Rock & Roll for Designers - Pt. 3
Over the Rainbow by Captives
UPDATE: Artwork by Annie Walter http://www.anniewalter.com/
I was recently scrolling through ye olde Facebook for the first time in a long time, to which I had noticed Captives had released a new music video for House Parties & Black Balloons. Their first single off the upcoming debut album ‘Over The Rainbow’. I thought this was a perfect opportunity for the third instalment of Rock n Roll for Designers. I did a little research on l’i Tunes and discovered, OTR is currently in pre-release phase, and due for release tomorrow (Good Friday, March 30, 2018). It seems fitting to have their only 2 available tracks on repeat as I write this.
Captives. Punk rockers from Tasmania. The band play on the fact that they come from ‘convict island’.
An excerpt from their Bands in Town Page: “In the 1800s somebody came up with a great idea to throw all the dregs of society onto a wooden boat and ship them off to the other side of the world. One hundred and seventy three years later and here we are; a punk rock 'n roll band by the name of ‘Captives’.” – clever.
Before I delve into discussions of the artwork, I cannot veer away from the first time I heard Captives. Like those who ‘chose no reason’ to depend on opiate based substances, I was immediately hooked. It was in 2015 (approx), and Captives were a featured guest on PBS (Melbourne based community radio station) promoting their then recently released EP; Butterflies, Diamonds & Lightning. The needle dropped onto their intro track Insomnia, energy ensued. As The Angels did in Take a Long Line - Captives did to introduce this E.P. - kicking off with a deep, dark banging, low tom drum intro, and raw guitar frisbees being flung over the tightly knit rhythm section. Sonically, this is the way to my heart.
Did I mention the anatomical EP artwork is Alex Gray inspired? Yeah.. Enough said.
The cover art for OTR is vastly different to any of their previously released artwork. In one word – gnarly. It is an illustrated narrative of a skateboarding wolf, holding a phat-ham-burger, wearing a denim vest, soaring over a rainbow.
The 4 eyed wolf immediately caught my eye. I am somewhat intrigued by the darker side of life. Evil wolves, no exception. The demonic canine is balanced by all colours of the rainbow, stylistically inspired by retro skateboard culture and tattoo art. It is highly graphic and I see traces of vintage comic book artwork too, mixed with Michael Jackson in Thriller – sans red leather jacket.
The thought of holding this as a printed – specifically, screen printed – finished vinyl is exhilarating. It is the sort of artwork you envisage on rebellious youth’s bedroom walls, circa 1986. The finer details of the artwork bring the music to life by taking track titles, and transposing them into visual elements. A pigeon is representative of the track titled Pigeon Boy, whilst black balloons float aimlessly in representation of the album’s first single.
How could one ‘cover’ album art without discussing typography? The Captives logo is consistent across their full discography. When comparing their releases, the wordmark ties in best with the OTR album illustration. Their logo reminds me of the early punk days when iconic Black Flag, Ramones & Sex Pistols artwork reigned supreme. Revolution!
The Captives wordmark appears hand drawn, delivering a raw and gritty aesthetic, it makes me feel something when I read it. The typography encapsulates what the band executes through music; loud, fluid distorted noise. The rough-as-guts logo is complemented by a sans-serif typeface reading ‘Over The Rainbow’ – subtle and well executed.
This balance of gritty and clean typography, positioned over a dynamically positioned, vividly ‘inked’ album art demands hierarchy on the racks at your local record store. If you’re a Melbournite, Thornbury Records perhaps? Never-the-less; I will see you in queue upon this bad boy’s release, via Inertia Records.
For any details regarding Captives, please visit their website listed below. Be sure to follow them on social media and all that good stuff.