Practical Synthesis: The Past Re-remembered

The concept of my practical project derives directly from the research surrounding my dissertation which is the idea of the past constantly influencing the present, specifically within music and design. My aim for this project is to create a contemporary visual language for new electronic music which has  been influenced by eras before. Much of the nature of electronic music is to sample and re-appropriate old sounds in a new and experimental way which leads to development of the genres and music as a whole.

My intention is to reflect this within my design work and create album covers for underground electronic artists who are using these techniques within their music. For the genres of music I will be working within I will look to past music scenes they are referencing, and use similar elements within my designs (e.g. colours, typography, imagery). As I want to represent the music as contemporary, it will be important to not just directly pastiche these older styles, but to incorporate original design elements and modern day processes into my work.

Visual References  

Collection of typographic and visual material from Uk Jungle, Breakbeat, Hardcore and Rave 1988-94.

Digital advertisements from 1985-1999

Artists to focus on:

I have chosen to use these artists as I feel they encapsulate some of the sounds of the 90s dance music era such as breakbeat, acid, hardcore and house.

Selected a few descriptions from reviews and biographies about the artists to give an idea of the sounds and images I can use as reference when creating the artwork.

I have also added the existing cover art for the tracks I plan on redesigning as they are either standardised for the label releasing them or ones I feel don't capture the sound and style of the artist.

Special Request

- Modern Warfare appropriates specific devices from rave, hardcore and jungle, rather than remaining true to their original blueprints. Most of the tracks motor along at house tempos, offering subtle variations on old-school dance music.

Zomby

'hedonistic retreat to rave's glory days that acts as much as a history lesson plotting trails and picking at strands of the UK's early '90s dance scene as anything else.'

'Old-skool ghosts haunt the record; samples of former glories packing punches like bouts of Stockholm Syndrome on the senses as you glance familiar faces from well over a decade ago.' 

- Resident Advisor 

Lone

- Experimenting with Hip Hop, early 90s Hardcore, Techno and Electronic music.
- Merges an endless range of styles including 80s funk, 90s hip hop and his trademark hazy, sun drenched melodies.
- Early 90's London rave sound aimed at destroying parties while simultaneously staying true to his beautiful, nostalgic melodic style.

Album Cover/s to redesign:

Palms Trax

I want this project to work as a set so will employ similar design techniques across the the hree to link them together. As they are dance records the majority of the focus will be on the circular labels themselves because of there use in a DJing environment.