Hard Format has some great shots of and original 12″ sleeve for Kraftwerk’s Autobahn (the brown tape just makes it that much better). This has to be one of my all-time favorite covers; I cut a picture of it out of Rolling Stone and had it on my fridge for years, but if I had this is would be framed in the middle of the room. What are some other great minimalist sleeves? Link them in the comments.
Source Hard Format
smell the glove: spinal tap. 😉
Whoa. That’s way better than the reissue.
I’ve always been a big fan of the original Music for 18 Musicians sleeve:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pw9QK4mGtiI/S92Ov0ABb9I/AAAAAAAABPg/VH4sDhwTvjc/s1600/musicfor18musicians.jpeg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Van_Halen_-_Diver_Down.jpg
The Persuasive Percussion album cover comes to mind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persuasive_Percussion
turns out Josef Albers did it.
the entire Persuasive series is minimal goodness.
Last but not least, MGM Records sleeve with more circles in multiply (someone should make a book or a movie about them)
via http://crossedcombs.typepad.com
mmm, here are the links
http://crossedcombs.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/11/17/pye.jpg
http://crossedcombs.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/01/27/dolton_60s_us.jpg
http://crossedcombs.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/23/20th_century.jpg
http://crossedcombs.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/07/08/mgm_lion.jpg
Agreed on the Kraftwerk cover but I can’t go past this little gem
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Unknownpleasures.jpg
Well, here’s a sample from Autreche’s EP7.2
http://bit.ly/cmtyZ8
Actually, a lot of great graphic work exists among the entire WARP Records catalogue.
😉
Patchfork series
http://theflavor.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/11_instax-mini-7s-white.jpeg
sorry, wrong link
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/3843/42588475.jpg
..and one from absolutely other genre
Sorry, I missed the link
http://aqua-velvet.com/blog/images/2010/07_july/15_vinyl4.jpg
Wheezer’s new album cover
http://www.musicreviewsforidiots.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Weezer_Hurley_album_cover.jpg
It’s Hurley! jk 🙂
Here is a classic minimalist album cover:
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u41/siblog/50-6.jpg
Scott, you will love this one. This is one of my favorites. Type on top of an eerily simple photo; Trans Am ‘Surrender to the Night’. Link Below:
http://a1.vox.com/6a00c2251c04e5604a01101630bae9860c-500pi
i don’t think anyone’s mentioned this one yet, but Joy Division’s “Unknown Pleasures”
http://gothstore.piratemerch.com/images/joy-division.jpg
I took these pictures for a post on my website, Hard Format published in June ’09. If you read the notes, you’ll see that my father applied the brown tape and finally gave me the album recently after my first listening to it on its release at the tender age of 8. The images were used for an interview with me on the Eye blog.
I’d be grateful if you would acknowledge the source of the images on your post.
PS Thanks for the mention of the site the other day in reference to the OMD sleeve.
PPS My copy’s framed and on the wall too!
Pretty much everything on this site is a winner
http://www.projectthirtythree.com/
Colin-
sorry! must have mixed up the links, fixed…
Hey Scott,
I just have a question: you love simple and minimal designs, yet most of the work you do (which is great) is not, often the opposite. I would love to see some work of yours the follows in the footsteps of so much of the work you post.
http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1340573
No worries and thanks for updating.
Wire’s 154: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradley_loos/374685387/
Röyksopp’s Melody A.M.: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rYlf1VHkhCo/SxT0QMLJoQI/AAAAAAAAALM/hfivfGjvidU/s1600/R%C3%B6yksopp+-+Melody+A.M.jpg
Hey Scott, here my contribution to your great blog.
A – A vs. Monkey Kong. Love this monkey.
http://mediaboom.org/uploads/posts/2009-03/1238354910_agkwpsrs7g.jpg
The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole. Classic.
http://bednarik.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/chb.jpg
Hard-Fi – Stars of CCTV. More geometric, similar to Kraftwerk’s cover.
http://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/covers/00837.jpg
Marvin – Hang Over The Top. One of my all time favourites.
http://fiverosespress.net/wp-content/upload/marvin_cover.jpg
Secret Machines – Ten Silver drops. Come with a nice glance effect.
http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/s/secret-machines/album-ten-silver-drops.jpg
There would be many more to mention, but your time is too precious …
Rock on, cheers!
Love the sleeve but I would just like to make clear that instead of designing something overtly minimalist, they just used the road sign that commonly denotes ‘Autobahn’ or ‘highway’ in most parts of Europe.
So, yes, minimalist, but the minimalism of widespread, universally acknowledged symbols and signs, not the intentional minimalism of 70s graphic design design …
Still love the sleeve, though …
here are two i really like:
Sabu Orimo- wind songs
http://www.siwarecords.com/images/BigWS1.jpg
and this Unframed records comp.
http://www.unframedrecordings.net/catalog/idv2/preview2b.html
you can find a ton of amazing album art on http://www.mimaroglumusicsales.com/
yeah
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vY8I5HvOvk8/TIgF1Lsh_BI/AAAAAAAANwU/UmNvbR6m9vg/s400/17724L%5B1%5D.jpg
One of my favourite minimal design covers is FUMIYA TANAKA “MIX 1/2” Double album.
http://www.kompaktkiste.de/cd/_abc/_h/hdca10102cd1.jpg