SYNAESTHESIA
Music album package design, visual identity, branding and merchandise
Client: Horace Londo / Township Entertainment
Creative Direction, Strategy & Design: Studio B
Year: 2021
Creative Direction, Strategy & Design: Studio B
Year: 2021
A visual identity and album package design for Synaesthesia, a studio album by Horace Londo, a South African based independent music artist. We were so excited to work on this project from the start, we enjoyed listening to Horace’s music and thought we could create something special together. In our initial conversation Horace told us about himself and his background, the meaning behind his music and how much this album meant to him. In our next conversation we had a deep dive into his signature style, visuals, and influences. We then talked about Horace’s audience and how his music resonated with them and what he wanted to achieve with this album. Based on all the information we gathered from our conversations we were able to create a cohesive style and vision for the entire project.
During our research process we came across indigenous South African motives, symbols, Xhosa aesthetics/knitwear, Zulu beads and patterns, which all celebrate and highlight vibrant South African culture. We decided to create a series of illustrated patterns to incorporate into the album’s aesthetics, from the album cover to accessories. Illustrated patterns with gouache paint were created on paper, then digitally modified to be across all products and album material. We also created a series of pen and pencil illustrations that were digitally modified for marketing material for the album and associated merchandise.
The album title 'Synaesthesia' refers to a neurological condition that results in a merging of senses which are not normally connected. Stimulation of one sense causes an involuntary reaction in one or more of the other senses. For example, someone with synaesthesia may hear colour or see sound. This album has a mixture of traditional African music, South African House music, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and positive energy that pays homage to Horace's Xhosa roots. His signature sound is full of colour/texture, and Horace wanted all album visuals to reflect this. We came up with a set of patterns that have a subtle hint of musical notes and sound waves that reflect the warm positive vibes we felt when working on the album visuals.
Once Horace approved the creative direction, a list of suitable limited edition products were created. Horace wanted to do something special for his fans and wanted to go beyond just releasing a digital version of the album on streaming services. We developed a range of products to expand Horace's commercial reach and give his fans an opportunity to support him beyond buying music or attending his shows. We created a physical copy of the album in a form of a 12 inch vinyl disc, a CD, a cassette tape, T-shirts, sweatshirts, beanie hats, bucket hats, and collectable enamel pins.
