Genre specific digipack analysis

Genre Specific Digipack Analysis

This PowerPoint shall cover the analysis of the Indie & Dream Pop genre.

Coexist, The XX

Coexist by The XX is the second release from the band and due to the Indie Pop genre, it is very simplistic in design. The minimalist theme throughout the album helps reflect the genre and the artist and their style of music. The big X against the white background most certainly ensures that it stands out amongst other albums as it does not contain any other imagery on the front asides this. This is therefore the only thing to go by when looking for the album. The X its self is very bold and has the colour of an oil slick which is very effective and creative and connects with the indie/dream pop genre as it is quite a dreamy sight as well as being very individualistic. The success behind the X has enabled the band to create further artwork and merchandise modelled around and therefore it has become a significant brand identity for the artist. The X has become so iconic for this album that there has been repeats of the artwork on the same album but using different colour schemes as well as being placed on the vinyl edition case. This X has set the band’s identity and this is what the target audience will recognise the band by. It promotes the artist in a new creative and stylish manner without using the direct images of the band members. This is therefore very significant in relating to the use of technology and how contemporary media pieces use different formats and ways to promote something.

Coexist, The XX

The album from initial first looks break the typical conventions of a digipack as it does not state the band’s name or album name, only on the spine, though this creates a very effective piece of media as it ensures that the imagery and colours become the most important and symbolic features. It demonstrates brand recognition and illustrates how simplicity can work. The reverse of the album is much of the same nature. The track listing is ordered in a very neat and presentable fashion as well as the barcode, copyright information and record label. This notion of the big empty space adds to the simplicity but also says that this is different, it stands out, it’s a new movement when it comes to album covers and it says ‘look at us’ for the band which creates a feature that they become recognisable for. It speaks for the genre and suggests that the music is striped back to the basics.

The Year of Hibernation, Youth Lagoon

Youth Lagoon’s album is also very simplistic and quite tranquil and though it has YL on the front to symbolise the band name there is no other brand identity on the album cover. This suggests that it has more appeal to the original fan base rather than welcoming ‘outsiders’ though it does create an ‘easy to look for’ album as it is quite symbolic and stands out. The imagery used is very dreamy and the main image is depicted as a mountainside with what looks like a rainbow with an oil slick array of colours which is much like the Coexist album by The XX. This signifies the resemblance in styles between the two groups and clearly identifies the genre and music styles as well. These albums break the typical conventions of CD Cases but they create a simplistic and effective visual piece which the audience identifies with the genre and more importantly the band. The colours suit the genre are very dreamy and individualistic and most certainly represent the genre. The font used is very relaxed and unformal which suggests a chilled style of music is what the band produces. The colours seem to be faded and appear to be texturised which connote a ‘hipster’ following and a very Tumblr themed picture making sure they stand out and appeal to the younger, teen and early 20s generations.

The Year of Hibernation, Youth Lagoon

The spine of the album follows the typical conventions of CD cases as it features the artist name as well as album name. The artist name is in bold white font which suggests the artist carries a bigger name than the album as their songs may not be as well known. The back meanwhile carries a neat and centralised track list and again features the album and artist name. it also features the copyright info alongside the record label logo and notable people whom can be contacted. The colours are again very dreamy and this also helps the text stand out but also suggests the tempo and feel of the music.

Before The Dawn Heals Us, M83

This album meets all the typical conventions of a digipack as it contains both the artist and album name on the front though a part of the characters are missing which again gives the band a different vibe from the start and shows them to be potential originators of new trends or styles which is what hipsters and indie subcultures are all about and this style of music appeals to those subcultures. The use and styling of the font is again interesting as the band name is in a signature font which suggests there’s something unique and distinctive about the band. This contrasts largely to the more formal and basic looking font used for the album name however due to its boldness it does stand out and ensures that it’s clear and readable. The front image is very cinematic and quite majestic as it shows a large city at night – presumably before dawn, which suggests it’s a time of peace and relaxation as the hustle of everyday city life has been taken away due to the city being ‘asleep’. This relates to the genre and its tranquil and peaceful music and the urban city setting also suggests the music may have a more upbeat feeling which is common for this artist as they use a good amount of electronically generated sounds and tones to make the music majestic and soothing which largely contrasts to the Youth Lagoon album in which depicted a mountainous, natural image and they rely on instruments and vocals. This suggests that though they fall into the same genre, there are and can be varying styles.

Before The Dawn Heals Us, M83

The back of the CD case also meets the typical conventions. This is due to there being a clear track listing with the mandatory copyright information being listed. This information is listed under the track listing and along the bottom where the record label logos are and the barcode. The font of the track listing is also on a cantered angle which shows individualism. The bold white font makes it easy for the audience to read the writing as it’s against a black background. The spine also has the typical conventions too which suggests that this album is ‘normal’ and the most straight forward.

Conclusion

In conclusion it is evident that the majority carry the traditional conventions of digipacks though they may be redesigned to be more creative and effective. This is usually done due to the genre of the music and style of the album covers. Colours are also very important to represent the style of music and genre as well and this shows the artist’s creativeness. And can also create brand identity such as the Coexist album.

Magazine Ads - This magazine advert is promoting the release of the album &Y by Coldplay. It follows the typical conventions of what you would expect an album ad to have such as; picture of the artist, picture of the album alongside the album and band name which also includes the release date itself. The picture of the band is situated at the top of the page – the place where the audience’s eye line will see first, which instils a powerful bit of advertising as the image will be the thing they remember the most from the advert. The font used is fairly basic however it stands out as it is in block capitals and is in a bold white colour against a dark background. The use of having a picture of the album itself also ensures that the audience will know what they are looking for when it comes to searching for it in the shop which almost creates a otion of brand identity. The colours throughout the advert are very basic which connotes this is not a major factor. The most important bits are the parts stand out such as the band and album name and the release date with the picture of the artist which in turn promotes the artist. There is also a record label featured on the advert which helps identify the content owners. The whole advert itself is pretty basic and follows a simplistic layout which shows that the album is the most important thing when it comes to the band and this is simply a promotion. The positioning of the text is very clever as well as it is the last thing that the reader will see before they turn the page and so they will also remember this as it is more significant than any other content on the page.

Magazine Ads - This advert for Lungs by Florence and the Machine contains the usual conventions in which would be expected on the advert such as artist and album names as well as the release date however it appeals more to one gender. This is done through the use of pink flowers against a dark background with the cursive and girly font choice in white which ensures it stands out. The advert at first appears to be quite dark and sinister however the image connotes that it may be more of a personal album and an album which contains songs in which many may be able to relate to. This is due to the framing and the mid shot of the artist. This also acts as a form of artist promotion as it contains a picture of her in the ad. The postures of the artist perhaps suggest the emotions and feelings of her and the songs in which the album contains. The album name is in a more formal and readable font which suggest that as she is an established artist, the artist font can be of any design but the album name needs to be more understandable as it needs to be promoted, which is also relative for the niche genre of music. Though the release date is not in large font it is still visible and allows there to be a clear reference to when the album is available to buy. The picture is also very relative to the title name and it allows the audience to make links too the title.

Magazine Ads - This advert for Ed Sheeran’s ‘+’ album is very similar to those previously analysed. It features a picture of the artist mixed with a picture of the album as well as the artist and album name. these features are therefore very important and the colours used within this advert in particular add a more personal touch and connection to the audience as the album is orange as is the album name which is the same colour as his hair. This therefore may link to the songs and how it is perhaps a personal album much like the Florence and the Machine album. The font used on the advert is very rustic which represents the genre well and the simple format of the advert represents his style of music and how it is just man and instrument creating music, it’s striped back to the basics and keeps it simple yet effective – much like the advert. Therefore within this advert there are many subtle links that can be made between the advert, the artist and ths music style/genre.

ConclusionIn conclusion it is clear that there are certain characteristics in which need to be met to make a creative advert for the audience to both understand and take notice of it. These include; picture of the artist, name of album and artist, release date and effective use of colour. These are suited to the genre as it is a smaller genre than others out there and although the artists are well established and have made a name for themselves in the music industry, their albums need promotion and effective use adverts is a key way to get the promotion needed. The colours are typically quite plain and darker than the standard other colours you may consider but this again relates to the genre. Another point to make is the use of imagery to create a personal link to the album between artist and album itself. This will also help to entice more people to buy into the artist’s music as it may have a personal touch or story to it which makes it potentially relatable for members of the audience.