Post-Hardcore Mix
It made sense for the tone of the post-hardcore vinyl mix to be cool and neutral, as the genre is infused with grittier sound production and intensity. When I studied other albums from bands, I noted that the genre tends to be more ambiguous in the meaning of their covers, so I wanted the cover to be as open to interpretation as possible. I took inspiration from the post-hardcore band Royal Coda’s self titled album cover for the color palette and the fire element, as well as Circa Survive's "The Amulet" and Dance Gavin Dance's instrumental "Artificial Selection." What was key here was ensuring the other components in the cover, while being different from each other, were still coherent. To achieve this, I made sure that the steampunk-inspired hot air balloons and the mosaic foreground fell under the same color scheme. I used Photoshop and Procreate to push out the textures and dimension of the imagery.
On the back cover are the bands that fall under this genre’s umbrella. I displayed them in the Urban Case font, as the serif font’s sharp lines give even more of an edge to the piece. These bands particularly have special meaning to me, as they were also a mix of bands that I listened to throughout college during moments where I was stressed and not feeling the best mentally. The nostalgic connection still remains with me even now.
Dream Pop
While I enjoy post-hardcore for the energetic boost and emotional insight it inspires, I love the softer, whimsy approach that dream pop has to offer. In the summer, I especially relish the memories of laying on a dock on a lazy Sunday afternoon, immersing myself in the gentle vocals that meld with the reverb of the guitar. For me, it establishes a calmer state of mind and inner peace, which is why I wanted to show my appreciation in it.
Nostalgia is a heavy aspect to the genre, and this was what I wanted the focus to be on. Taking inspiration from the album Melodrama by CASTLEBEAT, I added my spin to an old-school Pac-Man arcade machine by editing the sign to have playful illustrations. I enclosed it in a bubble reminiscent of blowing bubbles on a field of flowers as a child. I stuck with a more gentle, pastel color palette that I’ve seen as a common trend for this category. The font ELEPHANT is a blocky, scribbled font that I was instantly drawn to for this project–it contributed to the lighthearted tone that’s set. The green color worked well to contrast against the purple and orange shades.
Again, I included my favorite bands formally recognized as dream pop, although I cheated a little by slipping in other bands that while may not be dream pop per se, they have certain songs that provoke that same wistful feeling. For instance, “Daydream” by Collin Selman and “Forgotten Ghosts” by Jadu Heart. If there was one thing I would change from this project, it would likely be to stick more strictly to the labeled genre.
Psychedelic
The psychedelic cover took a little longer to put together, as the endless possibilities for capturing this genre got amplified in my mind. I approached this the way I would for a painting: what is a piece I would want to make? This is how a disco floor came to fruition. Magic mushrooms are a popular aspect of the “trippiness” within the genre, which is how the dancing mushrooms joined the party. Eyes are also commonly featured in all things psychedelic-related, so I made that a central subject as well, although it plays more of a role in the vinyl’s sleeve. Between this, portals, and aliens, the surreal experience that the listener would fall into felt guaranteed.
Psychedelic's waviness (I managed to actually score a font that’s called Psychedelic!) also captured a woozy, surreal character for the letters, tying the whole thing together. Like the prior project, I was more fluid about including artists who didn’t necessarily fit the psychedelic mold, but had particular songs that felt suited for the category at the time of making this. This time, however, it would only be DPR Ian that would take out of the mix, and likely would replace with King Gizzard.
