(v)
(v_i)
(version_industries)

music

rex radio_branding

rex radio logo
_what
logo for the london-based rock band, rex radio.
_how
a competitive bid with some other rather fine agencies snagged us this gig. our logo was chosen because it was considered closest in feel to the recently signed band's grass roots beginnings. always fond of the colours red, black and white the logo will remain with the band at least until work begins on the artwork for their first album.
_link
www.rexradio.net
_tags

sable music_website

news and cv page
video page
_what
site for the london-based composer, tom wiggall.
_how
tom wanted to do something rather special with the site that would showcase his work. after many hours of discussion we all agreed that the most fantastic thing to do would be to not only recreate the room where he made his music but also the feeling that the user was themselves stepping around inside it. once he detailed to us the various elements he felt absolutely necessary for inclusion in his site, we chose 6 key points in his room that we felt could best act as virtual terminals for these elements. the resulting site focusses on the atmosphere, clutter and unfinished nature of the kind of room where things are created daily whilst staying true to the documentary nature in which it was recorde
_features
  • flash-driven, video based, intuitive site navigation.
  • site enhancements for users with faster connections.
  • fully interactive music & video players.
  • 'computer terminal' guestbook & contact facilities.
  • dynamically loading sibelius score viewing & downloading mechanism.
_link
www.versionindustries.com/archive/sablemusic
_tags

deadsy.tv_website

band page
discography page
_what
fan-site for the los angeles-based, rock band, deadsy
_how
born out of our enjoyment of deadsy's music, deadsy.tv was a side project of ours that gave us a chance to experiment with some older technologies we'd used for the thomasnewbolt.com website. it was the band's new 'tv test signal' logo that primarily inspired the project and lead us to choose the .tv domain. the idea was basically that your computer was intercepting a fairly weak but yet prevailent pirate signal from the band. the end result was a site that deadsy fans the world round have applauded and that also lead to us helping out with deadsy's own website deadsy.com and the band's myspace pages.
_features
  • full motion video flash intro
  • flash driven navigation system
  • basic, menu based user interface
  • easy to update database-driven site filing system
  • random background music selector
  • full-screen music video playback
_link
www.deadsy.tv
_awards
'original' DOPE award
_tags

jon saunders_website

intro
intro
_what
site for the london-based, rock photographer, jon saunders.
_how
jon saunders is a rising talent who's likely to be on the uk rock scene ... right now. insanely devoted to his cause & able to capture magnificently the intense energies of this hardcore scene, we've not seen photographs of this ilk before. taking a keen interest in our work, jon asked us to create the online home for a gallery of his photographs. granted full creative control & asked to create something rock & roll, the team@versionindustries.com created something that is without a doubt fresh, humorous & unforgettable. step into the world of jon saunders if you dare, you have no idea what's in there ! 
_features
  • flash intro
  • flash navigation system
  • flash photo gallery
_link
www.versionindustries.com/archive/jonsaunders
_tags

officer kicks_record sleeve

kraken single cover
_what
record sleeve for the london-based rock band, officer kicks.
_how
straight out of the murderland here is our tough little cover for the first single off officer kick's forthcoming album, citywide curfew. the band's singer jamie gordon had a vision of this skeletal copper terrorizing the town depicted within the lyrics of this their latest 'concept' album.
_link
officerkicks.com
_tags

the eyes_branding

logo
_what
logo for the london-based rock band, the eyes.
_how
the eyes were extremely clear about the image they wanted to bring across. living up to their namesake they were very into 50s science fiction, the beginnings of colour television & 3d films. with this in mind they wanted a logo that whilst simple & bold, combined all of these elements. the result was something very loose, fun, rock n roll & yet something that retained a dark, cool vibe about it.
_tags

nokia_motion graphics

video still
video still
_what
culture of mobility advert
_how
in our second collaboration with jackblood productions we worked on a project for nokia's new online zone, 'culture of mobility'. the aim of the project was to depict the essence of mobility through that of everyday life. in this case the medium was film. we provided two levels of graphical animation for the project. initially we worked on motion graphics in keeping with the 'big brother' feel of the track 'paranoid' by ninjatune artist, one self. later we provided scripted textual animation based around the motion graphics time code sequences.
_link
versionindustries.com/movies/nokia/nokia_advert.mov
_tags

thomas newbolt_motion graphics

painting view
sketchbook
_what
two short films for the cambridge-based artist thomas newbolt.
_how
whilst putting together the site we did for thomas, the video footage we collected whilst in his studio amounted to a good few hours worth. our original intention was merely to cut small clips from this footage to create the intro piece and random inserts you now see when using his website. however, once all the footage was captured and we were looking through it to see what was usable we found ourselves almost automatically cutting together a short film. the one film then naturally became two & we felt that certainly the second, a more documentary style piece, was something thomas just had to see. amazingly enough he was delighted with both films & you can now of course find them on his website.
_link
versionindustries.com/movies/thomas/tn.2.mov
_tags

mogul_motion graphics

video still
video still
_what
music video for the london-based rock band, mogul.
_how
similarly to the video work we did for thomas newbolt, this video came about as the result of video we captured of the band performing with intent to use it in some way for their website. however when the focus of the band turned away from a flash intensive website & more toward a music video & mtv airplay they took one look at this video we had of them & sent it off to the festivals. what was meant to be a collection of clips we'd insert at key moments into a website, became elements of a quickly edited, raw & very live music video for their next single. whether the video decided the single or not is unknown, but we certainly cut the video to 'under rub' because we thought it was the best song they'd ever done.
_link
versionindustries.com/movies/officerkicks/underrub.mov
_tags

rage events_branding

business card front
business card back
letterhead
compliment slip
_what
artwork from business cards through to compliment slips
_how
ric yerbury contacted us upon the recommendation of the essential essence. he was in the process of launching his new events company, rage events. within the umbrella of rage events ric wanted to focus particularly on 'the rage', a series of indoor and outdoor events governed by the seasons where ric would hire major bands (think wyclef jean or the flaming lips) to play along with smaller bands throughout the evening. all in all it was a very rock 'n' roll concept & we were asked to provide suitable branding materials in the form of a logo, stationery and other bits & pieces to fit the bill.
_link
www.rageevents.co.uk
_tags

rage events_motion graphics

still
_what
'the rage' animation
_how
ric yerbury at rage events wanted us to take the logo design we did for him and make it a part of a short animation that would get people excited about his new rage of seasonal 'the rage' music based events. with bands like wyclef jean, the flaming lips and gnarls barkley possibly on the books, he wanted something that would have a classy yet rock 'n' roll feel to it. we took this and made an animation that suggested that not only the whole world would be coming to one of ric's events, but also those from another planet!
_link
versionindustries.com/movies/rage/rage.mov
_tags

the pony collaboration_record sleeve

album cover
inside sleeve
back cover
_what
artwork for the pony collaboration's self-titled debut album
_how
we here at version have been following the pony collaboration since they formed back in 2003 and have been strong supporters of their unique brand of wonky alternative country music. james scallan, the lead singer of the band whom is a friend of version from years past got together with us to collaborate (as pony so often like to do) on a creative venture to encapsulate all that went into those recordings but in graphical form. i think that between us and the pony collaboration we have created a perfect package for those wonky alternative country tracks. enjoy.

their debut album is out in april 2007 on series 8 records.
_link
theponycollaboration.com
_tags

deadsy.com_website

home page
band page
_what
website and street team site for the los angeles-based, rock band, deadsy
_how

deadsy got in touch with us after our work on the experimental fansite, deadsy.tv. they wanted us to overhaul their existing site in a fashion that was as true as possible to their new record phantasmagore and to everything deadsy had come to represent. knowing full-well we were fans of the band, they gave us free reign to do what we wanted as long as the site was, for the most-part, information first and looks second.

secondly they wanted us to put together a forum to accompany the site that also doubled as a street team hub and organization platform. the vanilla forum was perfectly made for the task given the level to which it can be customized. we built into it various sign-up forms, promotional item request forms, dynamic events forms and an integrated live chat system.

_features
  • flash driven navigation system
  • basic, menu based user interface
  • easy to update database-driven site filing system
  • mp3 player
  • flv flash video player (with smoothing)
  • mailing list form
  • vanilla driven street team forum 
  • javascript based live chat system 
  • multiple contact forms
  • individual and state-based user accounts 
_link
deadsy.com
_tags

luckyPRICK_website

home page
prick page
_what
fan-site for the cleveland-based musician, kevin mcmahon.
_how
luckyPRICK is a fan-site created purely out of the love some of us at (v) have for kevin mcmahon's work. it was designed with the intention of creating a site that would archive and present as cleanly and beautifully as possible all the projects he had been involved with. visually the idea was to create a real 'record collector' feel to the site so that it would appeal to fans of all ages and urge them to give as much as they took from the site. we hope that it grows over time as an archive and tribute to kevin & his contemporary's works.
_features
  • news blog
  • custom PHP driven CMS
  • CSS / xhtml / javascript design
  • online music store
  • bulletin board / forum
  • mailing list
_link
www.luckyprick.net
_tags

65daysofstatic - destruction website_website

home page
releases page
_what
website for the sheffield-based band, 65daysofstatic.
_how
65 wanted a new website for the release of their third studio album 'the destruction of small ideas'. in terms of looks, they wanted the loose hand-made feel that matched the band's long-running visual aesthetic, but also to add another element. the kind of element that only a website could add but again something you'd not typically have experienced before. we exchanged various ideas and settled on a design and concept that we felt captured all of this in one. the end result is a site that lives and breathes as much as it feels hand-made. a site that changes as the light fades.
_features
  • adapted wordpress-based news blog
  • javascript driven time-based selection style-sheet system
  • CSS / xhtml / javascript design
  • custom .flv player
  • custom 'ejectable' mp3 player with 'resume' cookie system
_link
www.65daysofstatic.com
_tags

the pony collaboration_printwork

ep cover
_what
promo artwork for the pony collaboration's first single, 'the fast lane'
_how
following on from the initial artwork we provided for their debut album, we teamed up with the pony collaboration once again to provide artwork for their promo single 'the fast lane'. in conjunction with the promo only cd release, a digital version of the single will be available on iTunes soon with their exclusive b-side 'all I know
_link
theponycollaboration.com
_tags

hope rides alone_motion graphics

_what
'hope rides alone' music video for the protomen
_how
the protomen wanted an intro animation to their website that would start to visually tell the story of their debut album. in the end we created an entire animated music video for the first track 'hope rides alone'. working with the protomen has been inspirational. their precise and exacting vision is one that pushed us to explore new realms in terms of what we've been capable of up to this point. we just hope it shows! sit back, turn out the lights, turn up the volume & enjoy.
_link
versionindustries.com/movies/protomen/hoperidesalone.mov
_tags

the will of one_video

_what
'the will of one' music video for the protomen
_how
the protomen played in new york as a part of their 'the fight for light' tour. we filmed them and produced this video in an effort to capture what it is to see & hear them live. we hope that at least it's one better than what you can find on youtube.
_link
versionindustries.com/movies/protomen/willofone.mov
_tags

actionfist_record sleeve

album cover
inside sleeve
tray inlay
back cover
_what
artwork for actionfist's album 'fisticuffs'
_how
the electronic musician, actionfist, approached version industries with the need for some glitch based artwork to accompany his eclectic genre skipping style of music.

the album fisticuffs is due later this year on lab beat records.
_link
labbeat.com
_tags

protomen_act I posters

hope rides west
conquest of the west
the fight for light
dragon con
a&g ohio poster
mercy lounge
mercy lounge 2
_what
posters for the nashville-based rock band, the protomen.
_how
whilst working on their website the protomen invited us to design a series of tour posters for them. the results of this work can be seen here. the original artwork is not always by us - we are often hired to handle the typography, layouts and post-production on the designs to make them look authentic and retro where necessary.
_link
theprotomen.com
_tags

65daysofstatic_film poster

poster
_what
escape from new york film poster
_how
every film has to have a great film poster to go with it. 65 asked us to make sure this was the case with their road movie. 11 completely different designs were produced, this was the winner.
_tags

dance parties [remix]_website

_what
mini-site for the sheffield-based band, 65daysofstatic.
_how
this site was designed to promote the release of the forthcoming 'dance parties EP' from 65. they have headed in a new direction sonically and visually with this EP and so called upon us to create something that would redefine people's expectations of them. it was agreed that something sample based where the user could remix audio from the new EP was worth experimenting with. on top of that 65 gave us a bunch of late 80s / early 90s peter saville / designer's republic album artwork to look at for reference. the end result is pretty insane, but all agreed it captured the fury of the new sound.
_features
  • action script 3 
  • papervision 3D
  • cursor driven remix interface
_link
www.65daysofstatic.com/danceparties
_tags

tavivian group_website

residential page
current projects page
_what
site for international real estate brokers & prudential douglas elliman subsidiary, ariel & yair tavivian
_how
ariel & yair tavivian contacted us in order to further develop their new real estate company, the 'tavivian group'. the tavivian brothers were very interested in a new & unique aesthetic but at the same time wanted something minimal enough that the design would not conflict with the site info. after understanding their needs & discussing the many different routes, the end result was a tight, clean and easy to use flash/ html / css / javascript /php driven website of which they now have complete control & update daily.
_features
  • flash intro
  • original score
  • contact form
  • database driven content with html & php driven backend
_link
taviviangroup.com
_tags

kinkane_logo

_what
logo for the london-based rock band, kinkane.
_how
kinkane (formerly rex radio) wanted a new logo that captured their new sound and gave them a fresh start visually. as one of about 40 logos we did for them, this one they kept coming back to for one reason or another. it now fronts their new myspace page.
_tags

andrew maxwell_website

home page
archives
_what
site for the irish comedian, andrew maxwell
_how
andrew gave us carte blanche to produce a site that we felt captured his style and attitude as a comedian. immediately we began work on an idea that played to our strengths. the result is what it might be like to be reading about andrew in your local greasy spoon. mmmm!
_features
  • flash driven UI
  • custom photography
  • custom audio
  • CMS backend
_link
versionindustries.com/archive/andrewmaxwell
_tags

kaleidoscope pr_website

homepage
clients page
_what
website for the new york-based PR firm, kaleidoscope consulting.
_how
miki higasa was after an elegant, refined and minimalist website to mark her internet debut. taking the company name and experimenting a little with the visual potential of it, we produced the 'kaleidoscope camera' that forms the core of the site and presented it to miki. she loved it, sent us the information she wanted to surround it and soon after the site was born.
_features
  • flash driven user interface
  • webcam snapshot technology
  • original music
_link
kaleidoscopepr.net
_tags

protomen_record sleeve + show poster

cover
back cover
lyrics + credits sheet
labels
release show poster
_what
7" vinyl single artwork for the nashville-base band, the protomen
_how
this is the protomen's first release from their forthcoming new album, tentatively titled 'act 2'. taking inspiration heavily from the two tracks on the disc, we discussed all the many underlying themes in the music and how to represent them in the most simple and powerful form. as ever with the protomen, there's more than meets the eye and if you look closely at what we created here you'll find a number of interesting treats.
_tags

passionate music_ecard

big blue ball ecard
charlie haden ecard
_what
ecards for the new york-based agency, passionate music
_how
ben kosman wanted us to create an ecard template that would help him promote his varying clients in the music industry. the cards had to provide text, photographs, video and music in a fashion that was clean, elegant and adaptable to the aesthetic of each project.
_features
  • xml based adjustable content
  • interchangeable graphical slices
  • video player
  • mp3 player
  • slide viewer
  • email a friend form
  • multiple share / purchase / link menu options
_link
passionatemusic.net/ecards/charliehaden
_tags

house of jackie brown_website

videos page
karma chameleon
_what
website for the miami-based fashion house, house of jackie brown
_how
jackie & emily wanted a site that would showcase their late 80s / early 90s influenced new swimwear line, electric couture. given carte blanche to do anything we wanted with the site we set about creating a eleven aesthetic variations all based around this iconic time period. we then wrote music and treated our visuals in a way that made them feel as if they had been salvaged from that era - fades, creases, crackles and all.
_features
  • late 80s / early 90s aesthetic
  • full-screen flash interface
  • original music
_link
houseofjackiebrown.com/electric_couture
_tags

protomen_website

home page
_what
revamped website for the nashville-based band, the protomen
_how
the protomen are on the eve of the release of their new album, act 2. recruiting the powerful drawing abilities of john delucca, we created an open-ended flash website that would allow us to introduce as much exciting new content as we liked, during the build-up to the album's release.
_features
  • full-screen flash interface
  • original music by the protomen
  • original hand-drawn graphics by john delucca
  • new protomen logo
  • countdown clock
_link
theprotomen.com
_tags

perry danos_website

bio page
music page
_what
website for chicago-based big-band jazz singer, perry danos
_how
grand vista wanted a very simple, elegant, compatible website that would deliver perry's message, music and imagery irrespective of the system, connection or screen size you might be viewing it with. they also wanted to be able to connect it to perry's various social networking connections. the resulting site's look is based on the artwork from perry's forthcoming album & it's minimal flash technologies mean it works well on all hand held devices to date.
_features
  • flash mp3 player witth 'resume play' functionality
  • javascript slideshow with flickr-based content
  • xml-based mp3 playlist player
_link
perrydanos.com
_tags

mellowdrone_record sleeve + poster

cover
back cover
poster
_what
artwork for mellowdrone's second LP, angry bear
_how
mellowdrone called us one evening in march wondering if we were at all interested in working with them on the artwork for the follow-up record to 'box', an album which we'd played into the ground obsessively for who knows how long. work began immediately with discussions about what the new record was saying and where the band were at now. turns out they were the same age as us and into all the same stuff (david lynch, fist of the north star etc.). we then toiled for a while on an idea and passed it over to them. it was the right direction. we then produced 2 more pieces in a similar vein that formed a narrative around the core concept and produced templates for both cd + vinyl. the vinyl doesn't contain the third and final panel of the artwork, but it does have a blue plastic disc and a nice design idea for navigating which side is which.
_tags

protomen_logo

logo
_what
logo for the protomen's second album, act 2
_how
the protomen's second album herald's a brand new sound, story and aesthetic. after many discussions and revisions this logo, we all agreed, captured the vibe of this the next chapter in their ongoing musical retelling of capcom's megaman saga.
_tags

protomen_record sleeve + poster

film poster
album cover
_what
artwork for the protomen's second album, act 2 - the father of death
_how
everything about this record cover + poster had to be bigger and better. the moment we heard act 2 we knew the protomen had taken things far beyond anyone's imagining, and that we were under a huge amount of pressure now to produce artwork that echoed that through & through. we were aware of john delucca's work after collaborating with him on a previous poster for the band, and hired him once again to produce the fantastic 'streets of fire' inspired drawing you see above. we then took care of the sleeve + poster layouts and also put together the 24 page booklet that would detail the story behind the music on the album.
_link
protomen.com
_tags

makeup and vanity set_record sleeve

front cover
back cover
_what
artwork for makeup and vanity set's self-titled album
_how
through our long-standing collaborations with the protomen we were contacted by their touring DJ makeup and vanity set. he wanted us to create a furious sleeve design for his forthcoming even more furious self-titled release. after 4 or 5 design ideas were tried, we found solace in the one you see here. if you dig it, know that the album is even better.
_link
makeupandvanityset.com
_tags

the pony collaboration_record sleeve

album cover
inside sleeve
back cover
cd
ep cover
_what
artwork for the pony collaboration's second album 'if these are the good times' and the supporting e.p 'i never knew'
_how
james, the head of the pony collaboration, came to us with a few photographs he had sourced as a starting point for the art direction on their second album. visually, the route we took was to show the new album as reflection of their first. this is especially apparent with the cd itself which reflects a more sombre outlook than the jolly pink one from their first release. both james and version wanted to take the visual cues from the first album and reflect it as if seen in a forgotten dirtied mirror, very much like the source photography he gave us.

their new album is out now on series 8 records. the new digital single will be out in may 2010.
_link
theponycollaboration.com
_tags

big black delta_music video, record sleeve + poster

EP cover
poster
_what
EP artwork + music video for the LA-based band, big black delta
_how
jonathan bates, better known for his part in the fantastic band mellowdrone, recently got back in touch with us regarding a 'new thing' he was working on. as luck would have it, it was some seriously rich and rewarding new music. the kind which fills the mind with images pretty fast. well, the next thing you know we're watching the thundercats intro in total awe, debating wallpapering our apartment walls with TRON screenshots, and obsessing over UFOs. how one thing lead to another is neither here nor there, but it turns out we were all down with this new thing ... and it was taking us places.

what then ensued was the constant, rapid exchange of music for artwork, much the way a choir does their psalms and responses. there's no question in our minds now that big black delta was the only name you could use to sum up the music, what inspired it and everything we'd ultimately made together from that point forward. cut then to just a few days ago. cut right to the moment when we slung the cover you see above onto the proverbial coffee table. cut to us all looking at each other like we knew it was time. yep, ufologists were about to get some melody in their google.

additionally we shot and edited a short film to accompany the release of the song IFUCKINGLOVEYOU. it was shot over a couple of days around independence day in los angeles. the idea was simply to capture everything we got up to in the short time we had, be that searching the night sky for flashing lights, watching dan akroyd talking about UFOs on youtube or jonathan bates making strange noises on his studio floor. we hope the end result, if nothing else, makes you feel like all these things are related. not forcibly, but maybe with a little serendipity.
_link
bigblackdelta.com
_tags

daft punk_website

album slash page
offer page
poster page
source code
data capture page
_what
website for the tron legacy soundtrack by daft punk
_how
understanding that we were enormous fans of the original film and the forthcoming sequel, our new collaborators topspin, asked us to create a site gather emails for the forthcoming soundtrack release. given the soundtrack has been created by daft punk, we knew the site would get a vast response online from music geeks to film buffs alike. as such, we took full advantage of some of the latest web technologies (with help from mr. doob) and produced a site that works on iphones, ipads as well as regular machines. the end result is a very streamlined data collection / e-commerce site with many secrets (for those fans that love secrets as much as we do).
_features
  • html5 / javascript UI
  • keyboard input based triggers
  • ascii art source code
  • topspin E4M integration
_link
versionindustries.com/archive/tron
_tags

sonoio blue_record sleeve + print

print
album cover
_what
LP artwork for the LA-based band, sonoio
_how
alessandro cortini, widely know for his multi-instrumental work for nine inch nails, got in touch with us recently. a fan of our record sleeve and poster work for mellowdrone, he wanted us to create artwork to accompany his new solo project, SONOIO.

now we say 'artwork' as opposed to 'design work' because he was particularly interested in the looser, more painterly / emotional elements of our work over some kind of cleaner, tighter design effort. modwheelmood (his previous band) had been heavy on the minimal design / die-cutting and this time, the record being much more personal to him, alessandro wanted a more cathartic, hand-made quality.

we talked for a while and decided that we should try to create something that had a european quality to it - something that harked back to alessandro's roots. combining this with a visual device that we felt was most honest to the lyrical content on the record, we came up with the two matisse-esque characters you see on the cover, who are trying to cover up the holes in their chests. the colour choices were then informed in part by the colour of the buchla synth itself. the pencil marks are that of my father thomas newbolt, who's drawings we cut up and relocated elements of for the sake of adding more movement / life to the collage.
_link
sonoio.org
_tags

war widow_record sleeve

front cover
back cover
_what
LP artwork for the LA-based band, war widow
_how
after accidentally hearing a clip from this band's new record, we sent some designs through that caused them to cancel the print job they already had running. sourcing photographers from as far as eastern europe, the resulting 12 inch vinyl artwork proved to be a very fast, very exciting collaboration between people in los angeles, new york and the ukraine. you can read more about the creation of the artwork here.

a huge thanks to photographers alex alekseenko and matt sundin, without whom this project would have never come about.
_link
warwidowmusic.com
_tags

sonoio red_music video, record sleeve + print

print
album cover
_what
music video + print design for LA-based band, sonoio
_how
we'd been aware for a while that sonoio (alessandro cortini) intended to follow up his unique and well received experimental synth debut, with a 'sequel' record of some kind. then a few months ago we were given the rough mixes of this new record and started to put together ideas for how to top the artwork for the first record and yet make it feel like an organic and fluid transition conceptually. alessandro had already made it clear to us that this record would be based around the colour red, so we simply had to evolve things and further the story of the matisse-esque characters we'd developed for the original blue album cover.

furthermore alessandro was toying with the idea of a music video this time and asked that we might pitch a few ideas to him for a couple of different songs on the record. we came up with 3-4 ideas he chose the most 'live performance' based concept that we had and soon things were under way. the video was for the song enough, which to us was one of the songs that immediately jumped out on the record when hearing it for the first time. once more we recruited the talents of matt sundin (who helped us shoot the 65daysofstatic and war widow album covers) and soon after alessandro was flying to new york to shoot the video with us in brooklyn.

you can read more about making the artwork + video here.
_link
sonoio.org
_tags

the gregory brothers_website

home page
music page
_what
website for the brooklyn-based band, the gregory brothers
_how
once again we could not be more grateful to topspin. they have put us in touch with an eclectic range of radical artists with whom we've had the most exciting and rewarding relationships. the gregory brothers, better known as the auto-tune the news guys, are no exception. a month or so ago they walked into our studio and told us they needed a new website. they then hit the road and we sent them our ideas as they criss-crossed the country on the youtube tour. the trick was to combine their already burgeoning aesthetic with a number of new levels of functionality. their old site had been pretty much built entirely by them using dreamweaver and they were understandably into something that would be a little easier to update. needless to say, but the process was a breeze and often funny too.
_features
  • wordpress-driven back-end
  • gig-press plugin
  • contact form 7 plugin
  • custom UI
  • font-replacement
  • twitter / facebook feeds
  • topspin-driven music store
_link
thegregorybrothers.com
_tags

makeup and vanity set_record sleeve

EP cover
_what
artwork for makeup and vanity set's EP, never let go.
_how
working with makeup and vanity set continues to be a very exciting, fluid and rewarding process. this time around, in terms of a brief, we were given the recordings themselves, informed that the release would be out on cassette only and asked that we try to echo a visual from the VHS era of home entertainment. old enough to have lived through a great portion of the VHS and cassette eras, we understood how this record would sound when fans heard it and very much where it was coming from in terms of cinematic narrative. the decision to in some way make it photographic and involve some sort of backlit misty scene came very quickly, and was undeniably influenced by our shared love for shows from that era like twin peaks and the x-files. so it was then a matter of building that out with a combination of photographic elements and a series of photoshop brushes and textures. finally, the typography came about as a result of wanting something elegant and not too cliche, but that would also feel a little like film credits.

you can read more about the making of the artwork here.
_link
makeupandvanityset.com
_tags

big black delta_record sleeve

cover artwork
_what
artwork for big black delta's debut LP, BBDLP1
_how
continuing the very fluid back and forth between us and jonathan bates, this the cover for the forthcoming BBDLP1 is our attempt at capturing the immensity that is this new record. whether you are listening to the lush love song that is 'capsize' or the vastness, heaving space trip that is 'BBD3', we wanted the cover to echo both the inner workings of jon's mind as well as the beautiful, dark recesses of the universe. no longer the man with his head exploding on the cover of mellowdrone's 'angry bear', we now step deeper inside that thinking and in doing so reach much further out into space as we get involved with his obsession with UFO folk-lore and his desire to be taken away from his planet by whatever means possible.
_link
bigblackdelta.com
_tags

polinski_record sleeve + music video

album cover
stitches single cover
awaltzoflight cover
poster
_what
artwork for polinski's debut album, labyrinths
_how
paul wolinski is one quarter of the experimental musical machine that is 65daysofstatic. polinski is his more purely electronic side-project.

the discussions for how to handle the artwork for the album started years before the record was even a twinkle in his eye. we'd talked at length for years about films, musics, books, games and designs that appeal to us for whatever reason. whether it be the books of jeff noon or the cassette loading games of sinclair zx spectrum, there was an innate understanding of what this solo project would demand in terms of artwork the moment the demos started to come together.

the final artwork started with us coming up with a story that would capture paul's feelings about various things and how he wanted to translated those into a science fiction tale of some kind. the next step was padding that story out with various touchstone visual elements and then translating those into a series of panels that we could use for the album and any singles. the first image we put together turned out to be the album cover as it is now, and this went onto influence paul's approach to making the music. he then sent us more demos that inspired the creation of more panels, and so the back and forth went until we had enough to illustrate the story / world we had created.

the music video for the album's first single, stitches, was an attempt to bring back the feeling of using the zx spectrum computer, whilst detailing some of the album's narrative elements. more details on the making of the video to follow soon.
_link
polinskimusic.net
_tags

makeup and vanity set_record sleeve

album cover
_what
artwork for makeup and vanity set's LP, charles park III.
_how
we'd heard the track blood oath already and given the quality of charles park II, we're already salivating at the idea of having the chance of doing the artwork for this release. the illustration was done by the amazing john delucca (who did the protomen's act II sleeve + the charles park II sleeve), and we were called in at the last second (literally the day before it was released digitally) to do our thing in terms of typography + treating the sleeve to make making it feel 'tougher'.
_link
makeupandvanityset.com
_tags

protomen_act II posters

chicago metro
2012 tour
10 year anniversary
_what
posters for the nashville-based rock band, the protomen.
_how
here are the posters we've created, sometimes in collaboration, for the protomen during the touring for their second album, act 2 - the father of death. 
_link
protomen.com
_tags

protomen_record sleeve + tour poster

cover
tenacious d show poster
_what
record sleeve for the nashville-based band, the protomen
_how
here's another one of the many fruits of our on-going collaborations with the protomen. the band played a tribute night in nashville, TN, back in late 2010 and the recordings came out so well they decided to release it. performing as 'queen' for the night, we decided to recreate the iconic 'queen II' record cover in a studio in brooklyn. the photography is by long-time (v) collaborator matt sundin, and the logo work is by M L hope. we handled the art direction, post-production + layout duties. 
_link
protomen.com
_tags

makeup and vanity set_poster + VHS tape

poster
VHS
VHS 2
VHS + poster
_what
artwork for makeup and vanity set's film soundtrack, 88:88.
_how
this was a project that started out with MAVS sending us demos and whispering things about it possibly being a film soundtrack. we were then contacted by the film's director, joey ciccoline. joey showed us the film and sent some ideas he'd had for possible directions for the artwork. included in his package was a poster for the 1985 kid's science fiction film, the explorers. this poster single handedly informed the initial designs we created for the film soundtrack. these designs were then scrapped when joey then expressed interest more in a design that told you less about the narrative, and gave you simply a sense of mystery. 

fortunately MAVS then had the idea to do a parallel release in the form of a limited edition VHS cassette and poster. this would then come out later than the official film artwork, and give the original pieces we created a place to live. a tangent universe if you will.

you can see photos of the VHS tape here.
_link
8888film.com
_tags

booka shade_logo + single cover

single cover
_what
logo + artwork for german house duo, booka shade
_how
we were put in touch with booka shade through our work with big black delta. they were about to put out their first release through dim mak records, and were keen to start from scratch with their design aesthetic for this reason. they pitched us a few ideas, concepts and loose thoughts to push us in the right direction, and after hammering away at several different approaches we settled on a final logo device and treatment. it was a look that we felt kept elements of their geometric graphics of the past, but evolved and simplified things in an elegant fashion.

the first use of the logo you'll find on their forthcoming single 'honeyslave', which you can listen to snippets of here.
_link
bookashade.com
_tags

big black delta_record sleeve

IFUCKINGLOVEYOU
betamax
_what
artwork for the singles off of big black delta's debut LP, BBDLP1
_how
after signing to nerve management, big black delta have been set to release a series of singles both on vinyl and digitally. challenged with a way of making these releases unusual in some way, given some of the songs have been out for a while, we suggested that perhaps each release's artwork tesselate with the next. this way all the singles can form a larger image once they've all been collected. at the time of writing two releases have been put out, IFUCKINGLOVEYOU and betamax, which you can see here.
_link
bigblackdelta.com
_tags

protomen_record sleeve

cassette cover
inside spread
_what
artwork for the protomen's cassette single, i drove all night.
_how
the first single from the protomen's forthcoming covers record was the roy orbison song, i drove all night. the song was of course chosen because of how directly it tied in with and expanded upon the band's long-running, conceptual narrative. in the same fashion the artwork had a very clear path to follow. once again employing the talents of john delucca, we set about creating a design that both expanded on the protomen's story, but also paid homage again to many of their key influences. releasing it on cassette only was of course the final gesture that completed the project.

if you're interested you can read more about the development of the artwork on our blog. otherwise by all means grab a copy of the single here, whilst stocks last.
_tags

bells≥_record sleeve

_what
record sleeve for the brooklyn-based band, bells≥
_how
the creation of this cover was swift and to the point. bells≥ were fans of the photography we've taken over the years and were after a sleeve that felt abstract enough to echo their instrumental sound, but local also to their native brooklyn. immediately taking a liking to an image we took of some street art outside of our studio in DUMBO, we set about laying out some type.
_link
bellstheband.com
_tags

big black delta_record sleeve

_what
artwork for big black delta's single, side of the road.
_how
inspired by a salvador dali painting and discussions about how to evolve the BBD aesthetic as we approach the foot of the mountain that will eventually be the second LP, this cover is in some ways perhaps the band's most figurative yet. the human eye instinctively sees faces in abstract patterns, and of course it's no incident that that is what you might see here. however what you take from it as you listen to the song is of course your decision. either way we hope you enjoy the experience.
_link
bigblackdelta.com
_tags

makeup and vanity set_record sleeve

EP cover
praxis single cover
_what
artwork for makeup and vanity set's EP, 7.25.2148.
_how
the team that now consists of makeup and vanity set, joey ciccoline and version industries is continuing its development into an increasingly cohesive whole. utilizing visuals originating with joey's video and 3D effects work, we've put together artwork for both the new EP and the leading single from it, praxis. the concepts behind it are echoed heavily within the music, so we won't spoil them for you here. just know that it's all part of a larger thought process building up to a satisfyingly complex full length album.
_link
makeupandvanityset.com
_tags

surachai_record sleeve

cover
outside spread
inside spread
_what
artwork for surachai's LP, embraced.
_how
we were introduced to surachai by alessandro cortini of SONOIO. a fierce individual, surachai makes a form of black metal that he calls plagued metal. whatever you want to call it, his dark, aggressive and intricate songs take you to a very particular place.

for his latest LP he asked that we tackle the artwork. ordinarily, given the pre-established hallmarks of the black metal scene, this is something we might not have jumped at immediately. however given surachai's taste for esoteric artwork (formerly employing the likes of bridget driessen and sarah sitkin to handle the task), we knew he would be open to an entirely fresh interpretation of his music.

full write-up to follow soon.
_link
surachai.org
_tags

gabriel bruce_poster

show poster
show poster 2
_what
poster for gabriel bruce's debut album release show, knights in white satin.
_how
gabriel asked us to have a shot at some posters for his upcoming album release show, dubbed 'knights in white satin'. we produced 5 different designs using photographs we'd taken of him at a new york show last year. the first you see is design he went with, and the second a fond favourite of ours. sadly we won't make the show itself, but when a few these start appearing around london we'll at least be there in spirit.
_link
gabrielbruce.com
_tags

sonoio_record sleeve

single cover
outside spread
_what
7" single artwork for the LA-based band, sonoio
_how
alessandro asked us to put together a sleeve for the 7 inch single release of his track 'scientist'. the artwork we created was an extension both visually and narratively from the elements we'd put together for the album from which the song came.

you can grab a copy of the single here.
_link
sonoio.org
_tags