NOISE / INDUSTRIAL COVER ART

[bogskaggmannen]

In addition to the playlist which most often covers the music, I wanted to start a topic where people could "review" or talk freely and put critical views on cover artworks - I often find focus laying on the music today, but for me artwork has a large part of my impressions of the whole product and therefore can be subject for individual critizism. So - feel free to discuss record and tape covers only - to set it apart from the music, which can be discussed elsewhere. I'm interested to read impressions on what can be read between the lines. Something beyond personal likings as positive/negative - ans also not only thoughts regarding techniques and themes.

[tiny_tove]

good threat
personally I consider artwork/sounds/concept, etc at the same level.

[Nyodene D]

I guess I'll start:

I don't particularly like the font used on the new Genocide Organ release.  It should be their sans serif, like on all their other releases.  it's why i thought it may be a fake when i saw it...

[Mattias G]

One of my favorite sleeves right now is the vinyl re-issue of Kevin Drumm´s first album. The Wire has already covered it in "The Inner Sleeve", actually it was that article that made me buy it since i already have it on CD before. Not my favorite Drumm album but it´s totally a great one for sure. The cover photo is from a very near close up of a guitar, maybe his one? And you can actually feel the rifts on the cover. Comes in a very thick gate-fold cover, feels very luxurious.
The info says Heavy "Tip-On" Gatefold Jacket with spot gloss & matte finishes and textured de-bossing." Anyway an AMAZING cover.
If you have not heard the music i can say it´s one of his prepared guitar albums, so the cover fits very well with the music. Well thought is maybe a better word.

[GEWALTMONOPOL]

I don't particularly like the font used on the new Genocide Organ release.  It should be their sans serif, like on all their other releases. 

I second that.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

This font / design issue has been in case of many new Tesco releases. I don't know if their lay-out maker has changed, but many new releases like Ke-Hil LP or In-Konflikt font/design choices are far beyond the glory days. Of course, they are STILL high quality in terms of technical quality. But what comes to design-eye, sometimes you wonder what has happened?

I wasn't very impressed with IRM red album cd version. I thought the change of font and putting logo just about 20 times bigger than it was in original design (keeping in mind diameters of cover), it looked quite strange. No amount of neat embossed techniques or gloss lamination could save it from that. When you compare to other recent Autarkeia which are quite tasteful in their label aesthetic, to me that stood out very negatively.

I have not had that many of total "WOW" type of reactions. I think what I did like, is for example JAZZKAMMER monthly CD series. Not all the covers, but the idea to have actual visual artists to work different visual look for every release, even if it follows the technically superior Pica records lay-out.

I admire also the neat typography based design of Galakt Hörro. Even something like lated Herman Köpp 7", it is simply amazing. That recycled-brown/grey type of cover is something I often appreciate greatly. Therefore I could also give credits for the recent Clew Of Theseus LP. It has certain minimalism and certain "filth" in it's approach, yet not as far as xeroxes of low-res internet prints folded badly, heh!

...
What comes to my own work, I have enjoyed the idea, that label or bands has never had "style". When you try to put label into certain category, it just has it all. From lowest gutter xerox arts to silkscreens, to computer made full color covers to releases what may look "stylish" or releases what may look just silly or dumb if judged by same standards. Some cases where technical issues are on good standards, some which leaves a lot to be hoped - perhaps making it strange to criticize similar "mistakes" made by others...  This leads to kind of double standard, which I do acknowledge. For some people, you just expect more. Based on their old achievements. And some others may pass the critical comments simply since you didn't expect anything better from them.

I miss the good old craftmanship of releases. That you see that it's not just factory line of foil prints and embossed & spot varnish that supposedly makes it "special". And that the handmade doesn't mean it would translate immediately to lowest possible effort made. With a friend, we were just asking together, why there can't be as tasty LP's as "Ultra Point Of Intersection Exist" ?? Re-issue of the material on Steinklang - possibly re-visioned due request of artist who no longer likes "corpse photos", looks very much out-of-place for 1987 industrial-noise. Original cover looks like the result is what it is, due heavy work and taste in placement of all the elements. But this isn't just issue of noise, but all the music out there. After recently listening dozens and dozens of old punk releases and admiring their design, it's just different times now. When many old releases became unconsciously nice, now it actually requires actual taste and talent to meet the old standards? Where easiness of finding pro-printer for your stuff, has reduced the visionary special packaging of releases. I don't necessary mean Hands To "flatline" LP 2009 version (which perhaps goes to "wow" category!), but even that something like Hospital doing silkscreened covers, not the standard factory LP. Tesco doing landmark innovations of design and not just digipaks. Power And Steel presenting pretty simple but charming 10"s, not just polished computer generated graphics on digipak.
For CD, afterall, I do like jewelbox packaging quite a lot. It has alternatives, but for functionality and presentation, it is still better than many other options. I don't really care for digipaks at all. It's not totally about "cover artwork" discussion, but related.

[P-K]

http://www.discogs.com/Sat-Stoicizmo-Mah-2/master/85609
perfect sleeve, perfect sound, perfect release

[Ashley Choke]

Just got Philip Corner - Metal Meditations on Alga Marghen - fantastic record, with just perfect artwork, was even lucky enough to get the bronze print version. It's been awhile since I have been so stoked on the overall presentation/aesthetics of a record.

As for my own releases. The shift design wise from my old tapes to the Freak Animal album. A less crude, dare I say more artistic aesthetic, seems to have alienated some of the (small) crowd normally interested in my recordings. Maybe that goes to show that it is indeed possible for an artist to paint him or herself into a corner of a certain aesthetic hard to escape. That being said I'm very satisfied with the latest release and the somewhat lack of response is not of big importance for me.

All time greatest noise artwork is IMO thick cardboard-era Hospital Productions, The Prurient/Nicole 12, Macronympha and River Slaughter LP's is without a doubt the best looking records in my collection. Shame it's mostly professional style CD releases nowadays, mind you extremely tight and well done, especially the Cocaine Death CD looked and felt really good(sound's another story I guess, heh).

[catharticprocess]

One of Olson's best, and he's generally quite good, Dead Machines Plays Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a real highlight, both visually and sonically, not only in the Dead Machines catalog, but in anything Olson has touched over the years. Nothing tops the art for "Futures," though:




Going in a completely different direction....



Such a vision of Eros and ecstasy, Hermann Nitsch's Das 6-Tage-Spiel des Orgien Mysterien Theater (CD version in LP sized cover) cover art is so simple and beautiful, and a rare example of an album cover that I believe effectively uses photography. I'm also a big fan of this picture disc art, below:



Nitsch is a real master of imagery.

Although the re-release changed the design, I really like the 2007 edition CD artwork for this, one of my favorite NWW albums. It's an example of artwork changing for the rerelease that I actually think worked out in the end.



While it works well, in my opinion, the original is even better:

[ConcreteMascara]

I'm a big fan of the fancy Doctrine of Intolerant Hatred 2xLP by Deathkey. The thick cardboard combined with lacquered (?) ink or whatever it was called. Very nice. The booklet looked really good too. Deathkey has a nice minimal aesthetic. The whole set felt nice and weight-y, like I was holding something more than just another record.

Survival Unit's Fentanyl Martyrs 2xCD is also quite a nice alternative to standard and boring CD packaging. Like a well designed tombstone for the band.

Unrelated to noise but in general I've always been a big fan of the Designer's Republic work on WARP, especially for the mid and later period Autechre albums. The vinyl version of Draft 7.30 and EP7 especially come to mind. Computer graphics that are extremely sharp and absent of the shitty pixelated crap.

[Zeno Marx]

Brotzmann's graphic design template is appreciated.

[heretogo]

Great cover art is quite rare. Ok, there are lots of nice & stylish covers out there but ones that would really stick to mind are hard to come by. At least in experimental/noise type of music, rock & related stuff is a different issue. But one I have always liked is Max Neuhaus's Electronics & Percussion - Five Realizations by Max Neuhaus LP. Great music & cover art, proper academic presentation with just enough of caveman aesthetics to make it truly fly.



Regarding jewel cases, I have to strongly disagree with Mikko. They suck, plain and simple. Sure, they are functional and cheap but they also remind me of supermarkets and disposable ideas. Run-of-the-mill digipack is not optimal but much better. For me, the best "standard" cd packaging are thick cardboard covers like for example No Fun uses. I like the idea that over the years the packaging will suffer some individual wear & tear and turn into something unique and personal.

[pontifx]

that "intellectual art"- way of seeing and rating things is pointless and stupid. a little bit gay too...

[catharticprocess]

that "intellectual art"- way of seeing and rating things is pointless and stupid. a little bit gay too...

What are you even saying? Perhaps there's a language barrier? Though looking at the cover art on the site linked in your signature, I'm thinking it's more likely a brain cell barrier.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Some of my absolute favorites of all times noise/pe/industrial covers:

Grey Wolves - Punishment LP. Not just the front cover, but complete "crass style" 6xLP size poster sleeve.


Grey Wolves - catholic priests fuck children. Not just the front cover, but complete "crass style" 3xLP size poster sleeve.


Genocide Organ - mind control. Not just the image itself, but the also technical side - printed metal plate attached to black sleeve.
Typography works far more better than in many releases.


Organum - Vacant Lights LP, and of course back cover counted in. Artwork is simple but tasty. It is at the same time little bit "modern" (in 80's?), but at the same time also classic art in a way that there is proper skills involved.




and of course could go on for long time. I think these cases just show me that the "collage", the black & white "underground methods", all work very well, when it's done well. Each of the bands has done also pretty horrid covers later on. Like Organum with their dullest ever color fonts on white sleeve for last 10 years now...

BUT, I would strongly suggest, that perhaps there could be some braincell issues occasionally, but most of all, the aesthetic that you have been influenced just like you've been captured by the sounds. I wouldn't be surprised if Heretogo doesn't get much out of the artworks I posted, but at the same time, I don't see what exactly is the "special" in Neuhaus cover. I do like the "vintage" psychedelic circles, but image itself and the typography doesn't do anything for me.

It's like in the so called academic releases most often. Classical music releases have some of the worst artwork. And while I'd like it to be cover that actually could capture the mood of album... no no. Lets put some most tasteless abstract computer color fade to the cover that indeed looks like something sold at supermarkets in 2€ bin (see jewelbox reference). It is the context where one has come across something in situation which has been everything else but motivating. Indeed, jewelbox reminds of "regular". But in times, when special has become such a forced "novelty", I actually prefer regular. Like said. Over embossed digipak with nice golden foil lettering and little spot varnish and otherwise "stylish" grey on black art. Oh please, give me just something like Sutcliffe Jugend "s/t" CD and I'm happy! Cover with absolutely nothing. Technically or on design.

Therefore, the most I would value the very very basic idea on cover: Image(s) and it's purpose. LP would work great if it's just good image and necessary amount of text. So what is the good image? I guess different things appeal to different people. When I look some of my own choices, like Silence of Vacuum tapes for example, despite taking like 10 minutes time to make, I feel they are among the very best selections. Same tape, same design, with image of some skank on pvc miniskirt exposing some flesh from late 90's UK fetish mag.. would have been atrocious.