I was going to post about Vogue College Records being a label that oozed style but then it kinda dawned on me that this is their only release to date and although the aesthetic they have going on with their logo etc certainly seems like they’re heading in the right direction it would be a bit premature to claim that they “oozed” style at all really.
Instead I’ll focus on Vega’s first release with them. Big Stereo referred to this release as “nu-hammer, dreamwave or whatever” which typically means someone is trying to find a genre to wedge this track into without just saying “it sounds like an updated 80s because as soon as anyone says “80s electro” we’re all thinking Jan Hammer or Harold Faltermeyer and doing a disservice to what Vega is actually all about (not that Bigstereo are trying to make up genres to fit him into hence the whatever). Besides to my money he’s got more in common with the type of tracks daft punk used to sample (obscure italo disco) but brought thoroughly up to date, by way of late 90s french house, cutting up and looping his own vocals to create the massive throbbing hook thats at the centre of “No Reasons”.
Where I actually get to talking about the Vega Artwork...
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Rich
This is such a bleak and traumatic image. The woman’s face appears so pained and the addition of hand drawn angular illustration accentuates the anguish by obscuring parts of the woman’s face distorting her features into an even more pained expression. I love it.
Click to see the video for Epilepsy Is Dancing
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Rich
I included the Youves’ artwork in my assessment/roundup of the Holy Roar Records artwork but it’s even better than I realised from the single panel illustration.
See the outer cover...
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Rich
Holy Roar Records are one of my favourite independent record labels in the UK. The music they release is of a consistently high quality and although the artwork wasn’t consistent at the very start they’ve completely upped their game and now release some of the most visually arresting as well as sonically interesting vinyl, cds and tapes of any label in the world. They’ve allied themselves with some very talented designers/illustrators that insure a high quality output every time.
Releases from Rolo Tomassi, Youves, Cutting Pink With Knives, Maths etc...
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Rich
There is a treasure trove of small labels across the world who put out great music that isn’t considered financially viable enough for major labels. Great music that has a niche audience of a few thousand (and maybe more – majors generally aren’t interested if the band don’t have the potential to shift 10s of thousands of units). The labels often work closely with artists and designers to produce spectacular results. My friends and I refer to it as the “factory model”, as I’m sure many others do, based on the work on Factory Records. They started small and worked closely with designers such as Peter Saville (who defined the label visually from the very beginning). They were more than a record label, Factory Records produced concepts that helped define a generation, not only of Mancunians but of many Brits as well. A good record label can revolutionise.
See the artwork for 33Hz, Mondkopf...
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Rich
Rolo Tomassi are one of my favourite bands and not least because of their consistently great artwork. It’s all pretty much down to one guy, Simon Moody aka Lined With Ghosts, a freelance illustrator from somewhere in Nottinghamshire. The artwork for the new Rolo Tomassi re-issue...
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Rich
Bands & Design