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.