Most designers have a special relationship with music packaging and design. Many of us entered the creative industry as a direct result of our first encounters with 7” and 12” sleeves, hand drawn TDK mixtape covers, CD inlays and club flyers.

Designers of a certain era can often be heard bemoaning the demise of the record sleeve as a piece of art, a protest that began when the introduction of CDs significantly reduced the size of the canvas. Now the MP3 has more or less nailed the lid of the CD coffin firmly shut, is there a human element left in music outside of the (rather quiet) record shop? Will we ever see a music/designer relationship anything like Factory Records and Peter Saville again? The Sex Pistols and Jamie Reid? Warp and The Designers Republic?

I think we will. I’ve recently been chatting with our hugely talented photographer friend, Suzie Blake, various industry people and the punters themselves to work out the details of a new music project that will bring back the tangible element into buying music. We’re certainly not trying to revive a dead format or sell nostalgia to old designers. What we’re working on is new and exciting and we’re very pleased with the way it’s going.

Check out Suzie’s excellent portfolio and watch this space for more info.

It’s more than the music.

Mat Dolphin