by Luke Insect for his new Dark Seed collaborative project with Richard Norris, is spot on in nailing the tone.

I’ve already featured this cover a few months back but the whole package is great from the reverse side to the Ohmega logo to the nice detail of the centre hole for the head on the label. Dark Seed was the name of an old sci-fi / horror computer game which used elements by HR Giger in its design by the way and this sleeve reflects that perfectly with a touch of Beyond The Black Rainbow thrown in for good measure.

To top it all off it comes with an A2 foldout poster (complete with crease lines already printed on) and the minimal electronic ‘score’ ain’t bad either. One of my sleeves of the year for sure. You can get a copy here as well as all good digital distributors (NOT to be confused with Metal band Darkseed)

Posted in Design, Poster / flyer, Records. | No Comments |

Clone ‘Hallowe’en 1976’ cassette package

Love this oversize clam shell cassette packaging and design from Andy Votel‘s Cache Cache label. The artist is Clone – aka Gary Sloane of last years ‘Harmonitalk’ and this is 26 minutes of electronic jam sessions from 1976 supposedly. Inside each box is a bonus plastic skeleton to keep with the Halloween theme. Still in stock over at Finders Keepers but limited to only 100 copies.

Posted in Design, Music, Packaging. | 4 Comments |

Machine Drum ‘Vapor City’ artwork

The whole design and packaging of Machine Drum‘s ‘Vapor City’ LP and satellite singles is really building into a nice collection. Designed by Dominic Flannigan & Eclair Fifi for LuckyMe Arts it’s nice to see such meticulous detail in a time of thumbnail images that need to be easily identifiable. I hope this makes end of year lists on the artwork alone as the combination of minimal colours, copper and splatter vinyl really give it a unique feel.

Posted in Design, Ninja Tune, Records. | No Comments |

Christine ‘Death On Wheels’ cover art

Love this cover for French electro duo Christine – what a great image. Their music is banging chopped and screwed electro club music with some killer cutting and flashes of cult movie soundtracks like The Bionic Man. Not all my bag but you can check out some of this EP here (my favourite track, ‘No Way’ isn’t previewed unfortunately). Here are a couple of previous single covers too, love that logo and they like eyes it seems.

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45 adaptor Xmas cards from Factory Road

OK, I’m unequivocally biased because they are friends of mine but – damn – if these Factory Road 45 adaptor designs aren’t the best Xmas cards you’ll see all year then I don’t know what are. They’ve upped the ante in 2013 with new recruit Graham Robson‘s ‘Wizard’ design with a crown of dinks.

For those of you who don’t know what these little plastic wonders are, they’re adaptors for 7″ records with large cut out centers that would have gone into jukeboxes and are a part of vinyl history. Order them HERE – QUICK!

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DJ Format & Phill Most Chill LP test pressings by Mr Krum

Check out these DJ Format & Phill Most Chill ‘The Foremost’ Test Pressing versions by Mr Krum. Sold blind in an edition of just 25 to members of the DWG board a few months ago – no one knew what they were going to look like and those who took a chance are reaping the reward now.

25 hand-crafted sleeves were made with recycled, organically-aged jackets, paste-on info sheets and unique hand written comments/markings. All copies were individually number stamped and placed inside vintage ‘rope-seamed’ PVC sleeves.

Sadly these are all sold out now but the good news is that the regular LP isn’t and has an even doper sleeve, again by Mr Krum whose Facebook page these photos come from (check his other work too!). The LP is a classic in every sense, the sound, the look and the very spirit of it stake their claim as soon as the needle hits the groove. Buy it here.

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DJ Format & Phill Most Chill LP – ‘The Foremost’

I was lucky enough to hear this in full the other night and it is stunning. Straight up Hip Hop, the way you like(d) it but far from an old school nostalgia-fest. One producer, one MC and only one track featuring guests – it’s 10 tracks of no nonsense beats, rhymes and the odd scratch. Fast and funky as fuck with a Mr Krum sleeve to boot – another addition to the ever-growing list of great albums released this year. Out 28th October 2013 on Project Blue Book on Vinyl, CD and Download. Check out the video sampler below.

Posted in Design, Film, Music. | No Comments |

ZTT turns 30

The great Zang Tuum Tumb Records turns 30 years old this month and to celebrate they have a compilation out called ‘The Organization of Pop’. I’ll be reactivating my dormant Art of ZTT site to post a host of updates later this month too featuring exclusive images from some of the people who were there at the beginning.

The label issued a short press release last week with the phrase, ‘Today is officially the end of the beginning.”


Looking down the track listing there aren’t too many surprises in the form of unreleased gems but the inclusion of both Grace Jones and Seal as the first two tracks hopefully means that some sort of legal agreement has at last been worked out and we can expect to see proper reissues of their work in the future. Also note that this is the New York Edition – further London and Tokyo Editions are planned for next year…

ZTT Records Presents The Organization of Pop (New York Edition)
Music From The First Thirty Years of ZTT Records

Disc 1: The Organisation of Pop (the Action Series, from ZTT)

• Grace Jones – Slave To The Rhythm
• Seal – Kiss From A Rose
• Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax (New York Mix)
• 808 State – Pacific (Justin Strauss 0101 Mix)
• Art of Noise – Beat Box
• Propaganda – Dr. Mabuse (Abuse)
• Tom Jones – If Only I Knew (Cold Stop Version)
• MC Tunes vs 808 State – Dance Yourself To Death (Dust Brothers Radio Edit)
• Propaganda – Sorry For Laughing (Unapologetic 12” Mix)
• 808 State – Cubik (Pan American Excursion)
• Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Two Tribes
• Shane MacGowan and Sinead O’Connor – Haunted
• The Frames – Star Star
• Art of Noise – Moments In Love (Beaten)

Disc 2: The Disorganisation of Pop (the Incidental Series, from Zang Tuum Tumb)

• The Buggles – We Can Fly From Here (Part One)
• The Frames – Say It To Me Now
• Shane MacGowan and Maire Brennan – You’ve The One
• Lee Griffiths – Sweet Baby James
• Das Psycho Rangers – Homage to the Blessed
• Art of Noise featuring Rakim – Metaforce
• Nasty Rox Inc. – Escape From New York (12” Mix)
• ACT – Snobbery & Decay (That’s Entertainment Mix)
• The Buggles – I Am A Camera (12” Mix)
• Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Welcome To The Pleasuredome (Fruitness Mix)
• Lisa Stansfield – The Moment
• The Buggles – We Can Fly From Here (Part Two)
• Andrew Poppy – Kink Konk Adagio

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