Re: [microsound] (ot) cover art

[Dale Lloyd <dkl37@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> i would like to know people's favourite album covers for a little project 
> i'm doing.

Well, as for favorite album covers, yes as Kurt mentioned, Vaughn Oliver/23 Envelope would fall in there somewhere with many of the older designs.

 I don't recall if anyone has mentioned 12k/Line, but there has obviously been some really nice work there by Deupree and Chartier (Chartier, who also used to design the rather nice streamlined look for Intransitive as well).

Touch has surely been an influence on many since they began back in the 80s with their distinctive approach. 

Dorobo has had some nice atmospheric cover art.

Some of Tina Frank's work is innovative and interesting.

I like the distinctive handmade designs for the releases on Softl Music (Alejandra & Aeron, Yoshio Machida, et al)

I've recently been investigating and have been appreciating some of the simple cover designs of Meeuw, who has done work for some of the Korm Plastics, Plinkety Plonk, and Staalplaat releases. Does anyone know anything else about Meeuw or any covers they have designed?

I've been admiring many of the covers for Sirr.ecords as well, and along with that, I've really liked the approach of Marc Behrens, who has also had a hand in some of the design work for Trente Oiseaux (another label with some mighty fine covers, imho). 

And going back further into history, there are the many covers of Hipgnosis that were sometimes surreal in the Magritte sense, sometimes slightly cheesy, sometimes over-the-top, but they all usually had a high impact on the viewer. I know they used to cut up and collage their film negatives to obtain the equally sharp focus of background and foreground subject matter. 

The funny thing is that, with the exception of a few covers by 12k/Live, Tina Frank, Hipgnosis, Dorobo, Softl..., many of the ones I like rely on a great image more than a great design, which of course, is not to say that this cannot be good design in and of itself; but it's just an observation.

Some covers (out of too many to mention) that I've admired in my own collection would include:

- Mika Vainio: Kajo (Touch)

- David Sylvian: Secrets Of The Beehive (Virgin)

- CM Von Hausswolff: Rays Of Beauty (Sub Rosa)

- Philip Samartzis: Residue (Dorobo)

- Janek Schaefer: Above Buildings (Fat Cat)

- Kuwayama/Kijima: 02.08.23 (Trente Oiseaux)

- ERG/MSBR/DSM: Geosynclines (Flenix)

- Cocteau Twins: The Pink Opaque (4AD)

- Cranioclast: Koitlaransk & Ration Skalk (CD reissue on MMM)

- Various Artists: A Call For Silence (Sonic Arts Network)

etc, etc

Best, Dale

 



Dale Lloyd: http://www.and-oar.org/dalelloyd.html
and/OAR: http://www.and-oar.org/