I had the pleasure of putting together the album layout and packaging design for one of Seattle’s most creative musical duo, Concept. Their first release titled Forget Me Not required a smattering of creative energies in producing logo/identity, illustration, and photo montage. All design elements from the fonts down to the textural photo-based graphics were built from collaborative direction with the band. Due to the nature of the music there was a necessary balance of masculine/feminine aesthetics with the linework and flow of the lettering and photo-compositions.
When producing highly detailed artwork for such an ultimately small format of media the designer must be diligent at utilizing strategically placed elements so that the compostion works and is not too cluttered. This is typically my main concern with creating super intricate album covers…not cluttering it needlessly. I also decided to take our original concept up a notch: The ‘mystery’ man at the bar glances over his shoulder. The woman next to him at the bar looks off in concern with her hands on her hips. The man holds a letter, which is kind of hidden, down to his side by the bar stool. The ‘mystery’ girl walks into the room toward the bar. Is it her who is getting this attention? What’s the letter? Love triangle? etc.
I really wanted to play off the idea of a love pattern that could bring about questions regarding what is exactly happening in the cover scene while tying it into the collateral pages of the layout. A couple of photo shoots at a variety of local establishments mingled with the hand drawn characters and photo real representation of the band enabled me to produce a stylistically unique layout that reflects not only the music, but the image aesthetics conjured by Land’s riffs and Zorn’s candlelight-lyrics. It leaves room for dialogue and the viewers own interpretations of their style and sexy, steamy intrigue.
To preview sample songs from Forget Me Not or purchase the CD please visit: http://www.conceptsongs.com
Concept established their musical collective out of a true joint passion for music. The duo formed in the spring of 2010 with the goal to create original music blending the unique styles that Shiri Zorn and Yoav Land each brought with them. What emerged was an engaging combination of blues, jazz, folk and rock.
The band, based out of Seattle, WA, has recently released its first CD “Forget Me Not” with highly positive reviews and ever growing sales. The material for the CD was composed and recorded in just 3 months. The songs carry western and Mediterranean flavors all at the same time.
Yoav Land, who composed all the materials, is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer and a songwriter. From a very early age he was exposed to jazz, soul, rock and Middle Eastern music. His influences include a wide range of musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Led Zeppelin, Gary Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen, Van Halen, Steve Vai, J.S Bach and various world music artists. His broad range of composition styles is reflected in the CD, where each song is a real work of art.
Shiri Zorn’s vocals draw the listeners in as the CD unfolds itself. Her versatile voice allows her to add unique color and tone to each and every song. Throughout her musical career, Shiri was inspired by musicians from all across the spectrum. Amongst her main influences are Jazz vocalists such as Carmen McRae, Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughan alongside instrumentalists such as Chet Baker, Miles Davis and Elvis Costello.
Both Land and Zorn (“Concept” members) have lived in various countries over the years and were exposed to multiple cultures. Each member brings his/her own experience and concepts to the mix. This is what makes “Forget Me Not” an extraordinary piece which takes the listener on a special emotional journey.
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