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Little Seen Records From My Little Scene

Statistics

Created: 02/17/08

Last Edited: 02/17/08

Appreciations: 6

Comments: 3

Project Info

Owners

Aaron Winters

Tags

Weird Forest Records, 5RC Records, Rylan, Zach Hill, Hella

Attribution Non-commercial
No Derivatives

Fields: Art Direction, Package Design, Music Production

From: Aaron Winters's Portfolio

I have been doing album art for various small labels for the past 5 years. I was weeding through my portfolio backstock and found a bunch of stuff that may have come-and-gone quickly since so many of these is limited to a run of under 1000 copies produced. (Apologies in advance for the ghetto photography... a new camera and a lightbox are on my list of things to do for '08).

This first one is actually brand-new... it went public a week or so ago. A single-LP release for Jessica Rylan's Can't project for Weird Forest Records. Jessica provided the photos, the scrap of paper and the inner sleeve drawing, and let me have at the rest. I'm particularly happy with the typography on the inner sleeve, although I couldnt get it to photograph worth anything. Guess you'll just have to buy it and see.

Front

Back

Inner Sleeve front

This next release is also from Weird Forest for the band Grouper. A gatefold, 2LP re-release of the original CD with an absolute commitment towards reproducing it exactly as it originally appeared. Although what first appeared to be a straightforward "production" job, the challenge presented here was that the original source photos were sized to 6x6" square at print resolution, but would need to be nearly double that for an LP. The digital images were output as photos by a service bureau, then drum-scanned back in at the larger size. Once done, the next challenge was trying to mirror the images in a square format identically to how they had been done in the more horizontal CD cover format. I think the end result was actually pretty satisfying for me, the label and the band, although I was a bit torn when asked to mimic the original 14pt text at the larger size.

Front

Outside of jacket, when opened.

This next project is one of the few CDs Weird Forest has produced.... I think this one was late 2005.
This 3" CD for Pump Kinn started out with Michelle (aka Pump Kinn) supplying the photo and basic idea. I really like when a band brings an idea that works so well. The finished piece folds to Polaroid size, but folds out to expose a gradually morphing image across the multiple panels. The type was done in one long string across the back (which I didnt agree with), but otherwise one of my favorite projects by far.

REALLY BAD photo of the front when folded shut.

Interior, when extended, with 3" disc.

This 2005 Weird Forest release for So So Many White White Tigers won me a 2006 How Design Annual merit award in the packaging division. The story behind the design is that the drummer sent an old blanket of his -- the actual blanket itself -- as the "artwork" the band wanted to use. I hired Mike Rafter to come shoot the old ratty thing at hi-res, and then began to experiment. The idea to do the picture disc came really late in the process, but because of the repeating pattern made so much sense. Picture discs are so expensive to make, I was thrilled when Chad at the label agreed with my idea.

Front, when disc is in sleeve on top of the backing card.

Front, sans record

Back (because of the way the flap on picture disc sleeves work, the "front splash artwork" actually becomes the back.)

This release -- from 2004 I think -- was only made in an edition of 200 copies and is long sold out. 4-color process inside and out on vellum, with a clear LP hand-mounted with semi-transparent labels. I worked with Graciela Guardado on this one, although unfortunately her initial illustration was pretty well dismantled by the band. A really great example of Weird Forest's commitment to doing incredible work no matter how small the band or the run.

Front (you can kind of see the record through the vellum here.) The blue girl on the left is actually printed on the inside.

Back. If I remember correctly, the only thing printed on the outside here is the text.

This is looking at it from the backside when lit. You can see the outline of the clear LP vinyl and the semi-transparent center label. You can also see the blue girl from the first photo (on the right now), that was printed on the inside.

This Weird Forest release, also from 2004 or '05, is a 4 color screenprint -- one of which is metallic gold! The cover image started off as a really crummy color photocopy of a painting which was then boiled down to four main fields using Photoshop and re-assembled on Illustrator. The original run of like 300 sold out, and this was re-printed in process.

Front

Back. Another really bad shot that doesn't do the product justice.

My final Weird Forest release here is for the 12" split featuring Pump Kinn & Don and Kevin Shields & Brian Miller. Aside from the request to make the sleeve "DJ-style" with the hole in it, and provided the base photos for the labels, I was given free rein with this one. Expertly printed in two color silkscreen on paperboard by the amazing VGKids, this album was included in the 2007 Pasadena Museum Of California Art Design Biennial (and was hung right next to Geoff McFetridge's work for Solitary Arts and Patagonia!)

Front

Back

This record was the first in subscription series produced by Tonevendor/Clairecords called Claire's Echo. The series needed to be done super efficiently because there were to be 12 records total (limited to like 200 copies per title) that people could buy for $200, with each record sent at regular intervals. I was hired to do the brand ID as well as figure a way to make the jackets modular. In the end, we ran all the paperboard at once with the spot varnish and die-cut. The additional spot colors would be added to customize each as the records were completed. A 4/1 insert was used to further customize the records while maintaining the series integrity. (As a side note, the label discontinued the series after only 4 releases.)

This record is for Sacramento "wall of sound" rulers St. Avalanche. I'm thrilled to have been able to also design their 'swiss army' logo and help get their music into the world. So good! Other releases included Canada's destroyalldreamers, Ventura's Sway and the french Acetate Zero.

Front with insert

Insert. Logos and design by me. Paintings by Tony King.

Back (Slate grey and red spot color added to pre-set varnish template)

If you're familiar with my work, you will know that I've worked with Zach Hill of Hella on a number of projects. This 2004(???) side-project LP for 5RC called Nervous Cop involved Zach and Greg Saunier (of Deerhoof) on drums, playing "at" the gentle harpings (?) of a then little-known Joanna Newsome. The creative direction and photography were mostly Zach and Greg, with my skills being mainly to produce the thing and set the type. It definitely falls into the "came and went" category.

Front (Zach with milk-jug robot legs.) Trivia: Grate he's standing on used to spraypaint the cover of the Hella Bitches Ain't Shit But Nice People album.

Back

Inside (Zach's pillowcase on left. Shredded remains of red rubber ball from back photo, printed directly on the silver CD surface came out AWESOME!)