OUGD601 - Practical research - Malcom Garrett 'Orgasm Addict' reimagined

As i'm redesigning the albums I found it relevant to look at the recent project which reimagined Malcolm Garrett’s “Orgasm Addict” artwork 120 times. Additionally, the song was released in the 1977 so around the same time of the three Kraftwerk albums. Therefore, its interesting to see how 120 designers have reimagined the song but in todays age similar to my idea.

From looking into the responses it was interesting to see how designers responded visually without  imitating, replicating, or distorting the original. This is one concern of mine at this moment in time as I want to keep the spirit and the irony of the original Kraftwerk artworks alive. From looking at the designs it has inspired me to approach the designing in a more open mind, and too not be constricted too much to the original artwork. For reimagining Malcolm Garrett’s “Orgasm Addict” the designers had to stick to the original colour palette. So maybe this is a good starting point for the designs, and from there the process may take a very different direction from the original yet communicating the same thing.

OUGD601 - Practical research - Unconventional music design and promotion

To contrast to the visit to HMV I looked into unusual and underground ways of presenting music, with a focus on electronic music.

The first example I looked into was Warp offering up the last remaining copies of the Aphex Twin's Fuji Rock cassette. Anyone could have entered to win the cassette by purchasing a record from Warp at London Independent Label Market. Warp originally sold the tape in a run of 500 copies at Japan's Fuji Rock festival in July 2017 and it's now selling for hundreds of pounds online. What makes this release special is the quantity and rareness of the music as 45 obscure and experimental tracks are contained on the tape. There's currently little information on what the tracks on the tape sound like, comparing this to the music in HMV which is in plain view for the consumer. This cassette is for those in the know, and shows a next level of fandom which makes the cassette a piece of music to cherish. Maybe the music wouldn't work as successfully with its aire of mystery and rareness, if it was packaged differently such as a vinyl or CD. However, as its a tape cassette its more nostalgic and almost obsolete in todays age. I believe the tape adds a charm but also has a story behind it, as Aphex Twin used to record tapes in his early days and hand them out to close friends only for him to never listen to them again.

Another example I looked into was Powell's campaign which turned an email from Steve Albini into a billboard ad for a new single. In the email Steve Albini doesn't praise Powell but instead the ad features his perfectly clear view, that he has very little time for dance music or club culture. It may seem strange to communicate new music in a negative light as Albini's response is very pessimistic. However, the billboard got people talking and its similar to the negative connotations of Kraftwerk's albums yet the irony works to the artists advantage. The design of the campaign is simple with only the email typeset on a large scale billboard, but this is all it needs as the content gets people intrigued about the music and what got Steve Albini so annoyed.

One example I researched is Swiss club culture magazine Zweikmasbien, which can be described as the print equivalent of a techno album. It achieves this by applying simple, radical, raw rules and rejects the corporate identity of a logo most magazines use. Each issue is completely different in terms of size, binding and editorial layout which helps visually echoe the experience of the music that it covers. For research I focused on issue 14 as I have this issue so I was able to inspect it further. What makes the editorial so unique is the use of tags, keywords, and toggled boxes. It reminds me of having multiple windows open on a screen and the awkward visual effect of overlapping content. Furthermore, what makes this issue even more so 'raw' is the staple binding which gives it a delicate feel and the red flexi vinyl that adds a a personable and playful aspect to the magazine. Using a inserted squared flexi piece of plastic for vinyl is unusual, so it gives the magazine a real feel of denial to modernist models in editorial design but also music.

OUGD601 - Practical research - Modernist/Mainstream music

I decided to visit a HMV store to inspect how music is packaged and sold to consumers, this would help me think of contrasts to the modernist models that exist in the music today, and what I can do to make the Kraftwerk albums stand out. But also to examine design which I find eye catching on the shelves.

I noticed a trend throughout the store which must aim to attract consumers by offering them a complete package of the artist. The artist is presented in all forms such as CD, vinyl, calendars, books and posters, which is a fine example of product, range, distribution in the music industry. It shows the extent graphic design can be used to communicate and showcase the music. I also found these stands similar to the point in the essay about white labels, and how the music is packaged and transferred the into the mainstream. These stands in HMV are an accumulation of the mainstream but made me consider what would be the polar opposite to this and how it'd work.

I looked more closely at CDs in the store as these are the most sold forms of the music, and noticed a majority of the packaging is a cardboard gatefold wrapped in a plastic film. Economically this may be more suitable for labels but I also believe it has a more aesthetically pleasing element to it, unlike the plastic cases. Another benefit of the cardboard gatefold is that it has two packaging styles in one I believe, as the film can have stickers which give the design flexibility but also a hand made touch.

A number of CD sleeves stood out to me from a design point of view including Sleep Well Beast by The National which was designed by Pentagram. Ive seen this project on blogs like ItsNiceThat over the last few weeks, and I found it odd to see a indie band asking a branding agency as big as Pentagram to design the cover and other promotional material. Furthermore, I thought the cover was ironic being very branding led with what looks like a logo being the main aspect of the cover. After seeing the cover in HMV I looked more into the design and discovered it intended to be a riff on corporate branding so that explains the abbreviated name and logo.

The band’s name is shortened to a corporate “Ntl.” logotype and is used to brand merchandise, which in addition to the usual band merch includes obsolete corporate supplies like staplers and tape. The band even had a corporate identity standards manual made which is very unusual for a indie band. I can take influence from this, as I aim to create something unusual and against the grain. As the irony of a band wanting a corporate identity and asking Pentagram to do so is inspiring in my mind and I can link this to the irony of Kraftwerk's covers. 

OUGD601 - Practical research - Autobahn, Constructivism & TEE

I researched the themes and styles of the three albums to gain more knowledge on each, as this would help signify the key characteristics of each and how to showcase them.

Autobahn

In the essay I argue that Autobahn reflects the state of German cultural, artistic, and musical identity and addressed aspects of German identity with references to the Nazi era. The German Autobahn itself symbolises individual mobility and freedom on a motorway system with no set speed limit. The Autobahn is further connected with car manufacturing, which formed the backbone of the post-war economy, as well as the quality of German engineering as captured by the marketing slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” [advancement through technology.

The autobahn network has a total length of about 8,073 mi in 2016, which ranks it among the most dense and longest controlled-access systems in the world. However, I wanted to look into the links to the war which I discuss in the essay and discovered that Adolf Hitler enthusiastically embraced an ambitious autobahn construction project. As a result it would have benefited his war plan, and during the war, strips of the autobahns were paved over to allow their conversion into airstrips. Aircraft were either stashed in numerous tunnels or camouflaged in nearby woods. However, for the most part during the war, the autobahns were not militarily significant. Motor vehicles, such as trucks, could not carry goods or troops as quickly or in as much bulk and in the same numbers as trains could.

Visuals of the Autobahn

Constructivism

Constructivism is very much a Russian movement which started in the Soviet Union with the Russian avant-garde. It was not strictly an art movement, rather a trend in the arts that was closely linked to industry and manufacturing, architecture and the applied arts. It is appropriated in The Man Machine as Constructivism firmly embraced the new social and cultural developments that grew out of World War I and the October Revolution of 1917, similar to what Kraftwerk were aiming to achieve following WWII. The movement is concerned with the use of 'real materials in real space', the movement sought to use art as a tool for the common good, much in line with the Communist principles of the new Russian regime.

I wanted to learn the main characteristics of Constructivism if I was to portray it a new way. So I discovered that as with Futurism, one of the main characteristics of Constructivism was a total commitment to and acceptance of modernity. The art was typically totally abstract, with the emphasis on geometric shapes and experimentation. Constructivist art was optimistic, but would not tend to be emotional in any way and subjectivity and individuality were subsumed in favour of objective, universal forms.

A new order in art was being sought, with new media being experimented with. One of the characteristics of Constructivist artworks is that they would be reductive in nature, simplifying everything to the most fundamental level. The fact that the Constructivist art movement emerged immediately after World War One is no coincidence. The movement wanted to sweep away all that had gone before, all that had led to the catastrophic war. The new art for the new order would have to lead to greater understanding, peace and unity, which would impact on the social and economic problems of the day.

Visuals of Constructivism

Trans Europe Express

The TEE is a fine example of postwar European railway travel as eight railway companies cooperated to compete against emerging air travel. In 1957 the TEE network connected 70 cities and no less than 130 twenty years later. The TEE was innovative not only technically, but also in terms of design. In the design of Trans Europe Express by Kraftwerk they envisage the spirit of the times that called for European cooperation. The TEE eventually declined in 1979 with the German railways converting a number of TEEs into Intercity trains with other countries following soon after. However, from researching into the TEE, it was a sign of true modernity in travel but also design as the posters that accompanied the trains were a sign of modernist ideals.

Visuals of TEE

OUGD601 - Practical theory research

To look more into the theory behind the idea and the connection with the essay, further research was undertook to help me figure out a singular goal for the practical. I looked more into the origins of Kraftwerk, post war German identity and music in general from the 70s, which all relates back to my idea. This research was key in distinguishing theories about their reputable visual culture how it helped change perceptions of German identity.

"It's hard to appreciate how alien Kraftwerk appeared back then. The first advert for Autobahn in the black-and-white NME looks particularly shocking: a bright blue sign from the future, under a feature on country music divorcees. At the time, the song was dismissed as a gimmick by the press – but not by fans who made it a No 11 hit.
Then came the xenophobia. The war was still a recent, scorching cultural memory, so perhaps it's not a surprise that a Barry Miles live review was headlined "This is what your fathers fought to save you from". The NME reprinted a feature by US critic Lester Bangs, in which Hütter was asked if Kraftwerk was "the final solution" for music. The image with the piece was even more tasteless: a press shot superimposed on to a Nuremberg rally."

These piece highlights the importance of Kraftwerk's desire to find 'historical alternatives' which I discuss in the essay, relating to both Autobahn and Constructivism. It also shows why Kraftwerk did this, as they were aiming to connect with a different culture and its politics such as Britain and the US.

"But to really understand Kraftwerk, you have to go to Dusseldorf, where the band was formed, in 1970. Like most German cities, it was flattened by the RAF and rebuilt in a hurry, in an anonymous, functional style. This was the cityscape that shaped them, and the functionality and anonymity of their music is as much a portrait of a place as Hardy’s Wessex. As Kraftwerk’s Ralf Hutter once put it, ‘We are the children of Fritz Lang and Wernher von Braun.’ Apparently the Aston conference is already sold out. Never mind. Far better to book ahead for Kraftwerk’s concert cycle in Copenhagen at the end of February, where they’ll be performing all their albums back to back. However, young West Germans had their own reason to experience a new dawn of anger – the first generation to come of age and be conscious of the crimes of their forefathers during the Third Reich, unmentioned for decades around the family table."

"Scholars argue that, in a complex way, Autobahn “reflects upon the state of German cultural, artistic, and musical identity” and “explicitly addressed aspects of German identity loaded with references to the Nazi era and beyond.” After all, the German Autobahn symbolized individual mobility and freedom on a motorway system with no (official) speed limit. The Autobahn is further connected with car manufacturing, which formed the backbone of the post-war economy, as well as the quality of German engineering as captured by the marketing slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” [advancement through technology]."

This potentially brings to light how the war shaped Kraftwerk, and asks the question in my opinion that would Kraftwerk be the same band if they were British or American. They wouldn't have to aim to change perception through design, therefore in my practical piece I must evaluate whether or not it is relevant to use the same ideals of Kraftwerk's that aimed to challenge stereotypes.

Frederic Jameson writing in 1983, summarised the prevailing of cultural obsession with the past. All the styles ad worlds that can be invented by writers and artists have already been invented he argued. And after 70 or 80 years of classical modernism, the result is exhaustion. This means that contemporary or postmodernist art is going to be about art itself in a new kind of way, this is similar to how Kraftwerk repurposed art in a time of stylistic exhaustion.

OUGD601 - Practical final idea & brief

From feedback on my ideas and a week or so of mulling over what to do, I decided upon redesigning the three Kraftwerk albums I discuss in the essay. Personally I felt I could achieve more doing this brief and enjoy it more but ultimately, it does correlate to my essay the most I believe. To delve more into the idea for practical and establish some context, in the essay I focus on the album packaging of the highly original and influential albums such as Autobahn, Trans-Europe Express and The Man-Machine. The theory in the essay looks at how Kraftwerk appropriated post war world two models that were mostly considered negative such as the Russian Revolution/Constructivism (Seen in The Man Machine) and the Autobahn which was Hitlers prioritised project. However, Kraftwerk managed to appropriate these things in such a clever way to make them seen ironic and positive. As a result changing the perception of them, as the idea of a German band at the time was very unusual.

The war had left German identity in ruins, in music and general culture. So it was Kraftwerk's job to change this through music and their visual culture such as artwork, fashion etc. In the essay I investigate in more detail other concepts they were trying to capture in the covers. But the core idea to take away and apply to the practical, is that Kraftwerk were aiming to change perceptions of German identity, accomplishing this through appropriation and rejecting the modernist that were dominating the music industry at the time.

Therefore, my idea is to imagine Kraftwerk as a band releasing them influential albums but in todays world. Re-appropriating the same things such as the Autobahn, TEE and Constructivism but in a style that maybe suitable of today, while still rejecting the modernist models like they did in the 70s. The idea also has a focus on whether Kraftwerk would still be the same band if they were releasing them albums today, as German perceptions have changed drastically since the 70s. It has a query into how they'd release the music and what it'd look like, also how this has changed since the 70s.It links to research I looked into that questioned what Kraftwerks overall style would be, if they were British or American. Additionally, if The Beatles were German and would they need to focus more on identity to change peoples minds.

The Brief

Research Question: How does Graphic Design interpret electronic music culture?

Background: With a focus on Kraftwerk's highly original and influential albums such as Autobahn, Trans-Europe Express and The Man-Machine. Additionally, their reputable visual culture and the use of appropriation and how it helped change perceptions of German identity, by rejecting the modernist that were dominating the music industry at the time but also re-appropriating post WWII models in a positive light.

Brief: Visualise Kraftwerk as a band releasing Autobahn, Trans-Europ-Expres and The Man Machine but today rather than the 70s. It has to showcase the original concepts and styles of the original artwork while rejecting the modernist models of today that exist in the music industry. 

Deliverables: The three albums redesigned and packaged in any format deemed necessary. Justified decisions relating to theory but also further research into the albums and their meanings.

Considerations: Consider how Kraftwerk would release music today and what they'd be aiming to achieve, seen as so much has changed in the world. Furthermore, think about the production of the work and how it'd be produced such as print. So on think about what would accompany the music and what makes it so unique and against the modernist ideals in music. 

OUGD601 - Practical ideas feedback

I tested each practical idea on my peers and tutors, to gather which idea had the most potential to take further and develop. Firstly I explained the theory behind each and how it relates to my points made in the essay, then asked which one has the clearest link to the essay. I had to bear in mind that my peers weren't overly familiar with my essay, therefore I showed visual examples of how the practical may turn out correlating to the piece of writing.

In general the ideas all received positive feedback and it was suggested even if I don't push forward with certain ones then I can possibly undertake them for extended practice. However, I felt two ideas particularly stood out in feedback and that was the idea to redesign the Kraftwerk albums and the appropriation of underground artists. My peers liked the idea of testing the later idea to see if people may conceive an 'underground' artists to be mainstream just from a more commercialised visual style. The Kraftwerk idea was considered to have more of a focus on the essay, as I heavily discuss the importance of their visual style. Additionally, people believed it could have more depth to it by applying product, range and distribution and how this exists in music today compared to the 1970s.

OUGD601 - Practical initial thoughts

As the essay is beginning to take shape more and more, my thoughts towards the practical piece of work is developing. With the subjects of graphic design, electronic music and subcultures being the focus of my research, then the generic response for a piece of graphic design would be producing artwork for a particular DJ/producer. However, as I have continued researching and developing the essay, theory surrounding the themes such as Kraftwerk, subcultures, Warp Records and The Designers Republic have arisen that could lead to a potentially very interesting piece of design that links well to the essay but isn't too generic. The theory is heavily related to appropriation and the role it plays in electronic music but also design, therefore, a majority of my ideas correlate back to appropriation and how its critically examined in my essay.

Idea 1 / re-designing Kraftwerk albums as if they were being released in 2017

• This particular investigation within the essay focuses on the album packaging that was produced with the same attention to detail as the music, looking at the series of highly original and influential albums such as Autobahn, Trans-Europe Express and The Man-Machine. As these classic albums are an incredible body of work, exploring areas with the aid of graphic design as distinct as nuclear energy, motorway travel, the internet and telecommunications, concepts not normally associated with electronic music songs. These areas were communicated by using appropriation of images and objects that led to the the band having a visual culture of juxtaposition. Hence it allowed Kraftwerk to use historical alternatives which contrasted to the modernist models which were dominating the industry at the time.
• Therefore, the idea is to re-appropriate the albums in art style that is relevant to the modernist models of today, yet bearing in mind what Kraftwerk were communicating in the 70s and if that would still be relevant today. This links back to the essay as I discuss the importance of Kraftwerk's covers and how they communicated the bands hidden messages. 

Idea 2 / Looking at brands that have appropriated something with a negative perceived image to create something that is positive

• This idea is influenced by the tactic used by Kraftwerk who appropriated negative/unsuccessful imagery, movements and styles to prompt a better future. It was a concept that aimed to fuse utopian notions with nostalgic images to create an aesthetic tension that confronts the present. In my essay I discuss how it can be seen in Autobahn with the confrontation of Hitler’s ‘prioritised project’ to maybe show an era of social transformation following the war. Even more so in The Man Machine , with Kraftwerk’s retrieval of Lissitzky as he had once reflected utopian desires and futuristic anticipations, yet communicated a movement that ultimately failed.
• For this idea I aim to stay away from electronic music but use key theory from the essay and apply it to generic graphic design such as branding. I could create this for an already existing brand or create a fictional one, then select a negative subject from the past and re-appropriate it for the brands benefit.

Idea 3 /  re-appropriation of mass culture music

• Consumerism is examined with a focus on 'white label' identities in music and how 'underground' white label music is appropriated and consumed into mass culture. As when white label music is assembled and packaged with the aid of graphic design, the sounds that were once ‘underground’ become corrupted and appropriated into mass culture. The listeners or clubbers conspicuously admire innovative artists, but show a disdain for those who have too high a profile of being charlatans or operated 'media sluts'. Therefore, I want to focus on these 'media sluts' who are mainly UK chart music artists but not necessarily electronic music, for example Little Mix. 
• The outcome would most likely be a redesign of current album artwork but in style that is appropriating trends not associated with the typical UK chart artist. 

Idea 4 / Appropriation of underground artists

• This idea follows the same concept and theory of idea 3 but is basically vice versa. Instead, this time the artist would be one considered 'underground' then through visual language I'll aim to showcase them as mainstream and mass culture. 
• By examining current mainstream music artwork and applying it to a artist not normally associated with this particular aesthetic. Then testing it to see people perceptions towards a so called 'underground artists' who has trickled down the mainstream, will be an interesting experiement which links heavily back to the essay.  

Idea 5 / Commercialisation and appropriation in electronic music zine

• This idea looks into examples of commercialisation in electronic music, but also potential cases of appropriation in the scene, and how graphic design visually showcases this. This idea was influenced by two images in particular, which can be seen below. They instantly reminded me of the points made in my essay so I feel this idea could be best formatted in a zine, if I could come across more examples, like the ones below. 

OUGD601 - Timeplan

Introduction 
7th - 9th November

Chapter 1, 2 & 3
10th - 28th November

Conclusion 
29th - 2nd December

Turnitin
10th December

Editing of essay
Christmas break

OUGD601 - Critical essay - Essay structure

How does graphic design interpret electronic music culture?

Introduction

• Research introduction
• Review of each section

Chapter One - Early links between electronic music and graphic design

• Intro to electronic music
• Kraftwerk influence on EDM
• Autobahn
• Trans Europe Express
• The Man Machine / El Lissitzky
• Kraftwerk's appropriation of the everyday

Chapter Two - Appropriation of electronic music 

• The 'White Label'
• Consumerism in electronic music
• Appropriation of subcultures in electronic music
• Appropriation of rave / the death of rave

Chapter Three - Warp legacy on design & subcultures

• Cultural / Subcultural capital belief 
• Artificial Intelligence
• Warp
• The Designers Republic

Conclusion

• Review of research
• The role of appropriation in electronic music 

OUGD601 - Critical essay - Kraftwerk research

(From https://www.creativereview.co.uk/loving-the-robots/ top of the page)
If the graphic design industry had a house band it would be Kraftwerk. Their aesthetic, musical output and cultivated air of mystery are all of endless fascination to us.

(from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jun/15/kraftwerk-ralf-hutter-music-about-intensity-the-rest-is-just-noise )
What about the Trans Europe Express album. Bartos once described that as being a message of European unity …

“Yes,” interjects Hütter with a smile, “But he was not the composer.”

So was that not the case?

“It’s like … where we live [in Düsseldorf] is the Rhineland. It’s Germany, but there was a British sector, it used to be French. It’s close to the Netherlands and Belgium. So we were brought up multilingual, whereas with other parts of Germany – say, Bavaria – it’s different. Ours has very multi-European connections. It’s a four-hour drive to Paris, so we were always going to discotheques in France or hearing new bands in Brussels or spending the weekend in Amsterdam. It’s very pan-European, so when I wrote the lyrics with Emil [Schult, their longtime visual artist collaborator] it was like a fantasy story about that.”

Even back in the 70s, when Kraftwerk must have seemed more like aliens beamed down to earth than human beings, the music was always accessible, always able to connect with people, always alive to the possibilities of collaboration. Did it surprise Hütter when black audiences in New York and Detroit took it to their hearts and used it as a building block for hip-hop and techno?

The album packaging was as beautifully produced with the same attention to detail as the music. The cover featured all four members of the band, resplendent in red shirts, black ties, neat haircuts and bright red lipstick artfully arranged on a staircase in some far distant European office building. The stark imagery and typography was, according to the credit on the back, “inspired by El Lissitzky”, the influential early 20th century Russian avant-garde artist. Solid information about Kraftwerk was impossible to find; the internet hadn’t been invented, music press interviews were nonexistent and I didn’t have the address for the fan club. This lack of information only made the band and their music more appealing

(From no more rules : graphic design and postmodernism rick poynor page 75)
In 1982, when Neville Brody was designer of The Face, he fashioned the opening spread of a feature about Kraftwerk in a style that referenced both Die Mensch-Maschine and its graphic origins in Lissitzkys work.

(From no more rules : graphic design and postmodernism - rick poynor page 70)
In 1978, the german electronic music group Kraftwerk released the latest in a series of highly original albums whose austere synthetic melodies and pulsing robotic rhythms would have lasting influences on the development of dance music. The 12 inch record was titled Die Mensch-Maschine (‘The Man Machine’) and its front cover announced at first glance that its musical and aesthetic concerns were radically different from most popular music at the time, whether rock, disco or punk.

The four band members, wearing identical red shirts and black ties, were framed by diagonal rules and panels of block like reminiscent of Russian Constructivist typography of the 1920s, a historical reference confirmed by the use of red, black and white as the main colours. The same slanted composition and typographic manner was used on the back cover, which also featured various geometrical shapes. A credit confirmed that the design by Karl Klefisch had been inspired by the work of El Lissitzky, avant garde ‘constructor’ of such works as About 2 (1992); the back cover was, in fact a quotation from one of the books pages. Die Mensch Machine was not a parody in any sense, but two ideas were communicated clearly: that the music, too, was to be understood as ‘avant garde’, infused by a spirit of bold artistic exploration ; and that it was ‘futuristic’, anticipating the a new world that would be different from everything we know, but in some sense still positive. Nevertheless, the designer and musicians chose to construct an image that was backward-looking, if not quite nostalgic, and whether they intended it or not, the cover could also be read as tongue in cheek and humorously camp in its straight-faced seriousness. If Kraftwerk’s music was so progressive and new, one might ask, why did it need to be represented by imagery that referred ambiguously to a moment of political failure in the past?

(From Kraftwerk music non stop) (Utopian links)



























(Nostalgia links)




OUGD601 - Crtitical essay research - If I think of Germany at night documentary

If I Think of Germany at Night is a documentary film about techno music and related musical styles. Much more than a portrait of DJs, musicians and techno activists, the film takes a deep look at both music in general and electronic music in particular. I deemed seeing this film necessary to look at the subcultures of electronic music but through a different medium such as film. The documentary is more current to say most of the books I've been looking at. The film’s protagonists Ricardo Villalobos, Sonja Moonear, Ata, Move D and Roman Flügel have a broad horizon of experience from which they speak about themselves, their subculture and its development. As all the DJs and artist are German the focus is centred around the German scene, particularly Berlin. However, you get a sense of how the culture has changed along with the role of the DJ over the years. Seeing the theory of my essay in a documentary form made this research more tangible.

OUGD601 - Critical essay - List of books

No more rules: graphic design and postmodernism

Discstyle: the graphic art of electronic music and club culture: House, Techno, Electro, Triphop, Drum 'n' Bass, Big Beat.

Club cultures: music, media and subcultural capital

Subculture to clubcultures: an introduction to popular cultural studies

Popular music and youth culture: music, identity and place

Subculture: the meaning of style

Listening through the noise: The aesthetics of experimental electronic music

Energy flash: A journey through rave music and dance culture

Electri_City: The Dusseldorf school of electronic music

Reverberations: the philosophy, aesthetics, and politics of noise

Studying popular music culture

Adventures in wonderland: a decade of club culture

Discographies: dance, music, culture and the politics of sound

Cover art by: new music graphics.

Warp labels unlimited

OUGD601 - Critical essay - Subcultures & Youth cultures research

(from dance music first page 5)

"Writing about punk rock, Jesse Prinz argues that the identities it fosters and its roles as a subculture are a part of its aesthetic interest. unlike punk aficionados of dance music who don’t tend to make visible their affiliations but nonetheless dance music depends on scenes, and clubbers demonstrate significant commitment to their scenes"

(dance music first page 5)

"In the uk the term subculture is closely associated with the Birmingham school of subcultural studies, according to which subcultures are inherently dissenting ; forms of (youth) protest against hegemonic conservative forces, often class based"

"This fits in with the critical writing about dance music that theorises clubs and parties as spaces for expression of disruptive political identities and ideas"

(from studying popular music page 231) (links to dick hebidge)

"The title of this book, Subculture: the meaning of style (Hebidge, 1979) gives some clues to the approach he took. He argued that subcultural groups like teds, or mods or punks (and by extension all musical subcultures) construct a style - of dress, music, forms of transport, and forms of dancing or listening or buying - that is meaningful to them and others. To do this, subcultural groups take products that are available in the mainstream society and transform their meanings through ‘bricolage’ : a process of improvisation where conspicuous consumption is organised in distinctive ways to transform the meanings of the objects. Through this transformation of meanings, these styles begin to reinforce each other to create coherent whole that Hebidge, following Barthes calls ‘homology’"

(from studying popular music page 233) (argument against subcultures)

"Gary Clarke (1981/1990) has investigated the selection process of the subcultural studies, arguing that they have privileged certain spectacular groups at the expense of ‘ordinary youth’ who consume mainstream music and wear chain-store clothes."

"This, he believed, would allow us to examine the sorts of options that are available to different young people, and would avoid viewing the spectacular subculture as some sort of original, which is then watered down for exploitation and mass consumption."

(from studying popular music page 234) (characteristics of consuming music)

"First, taste and choice in music is not arbitrary or haphazard, nor simply a matter of subjective choice. Rather it is culturally generated. we dot not choose the music we consume in isolation. Our choices of music and the ways we consume them are meaningful to us and those around us."

"Second, the way in which music is meaningful is not simply reducible to ‘the music’ but is produced in the particular ways that we consume it. Hebdige shows us that the ‘sense of style’ generated by the ways we consume music transforms its meanings. this was how hebidge utilised the notion of bricolage. while his examples are most often about music, the same idea can be applied to other forms of consumption. For instance, acquiring our music as vinyl LP from a second hand market stall, as a CD single from a high street store, as a 12 inch vinyl single from a specialist dance music shop or as MP3 file over the internet are all meaningful choices."

"Finally, the meaningfulness of one act of consumption relates to other acts of consumption (or other social practices) to form a whole style. This was how Hebidge used the notion of homology. So, the vinyl LP is usually collected, categorised, organised on shelves, listened to in relation to other collected records and the sense of popular music history produced by the collector. The CD is bought on a saturday morning shopping trip to the mall, which also includes buying clothes from certain shops, and is undertaken with friends as a social occasion. The 12 -inch single is tucked into a record bag to be mixed on a set of home record decks as practice for its use in a big club night. The MP3 file is added to hard disk in a bedroom to be discussed over the internet late into the night. Each of these constitutes a particular and coherent set of ways to consume music and each is distinctive in its meanings and related associations."

(from studying popular music page 235) (Fandom, a way of consumption)

"In an alternative reading of the interviews, fandom is revealed as an active process with its own forms of consumption and meaning making. The accounts are full of references to the texts of fandom - records, pictures, memorabilia, fanzines, fan meetings - the activities of listening, watching and discussion, as well as indications of the individual and collective pleasures of fandom."

(from studying popular music page 235&236) (cultural capital)

"A number of theorists of fan culture have drawn upon the concept of ‘cultural capital’ (bourdieu, 1984). This refers to those forms of cultural knowledge that allow intellectuals to create and circulate distinctions between ‘good’ culture (the high arts they like to consume) and ‘bad culture’ (popular culture that subordinate groups consume). For the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, the intellectuals who run the education and legal systems, the media and other cultural industries, construct hierarchies of what is good and is bad in culture. This power to make distinctions is a source of social power that he sees as corollary to the marxist idea of ‘economic capital’, the power derived from the ownership of the means of production. By analogy, just as capitalist factory owners invest in more capital to increase production, wealth and ultimately power for themselves, intellectuals invest in forms of restricted education that give them more cultural capital and so more cultural power."

"Music fans usually know an enormous amount of detail about their favourite groups or artists. They distinguish ‘their’ artist from others, and often distinguish them between different records produced by that artist, and give significance to the artists and music and their lives. Fiske’s approach is useful to our study in so far we can look at fan activity in a new light, in which fandom becomes a set of creative, productive and empowering practices."

"In bourdieu’s own work, the idea of cultural capital is a means of to explain how certain forms of knowledge and practice make groups of individuals powerful. In Fiske’s version, education in the high arts is simply an investigation in something that already assigns power in society. Further, fan self-education is simply a way of achieving prestige within a peer group."

OUGD601 - Critical essay - Feedback & 1st tutorial

Following the presentation I received mixed feedback on my research to this point, and although my peers and tutor agreed that this has the potential to be an interesting research question. At this moment in time its too broad and covers vast amounts of themes, for it to be possible to be condensed into 5000 words. Therefore the first tutorial was crucial to clarify the question but also the real focus of the essay, as before the tutorial I was in two minds on what the essay was truly trying to say.

In the tutorial I finalised on a question to begin with which is 'How does graphic design interpret electronic music culture?'. This question is a lot more simpler to my original question which was 'To what extent does aesthetic style reflect the noise of electronic music culture?' And by altering the question it made me distinguish what research I need to focus on in the coming weeks for the intro to the essay, which I also outlined; the intro points are as follows:

• How electronic music is interpreted through graphic design but talk about how this is nothing new, then expand by talking about the link between music and visual culture, and cover other genres and how music visual culture has been appropriated such as punk and Kraftwerk 
• The consumption of music
• Define the link between electronic music and subcultures

OUGD601 - Critcal essay subject presentation

OUGD601 - Critical essay subject

Over the summer break my focus and interests changed in terms of the themes to explore for my context of practice 3 module. The subject of electronic music remains but the original plan of discussing politics and culture of nightlife/electronic music and how its important to the creative industries has changed.

I now want to focus on the themes of aesthetics, noise, postmodernism, anti-establishment,  subculture and youth culture. Together these will form the discussion of how electronic music is aesthetically represented through graphic design, but will also investigate electronic music portraying 'noise' in a postmodern aesthetic form and noise representing anti establishment and subcultures.

OUGD501 - Context of Practice 3 / Dissertation proposal

https://issuu.com/tomdixon./docs/dissertation_proposal

OUGD501 - Evaluation

To conclude on a module which at first I had doubts about but now it is complete I am personally satisfied with all deliverables of the module. After a rather poor Context of Practice 1 I had doubts about Context of Practice 2 and whether or not my final grade in this module would affect my overall grade like it did in first year. For a number of reasons I didn’t do as well as I should have in Context of Practice 1 but nonetheless this year was a dramatic change. I believe having the opportunity to choose a question of my own, created enthusiasm for the essay and practical. When thinking about a subject to relate to in graphic design it didn’t take too long for me to decide upon electronic music, as its one of my passions outside of graphic design I felt I could enjoy this module if I related it to my personal interests.

Prior to the research I had a rough idea of what I wanted to explore so I highlighted rave culture, branding and marketing of electronic music, rave influence and Fabric the club as the main talking points of the essay. I aimed to make the points relevant to the module but also current and by including Fabric I could analyse the clubs identity but also the recent court case the club was embroiled in. My research was an enjoyable process as I knew exactly what I was looking for at times, and I felt my knowledge of the scene would allow me to be precise with research. My knowledge of the scene and my practice of graphic design made me reflect upon my research and I felt the most suitable name for the essay was ’What is the role of graphic design in the underground electronic music scene?’

It is what one tutor called a niche subject, and in research I definitely encountered how niche this subject was at times, as academic sources were hard to come by. Nevertheless in the end I found some useful and insightful sources which helped guide my essay in a academic form. The likes of Dick Hebidge : The Meaning of Style and RAVE : Its Influences on Art and Culture provided a great backbone for this essay and allowed my knowledge and passion for the subject to push the points I made. On a personal level the essay was a success as I feel I’ve improved upon Context of Practice 1, the obvious factor is producing a written essay on something I like but I also feel my written language has improved in this module. Furthermore this improvement in written language has lent itself to other modules, as I feel I’ve approached and anaysled certain topics differently in other modules thanks to Context of Practice.

When I look back on the essay now, yes Im proud of it but maybe the addition of more academic sources may enhance it, and this is the reason I’m pushing this certain subject further in Context of Practice 3. The opportunity to write a dissertation on my personal interests aligned with graphic design is something I’m looking forward to, rather than daunting the thought of 9000 words.

Moving onto the practical side of the module which helps reflect a number of the points in the essay but in a physical piece of graphic design. The Visual Case Study of Fabric combines firstly the talking point of  Fabric obviously, and helps highlight the importance of the clubs visual identity and the story of the clubs court case which gripped the electronic music scene for a number of months. It then takes parts of the point on how graphic designers are recapturing rave culture,  with the use of certain aesthetics and how Fabric used the iconic acid smiley face for nostalgia to capture a scene in one and help push the save Fabric campaign. The end result combines these points to tell the story of Fabrics court case but only through the use of icons, as Fabric did use and alter one to represent the scene. The practical is informed in a number of ways and this is why I’m mainly happy with it, and maybe a few minor changes are needed to the physical piece but the overall idea works well with the essay.

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Reception / Feedback

For a reception of the Fabric visual case study I asked a select number of people with interests in both electronic music and design. This allowed me to have an understanding of the two target audiences and to see how they conceive the idea. I asked a number of questions to each indivdual then followed up with a conversation about the case study as this was beneficial to talk about the design, Fabric, music culture and anything else related to the visual case study.

Q. Is the story clear throughout the case study?
A. Yes, there is a clear story that is shown through the icons and symbols, it makes it easier to understand as you don’t have to read much…good for a lazy person which probably links to the target audience.

Q. You describe the target audience as ‘Lazy’, would you be able to expand on that?
A. Its not that its lazy its just more appealing because its visually pleasing and thats what people like me like. Its like when you got a magazine when you were younger you would just look at the pictures. Similar concept i guess.

Q. Do you feel the case study celebrates the scene and culture of electronic music?
A. Yes, the case study is highlighting what is good about Fabric and helping the audience understand frustration that people had once it closed.

Q. From a design and music standpoint, what are the unique qualities of the case study?
A. There is nothing else out there that shows the save fabric campaign, this helps to tell the story which many people might not be fully familiar with.




Q. Is the story clear throughout the case study?
A. Yes definitely the symbols flow smoothly from one to another creating a coherent story. Even though I know the story of the Fabric court case, I do feel like someone who is totally unaware of the club would have a rough idea of the court case through the use of icons, as it allows linkage.

Q. You speak about ‘linkage’, in research I found out that icons and symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different concepts and experiences. So do you feel the case study allows people to interpret the icons for themselves?

A. All the icons are clear and recognisable but each mean something different to each person but in the end contributes to the story of the Fabric court case. When I turn each page and look upon the icons I remember that certain stage of the court case, so I’d say it helps me reflect upon that experience.

Q. Do you feel the case study celebrates the scene and culture of electronic music?
A. Yeah it does a very good job of communicating the passion and love people have for Fabric and electronic music. The small essay in the opening page gives a different perspective of electronic music and makes people stop and read it to fully respect and understand it. Personally I feel electronic music is pushed aside in general media but the opening page of the case study can change peoples approach.

Q. From a design and music standpoint, what are the unique qualities of the case study?
A. It has an ability which not many design books have to tell a story simply. Design books are made for designers so most the time they are intricate and beautifully polished books such as Unit Editions but the case study is different. Its simple, bold, quick and impactful and these are the unique qualities of the visual case study. But to go into more depth about the principles of this case study then the isolated icons on each page do a good job of emphasising the importance of each step/page in the story.

I know for myself that not many books exist based on electronic music so thats unique quality I suppose, but the best thing about this case study that is music related is that it simply celebrates something that benefited the people of the electronic music scene.

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Distribution

The distribution of the Fabric visual case study is key but I do believe an audience would come to it rather than it directly targeting one. The use of blogs in both music and design sectors would help increase the distribution of the publication as people would be informed briefly on blogs then it would be up to them to check the publication out further. The mock-ups beow show the case study as Instagram posts on both ItsNiceThat and Resident Advisor, these two platforms are at the forefront of the their industries and would help increase distribution in a considerable amounts. A worldwide audience would be reached then people would be able to purchase the publication in independent book shops such as Magma, Magculture, Colours May Vary and Village. Through blogs such as ItsNiceThat, Collate, Aisleone etc, a design related audience would be informed about the visual case study so one target audience is achieved. On the other hand music blogs would focus on the music side more and aim to inform electronic music fans of the case study. Fabric themselves could play a pivotal part in the distribution of the publication as they could promote it to inform people of their story. Even though in my essay I talk about Fabric never taking advantage of its stature as a brand. The promotion of the case study would be more celebratory than aiming to make money.

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Production

If the visual case study was to be produced on a bigger scale then Id have to consider the production further. The publication would be produced in limited numbers as it target audience is a niche market, therefore a small print run of 5000 copies would be made available. For optimum print quality of the icons and varnish finish on the cover then offset lithography would b used to print the visual case study. This is because It costs less to produce high quality printing when it is done with offset printing methods. Additionally, the image quality is consistently good as the rubber blanket, on the printing plate, fits itself to the texture of the printing surface, leaving a clean and detailed image every time, unlike printing methods such as risograph. Although for a short print run of 5000, normally you’d use digital printing but for the icons in the visual case study they require the quality of offset litho.

In terms of stock for the production of the visual case study, in the mock-up I created I only used a 300gsm black stock for the cover and 120gsm standard white stock. However for the final visual case study a more professional stock would be used. Arjowiggins and G.F Smith are both great suppliers of high standard stocks but the specific stock used would be. Firstly for the cover a 270gsm  Curious Collection Black is used as its matt texture will contrast with the high quality gloss varnish of the cover. For the pages within then Arjowiggins Conqueror range Diamond white 120gsm would be used, the range offers ultra smooth and lustrous low-friction surface which produces a high definition print result. Finally for the belly bound, a lower GSM was required for flexibility. Conqueror range Diamond white would be used again but this time in 100gsm to allow the belly bound to crease on the spine of the publication.

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Outcome

The outcome is visual case study in the format of a small publication that communicates the story of the Fabric court case page by page. Through the use of symbols and icons the publication communicates one part of electronic music culture through graphic design which was one aim of the brief. This solution can successfully reach both a music and design audience. As its current in terms of content for the music audience but also aesthetically pleasing and intriguing for a design audience.

In terms of relation to the critical writing/research it links to a number of points in my essay but also research paths I looked at. One major talking point in my essay is the importance of Fabric’s visual identity and whether or not graphic design helped to save the club. I delve into the weekly series of posters that are designed by the in house art director, also the point about fabric never taking advantage of its stature as a brand and finally how the space, people and music of Fabric is explored through graphic design. I believe the outcome of the practical links to all these points but in particular how the club is explored through graphic design. In the practical I exlpore the story of Fabric through icons and symbols which are a clear and impactful way of communication in graphic design. I didnt just decide to use icons and symbols because of their clear message but they also have a clear link with my critical writing. I talk about rave culture and the iconic smiley face which Fabric used for the save Fabric campaign. Whether or not Fabric used the icon for nostalgia or a defiant logo for the campaign. It successfully told the past/present and future of electronic dance music and was a defiant face for dance culture. From this I felt using icons and symbols was then the best way of communicating Fabric, as the club relied so heavily on the iconic smiley face to potentially save the club.

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Developments

In development the first stage was creating a mock publication to gain an understanding of the sizing. The scale of the case study is A4, I made this decision because I felt the icons needed plenty of white space to be bold and impactful on the viewer of the case study.

I produced the publication in Indesign as I was able to manipulate the content in a number of ways while using a structured grid. In the end I decided to place the icons centre of the composition as it helps highlight the icons more with white space surrounding the element. The layout continues to be simple and centred in the case study as I placed all the icons centre of page to create a repetitive layout yet allowing diversity through different icons each page. The decision to carry on having having a limited colour palette is informed by the icons being only black and white.

The developed front cover of the publication only shows two variations of the fabric smiley face, and the icons will be printed black gloss on black stock to further instil an ambiguous style that is informed by the dance culture in which Fabric resides. Below is the belly bound which will can be placed over the cover, the belly bound gives a small insight into the visual case study. The type choice for the belly bound body copy and the rest of the copy text in the case study is Apercu. Aperçu is an idea to create an amalgamation of classic realist typefaces such as Franklin Gothic, Johnston , Gill Sans and Neuzeit. I like how it combines a variety of sans serif typefaces to get where it is, I resonate the rich heritage of this type design with Fabric and the history of dance culture.

OUGD501 - Study task 06 - Consumer identities

In what way can products / services relate to consumers identities ?

From the source provided it shows that there is extensive research into how products / services relate to consumer identities, the basis is that products can help mould and manage peoples identities and this how the two relate. People have always used possessions and services to express themselves as people are linked to what they consume, furthermore peoples identities are judged by material possessions as a natural representation of themselves. For example, Gosling, Ko, Morris and Thomas (2002) found that people could correctly judge another persons personality just by having a brief look at their office or bedroom.

How do consumers use products / services within social interaction ?

• upward comparison - ideal self, celebrity endorsements
• downward comparisons - superior to another

Using the theories discussed suggest some visual communication strategies that effectively promote a product to its target consumer ?

• Nespresso advert - George Clooney - lifestyle - celebrity endorsement
• Palace advert - Jonah Hill 
• Galaxy advert - Audrie hepburn

Ethical issues?

Stereotyping can occur such as BMW drivers being stereotyped, this is an example of people being put into categories and although it maybe bad and unethical it can help businesses and designers reach a audience quicker and easier.

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Development

Now that i'd decided to choose the Fabric visual case study, I had to develop the critical moments of the Fabric court case and think of ways of creating icons and symbols that resemble that event.

The events of the court case are as follows:

• August 6th / calendar icon showing date of teenagers death 
• Dancing icon / to show atmosphere inside club
• Drug icon / to show the cause of the teenagers death
• Ambulance bed icon
• Gravestone icon / to indicate teenagers death
• News and social media icon / news of death hit headlines 
• Fabric door shut / indicates Islington council revokes the club license 
• Save fabric icon with unhappy face / shows campaign started to save the club
• Campaign icon / showing Fabric worldwide support
• Cheque icon / £270.000 raised for clubs legal fee
• November 28th / calendar icon to show date of court case to determine Fabric's future
• Court case icon
• Save fabric icon with happy face / shows Fabric wins appeal 
• January 6th /  calendar icon showing date of reopeing 
• Fabric doors open icon
• Dancing icon / to show atmosphere inside club back again 

The icons and symbols were developed to work together as a series and remain cohesive throughout the case study. Keeping the colour palette black and white helps maintain the series but also helps communicate a very 'straight faced' culture that operates in the after hours so I felt black and white icons would work best. When designing the icons and symbols I felt the best way to approach this process was thinking of the event in basic form and delivering an icon that is a literal response, from this the user can interact with the case study on a basic understanding then allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different concepts and experiences.

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Practical ideas feedback

Following further research into Fabric visual case study and Nightclub promotion I decided it was time to pick an idea to further develop as a part of my practical. I required feedback from both peers and tutors to decide upon an idea, firstly to start with peers who believed that the Fabric visual case study came across like a more interesting project to undertake as posters maybe more mundane. Although it was down to more research into nightclub promotion to make the project less mundane, I believed it was time move on research and begin production of ideas. As my peers haven't read my essay I aimed to introduce the points in the clearest way but I knew the most constructive feedback I could receive was from someone who read the essay such as a tutor. Therefore Richard Miles was able to link my essay to the ideas and give some feedback, he believed the Fabric idea related to the essay in a number of ways such as how potentially graphic design saved Fabric. So the best way to tell the story of the closure and reopening was from one of simplest forms of graphic design, a icon or symbol. Also through the use of icons and symbols this also links with the Save Fabric icon which combined the logo and the iconic smiley face (rave influenced) to create a defiant graphic language for Fabric.

Therefore from research and personal preference I decided to pick the Fabric visual case study to further develop and produce.

OUGD501 - Studio brief 02 - Developments

Following feedback on my prototype solutions it was time to select two to further develop and research more. From personal preference and feedback I received from both tutors and peers, I chose the Fabric visual case study and the nightclub promotion that uses contemporary design to reach out to a new audience idea.


Fabric visual case study further research

Fabric first opened on 21st October 1999; though it started as an idea many years prior to that. The building alone took over three years to convert but the club now stands proudly in the renovated space of the Metropolitan Cold Stores in Farringdon, London.Simply put, fabric was conceived by people that go to clubs, for people that go to clubs. The club has three separate rooms (two of which feature stages for live acts) which each have their own independent sound systems. Aside from the unisex toilets, a unique feature of the club is the vibrating floor in Room One. Known as a "bodysonic" dancefloor, sections of the floors are attached to 450 bass transducers which emit bass frequencies, allowing clubbers to feel the music through the low end frequencies transmitted into their skeletons via their feet.

As the visual case study is about the court case that made Fabric the centre of news for many weeks, but in the end the electronic music community came together to secure Fabric’s future, but how much of this was down to the importance of graphic design and Fabric’s visual identity. The whole idea is about portraying the court case and happenings around the event in symbols and icons, as the savefabric icon/symbol did end up playing a pivotal role in helping saving Fabric.

A necessary start to further research was looking at what potential events could be told through icons/symbols. But knowing the exact story of the Fabric court case was the best possible research to undertake and from this I could highlight critical points in the case. The key happenings and occurings I discovered are below:

• August 6th, the night of one of the two tragic deaths of teenagers at Fabric
• Believed teenager took class A drug MDMA
• News of death circulates around news and social media
• Islington council revoke the licence following the drug-related deaths of two teenagers
• Save Fabric campaign
• £270,000 raised through campaign to Fabric legal fees
• November 28th, court case to appeal Fabrics closure
• Fabric wins appeal but under stricter license conditions.
• January 6th, reopening night

As this idea focuses on graphic design and in particular symbols and logos communicating Fabric, for more extensive research I looked at how symbols and logos aim to tell a story in both literal and lateral ways. I found a really inspiring project in which one designer uses icons and symbols to intrigue an audience, the symbols and icons he creates are full of pop culture references that hark back to old video games, familiar toys and the internet. As a result the visual language he’s created feels familiar but still ambiguous enough to engage viewers.

The identity for San Marino University’s design workshop week puts icons and symbols to excellent use. Graphics for each event in the seven-day series at the Italian institution utilised different icons. The symbols related to cartography and map-making. Simple and largely undecorated, the back-to-basics design is thoroughly pleasing to the eye.

These icons represent touch, taste, sound, vision, smell and balance, for the BBC’s Cape initiative. Cape (Creating a Positive Environment) is aiming to raise awareness of the need to improve access to work for people with conditions such as autism, dyslexia and Tourette’s. The icons aim to highlight the fact that senses affect those with neurodiverse conditions in hugely different ways and each icon uses a triangle as its focal point in various forms such as an eye or tongue, or see-saw drawn from the angular logo. The logo uses an infinite symbol, with half-filled, half-line work to represent the two sides of the brain.

Nightclub promotion that uses contemporary design to reach out to a new audience idea further research

For further research for this idea I contacted Boiler Room lead designer Caterina Bianchini. Boiler Room is a global online music broadcasting platform commissioning and streaming live music sessions around the world. What I wanted to get from Caterina was seeing what she likes to reflect in the Boiler Room work, research she undertakes, what influences her and how she targets an audience.

One really helpful part of this was how she talks about incorporating a feeling into the designs she develops, and how this feeling usually reflects the genre of the music or the vibe of the show we are working on. 'vibe of the show' was one part of my essay which was about branding and marketing of underground electronic music. From her response about the artwork being really conceptual and based purely on a conceptual thought rather than the artists and the music itself, I decided to look at examples of work that is both highly conceptual but also plain and simple design that communicates the artists or music. To also narrow my research down I looked at event posters from Leeds as the this developed idea would most likely focus on Leeds nights or nightclub. As it the city I'm based and the clubs I'm most familiar with in terms of aesthetic, music and people.

These designs are for murky techno club nights and he is obviously referencing the dystopian discontent that is bubbling underneath fashion and music at the moment. Two event poster are displayed above for Wire and The Old Red Bus Station which are two of Leeds alternative clubs which offer a range of electronic music, and he uses a DIY inspired style to create an aesthetic that sums up the lineup of each night. All the artists are underground techno djs who reside in a more darker scene which I think is reflected in the designs. These are definitely more conceptual designs that are communicating a grainy looming techno dystopia and he is trying to translate into his own graphic language.

Above is set of posters that have a singular purpose in my opinion, sell tickets. One may argue that yes posters are for advertising and selling tickets of an event but in comparison to the other conceptual posters which have an underlying message of techno dystopia with the designer aiming to use his own style throughout. These posters are for Canal Mills techno events which are more for masses than say the murky events at Wire, the design includes the big linuep but also introduces the event space itself. With the addition of paint strokes and overlays to the design, it helps make these posters more aesthetically pleasing but the sound of the music is not included in the final piece in my opinion.