Sleeves of Desire

Sleeves of Desire by Edition of Contemporary music, this book gives an insight into the album cover designs from ECM records, how they create there designs, what influences them and what their style of design is. I have found this book to be incredibly insightful and engaging the work shows a clear distinct style yet allows the different themes of each of the albums to come through. I have picked out the design I personally found to be interesting and related to the 'Dream 3' themed song I have chosen to look at. 

Many of the album covers feature photography as a prominent part of the design this album cover on the left show this. Photography can be an integral part of the designs but must be selected and used appropriately. These photographs are quite simplistic and ambiguous, they do not show a clear message. The combination of simple type and background really emphasis the photography yet give the designs a grunge, urban feel.

These two design for Terje Rypdal & The Chasers and the song 'blue' also shows this use of abstract photography and how it can be used to great effect in creating a simple yet eye-catching designs. The marriage of text and images is not unlike the designs above using dark colour tones in contrast with the white text. I think that the use of photography within designs is something that has to be considered as it is seen so often with famous album covers designs.

This two pages show album covers designed by Barbara Wojirsch are extremely interesting and quite unusual, the  build up of marks and lines in different mediums to create a beautiful textured backdrop for some subtle hand draw typography. The choice of tactile materials makes the album cover feel precious and intriguing. The way the different levels of type are more and less obscured this creates a extremely detailed and interesting piece of work. The added level of effort and detail really add to the intrigue and success of these album designs. 

These designs may have been influenced by the famous abstract artist Cy Twombly from the Unites States, the different levels of texture, different colours and use of fast brush strokes reflect the Barbara Wojirsch designs above.

This designs for Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy's record 'I only have eyes for you' on the left shows again this use of abstract photography within a simplistic and conceded design these photos are slightly less ambiguous and have more character and content compared to the Terje Rypdal & The Chasers album cover designs. Again the text of the images is extremely subtle, the designs of the ECM records is described in the book as a 'poetry of proportions' this attention to detail to the little things is defiantly on show in these album covers above.

These two covers show a similar style of composition of the images and the background and show again this use of moody and abstract photography but in much darker colour tones. The subtle text is again used and is certainly a trademark of the ECM records designs.

These designs have a minimal Bauhaus or Swiss design feel to them, the colours are simple and prominent and there is a real focus on shape and line. The text is again subtle is not really the main focus of the designs. The choice of colour and composition of line is then highlighted within these designs. It is interesting to see again an extremely different kind of design that follows a more modernist style.

These designs above for Walter Fahndrich's track Viola shows how typography along can be used to create and intriguing and alluring design. The use of roman numerals and numbers in different colours creates a delicate designs. I this the tactility of the materials and techniques used allows the designs to be communicated in a much more engaging way. The designs are simple but show a clear message and do so without being too in your face and loud this shows a similar message to the music of Mac Richter's track Dream 3.

These designs for albums by ECM records are defiantly much more detailed and show an more direct and eye-catching kind of graphics. though still keeping the same attention to detail and use of minimal shapes and lines alongside abstract photography. These designs have much more of a immediacy to them and are a lot more striking compared to the other designs this is displayed more ruff and grunge style designs. This is another technique I feel I should experiment with within my own sketches and designs.

  

 

 

These images show the catalogue of covers at the back of the book showing all the different examples of the designs ECM records have created. These designs show a beautiful alternative to record design showing that the design does not have to be too complex and can be more abigious and subtle and still be intriguing and engaging to the viewer. I have found this book to be very inspiring and show a great insight into a different kind of record design.