Album Artwork Influences:

Acolyte - Delphic

This is Delphic's existing album cover for 'Acolyte'. We will be using the same name and track listing, but will change the logo, as well as the photo. Delphic have opted for a surreal photo of the band falling or floating it is not entirely clear. In addition there is a good water mark effect which spirals off each member. The logo is placed directly in the centre, and is very simplistic, whilst still managing to bounce off the cover, as the bright white is clearly defined over the dark figures. Furthermore i like the use of lighting, and the way it is really bright in the centre where the figures and logo are illuminated but the edges get darker and darker.

xx - The xx

This is a very simplistic album cover; however I feel it is very effective and certainly intriguing. The fact that it is simply just a white x on a black background makes me want to listen to it because the cover does not reveal a thing; it will all be saved for the music. Furthermore the simplicity reflects the beautiful basic beats within their music.

Primary Colours -The Horrors

Primary Colours is the second LP from The Horrors, this show cased a change in direction from the cartoon Goth rock band to psychedelic alternative rock pioneers. With many critics praising their new direction. Notably receiving a Mercury Music Prize nomination and topping NME's albums of 2009 list. In comparison to their first album cover (see below) the cover of this album seems to reflect their change. They both follow the same concept; the band sitting down staring directly at the camera. However Primary Colours is lighter which could tie in with them moving away from their previous 'darker' music. Also the fact that the image is distorted shows that this time round they are focusing less on their image. Their image was a large part to the success of the first album, and helped to establish them in the music industry. With Primary Colours they have toned it down completely, presumably to make a mark that the music is more important than the image.

It's Blitz - Yeah Yeah Yeah's

This is the third LP from New Yorker's Yeah Yeah Yeah's. What i particularly like about this photo is that it doesn't seem to have been manipulated at all. It is a natural photo of a female arm cracking an egg in her palm. I like the way it looks almost dynamic, and the stage of egg cracking makes it almost difficult to realise exactly what it is. In addition it symbolises the album title perfectly. The title 'It's Blitz' refers to mayhem and destruction. This is reflected in the not so threatening breaking of an egg.

Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective

This is a particular favourite of mine. Upon first glance it seems like an ordinary pattern just placed on an album cover. If you look closely the greenery moves. It is an optical illusion based on the works of Japanese psychologist Akiyoshi Kitaoka. It is visually compelling, it is more than just an album cover it is an optical illusion.

Bloc Party

Silent Alarm

A Weekend In The City

Intimacy

Bloc Party are similar to Delphic in the sense that they make indie/ electronic enthused music. They are a band who consistently delivers outstanding album artwork. The images above are their three albums, each one telling a different narrative with the title and image. The first one 'Silent Alarm' is my favourite; it is almost completely white apart from the desolate woodland landscape. The title corresponds with the artwork in the sense that if there was an alarm in that setting no one would hear it therefore it would be 'silent'. I feel it is an intelligent, yet captivating concept.

The second album ' A Weekend In The City' is very similar to the first in the sense they are both simplistic desolate images. Here it creates juxtaposition with the title because a city would be typically busy at the weekend, whereas the image shows an empty road. This could potentially represent Bloc Party breaking conventions visually as well as musically.

The third album does what it says on the tin. It is aptly titled intimacy, showing a couple being intimate. The intriguing thing behind this however is that it is basically just the lips. Consequently the identity of the two is unknown, suggesting that they could even be of the same gender. Again breaking conventions.

Other album covers I find inspirational:

Is This It? - The Strokes

Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires

Antidotes - Foals

Exile on Main ST. - Rolling Stones

After studying the artwork above. We have decided that a simple, yet awe inspiring image is what we want to put on our album. Our aim is to leave the audience staring in confusion. It doesn't necessarily have to reflect the music that would be on the CD, it would just have to be as captivating as the music itself.