Sampler: Contemporary Music Graphics [Paperback]

Adrian Shaughnessy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 19, 1999

Sampler is the definitive statement on innovative sleeve graphic design from the contemporary music scene-one of the most dynamic arenas of experimental graphic design. This colorful book showcases the cover designs that make the recordings of Primal Scream, Stereolab, tortoise, Massive Attack, and other music groups stand out in stores worldwide.

Sampler features the world's top graphic designers working in the U.S. and Europe, including Peter Saville, Stefan Sagemeister, Carlos Segura, Tomato, Mark Farrow, Vaughan Oliver, and Designers Republic. In addition, this book includes designs from minor visionaries that are actively formulating new visual languages-including French designers working on the Parisian underground and hip-hop scenes and German techno designers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Universe (June 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789302586
• ISBN-13: 978-0789302588
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,513,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nicely Done Overview of Current Trends, March 29, 2001

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sampler: Contemporary Music Graphics (Paperback)

This well-designed paperback provides an overview of the latest in CD design and packaging, with an emphasis on work on English labels. Shaughnessy's introduction provides a brief, but cogent overview of the history of record sleeve design and its various influences. He views music packaging as the only area where graphic arts can flourish and be highly visible, while retaining their artistic integrity (ie. not being subject to the dictates of the product). Similarly, he finds sleeve design to be one of the few areas where graphic designers have traditionally had great freedom of expression--although he notes this is increasingly less the case, with the emergence of multinational media conglomerates and their slavish devotion to the bottom line. Unsurprisingly, he locates the best contemporary work in the realm of independent record labels. Indeed, only the most music-obsessive (think Dick in High Fidelity) will recognize 90% of the pieces collected for display. Personally, the style reflected in the CD sleeve selections is not generally to my liking (with a few big exceptions, such as the Massive Attack items on page 95). The packaging tends to be far more innovative, for example, the Pan-Sonic Arctic Rangers "Self-Assembly Soundscape Set" (pp. 75-76) is a work of genius. All in all, it's definitely worth a look, and the bibliography is especially useful.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get this book!, June 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sampler: Contemporary Music Graphics (Paperback)

I am an Art Director and a DJ.I Like Techno art and stuff very much.If you are into this kind of art you gotto buy this one.And if you like Designers Republic, Tomato and other English Design houses and dig for their designs GET THIS BABE!