STUDIO: CLIENT MUSIC BRIEF RESEARCH

I began researching other smaller electronic music labels that held similar musical attributes as this one did. Joe Donkin (the client) plays a mixture of electronic music such as techno, house and dnb. One record label that focused on electronic that is local to me is Acorn Tapes. They are a label that regularly produce high quality cassette tape releases and regularly play in bars and clubs around Leeds. Their visual identity across each release is quite consistent and colourful and their logo is incredibly simple and to the point. They also sell various merchandise such as tote bags and t-shirts.

One record label that has been influenced by the sound of the music to help create the visual designs for the label is Dinosaur City Records (DCR). Their designer Jorrdanne Chant says in an interview “I see blue when I hear and think about his music, so I went with that colour… pastels or anything too bold or bright didn’t feel right,” she explains. “The design is textured and rough, unlike a lot of my other work that, while perhaps abstract, is still bold and poppy, much like the bands playing the bills.” This process of letting the music guide the work is one that Jordanne swears by. It “profoundly influences” her approach, choice of format, fonts and colour, and whether she opts for a maximalist, harsh or soft design. She is also a photographer at certain gigs and will recycle some of her old material within the poster designs for this record label, creating original material in more then one way. 

One designer that has produced work for a label consistently inspired by their sound is Lars Hogstrom. His work is inspired by his vast collection of 90's and 00's hip hop cassette tape collection which he has sourced typography from to brand mix tapes today. All his work is type based and he uses a limited colour pallet meaning his work is easily reproducible and easy to animated.