Hardformat

Artist: Jon Hassell
Album: Fascinoma
Label: Water Lily Acoustics
Year: 1999
Designer: Neil Kellerhouse
Type of music: cavernous, blurred fourth world bayou
Notes: Jon Hassell’s ouevre has almost always featured strong designs (many using Mati Klarwein’s extraordinary paintings), but this is my favourite. The muted browns and golds and the pebble typography of the title suits the music perfectly. My only reservation relates to the use of a standard jewel-case rather than a digipak or, best of all, a 12″ gatefold vinyl sleeve for which this design would have been sublime. Well, one can dream…

Artist: nsi
Album: plays non standards
Label: tbc
Year: tbc
Designer: tbc
Type of music: tbc
Notes: -

Artist: Various
Album: Basic Replay
Label: Basic Replay
Year: tbc
Designer: tbc
Type of music: tbc
Notes: -

Sincere thanks to guest contributor Houndworld for this post…

Artist: Bulbul
Album: U5 / Velo
Label: Trost
Year: (unknown / 2002)
Designer: tbc
Type of music: Looped environmental samples
Notes: These two 3″ CDs are linked by their use of sound sources and their format. Apparently, there is a third in the series, though I can’t find any information about it. U5 is music constructed from samples recorded on the Vienna underground system; the packaging is apparently made from the original dam material of the stations. Velo is comprised of bicycle samples, more strongly rhythmical and less tonal than U5; the packaging is styled after a 70′s puncture repair kit.

Artist: Radiohead
Album: In Rainbows
Label: tbc
Year: 2007
Designer:
Type of music: Art Rock
Notes: