Our plant will only replicate your master no matter what it sounds like! It’s not the CD manufacturing company’s job to analyze the sound and give you feedback. Therefore, it is very important that you know the basics of mastering because it is your last chance to make your project sound right! This interview originally appeared on  Musformation.

After beginning his career in France, Fred Kevorkian has been working in New York for over 20 years. Initially an audio engineer at the internationally renown Sear Sound, he also has a thorough background in electronics as well as studio design. Since branching off and working as a mastering engineer, Fred has worked with some incredibly impressive clientele including Ryan Adams, Iggy Pop, The White Stripes and The Walkmen. Currently working out of Avatar Studios, we got together with Fred recently and dove deep into what mastering really is and how you can improve your recordings.

1. Mastering is a highly misunderstood and often argued process. From your perspective, what is the purpose of mastering a record and what is the role of the mastering engineer?

I would say that mastering a record is very similar to the editing stage of a movie. You are dealing with a bunch of scenes shot in various locations with different performances, light conditions etc… You need to select, edit, process and put them all together to create an exciting product. Dynamics and flow between the scenes are essential to achieve that goal.

For an album, it’s quite the same. The mastering engineer has to work off a number of songs, takes and mixes delivered onto a stereo format. Those mixes can sound very different from each other due to the various studios, producers and engineers involved with the project. It can be a very challenging experience to bring all these mixes together. At this point, equalization, compression, limiting and of course talent are the main tools available in order to get the desired result. Mastering is the last stage of the production where we can correct minor imperfections and still provide the final artistic touch.

Everyone in the business has heard these lines before: We will fix it in the mix! We will fix it at the mastering! But nobody has heard: We will fix it at the plant… Why? Because the plant will only replicate your master no matter what it sounds like! It’s not their job to analyze the sound and give you feedback. Remember, mastering is your last chance to make your project sound right!

With all the downloads, iTunes, and other popular music providers, our job as mastering engineers seems to be quite different nowadays. Instead of focusing on a whole story (The old “concept” album) we are often asked to make every scene (song) as exciting (loud and bright) as possible. We have to compete with the trend and keep the listener’s attention at any price! Even if each individual song can sound pretty good on its own, it is very hard to listen to an entire album. I guess, it is not meant to be anymore. It’s very tiring! Each song is treated as a single, and all the dynamics within the albums are gone! I am not a big fan of the loudness war and I try to stick with my personal taste as much as I can. But like my old boss (Walter Sear) used to say: “We are engineers, not music critics! You have to please the client if you want to stay in business!”

2. Give us your perspective on the argument of whether or not artists should attend their own mastering sessions.

First of all, most mastering labs charge an additional fee for attended sessions. I don’t think that makes any sense! I know why they do this, but I don’t agree at all with that policy. I think it is normal for the artist or the producer to be present for the final touches of an album, they worked so hard for so many months! Of course I don’t expect the client to make any critical sonic decisions in my room because they don’t know the acoustics the way I do. But they can certainly give me helpful advice about tweaking a mix that didn’t reach their expectation. They can also provide important information and guidelines on how they want the overall project to sound. Together we can try some quick editing ideas between mixes, some fades, cross-fades, or spacings that they had in mind for the album.

For me, it’s always easier to have the clients present in the room instead of trying to get in touch with them every time a question comes up for a specific issue. Is the count off supposed to be here? Is that weird noise part of the tune? Do I need to fade the song before the drummer drops his sticks, etc…, All these issues are time-consuming if nobody’s attending the session. Don’t get me wrong, it is often easier to work on my own on a well-documented project rather than having five guys from the band arguing about silly issues. This can be time-consuming and very counterproductive. When I work on my own, I will upload all mastered files on my FTP server at the end of the day and get some feedback within hours. I do work with a lot of European and international Indie bands that cannot afford the trip to New York and this seems to work just fine for everyone. We go back and forth until it’s right. The bottom line is that I will never penalize a customer who wants to be present for the session. It’s their call, not mine.

3. What’s the most common mistake you see bands making with the tracks they send to you?

A lot of times, I get mixes that are way off! The low end would be out of control, or it would be all mid-range etc… With today’s affordable tools and technology, I think there are no excuses for such a discrepancy! (Unless, of course, it is a deliberate artistic decision.) If you are working in a professional studio, make sure you are referencing your work with some of your favorite recordings. Each control room is different. Use near-field speakers as much as you can in an unknown environment. (Big monitors usually perform better at high SPL level which makes the room a big factor in the equation.) Bring your speakers if you are familiar with them. Most engineers use their own to avoid the guessing process.

I don’t expect mixes from home studios to be perfect. (Although I have heard some amazing stuff coming out of basement rooms!) I know, small project studios can’t provide the same acoustical accuracy as a high-end control room, but there are some simple rules you can follow to avoid basic mistakes. First, learn how to treat the acoustics of your room as well as possible. This is not easy, but it’s a must! There are so many websites available that provide very useful information. Then I would recommend listening to all your favorite CD’s or LP’s over and over through your monitoring system and tweak the room, the speaker position etc. until they sound right and you feel comfortable. All your work will reflect the quality of your space, so make sure it’s right!

Even if your room is not perfect, you will get a feel for how those recordings translate. I know listening to mastered records can be challenging and not a fair comparison, but at least you will get a good idea of the overall sonic balance. Often I find myself having to EQ a mix quite heavily to get it in the ball park. It might sound better, but it always leads to unwanted compromises. For example, if the bass guitar is way too big and I try to turn it down it will affect the kick drum, the warmth in the vocal and so on… This is why you need to listen to great mixes in your room as much as possible and tweak, tweak and tweak! Also, play your mixes in various known locations like your car, iPod, computer speakers etc… See how they translate and compare to similar recordings. Remember, most successful engineers don’t always have a perfect control room, they just learn to know their environment and work the problems out.

I am also surprised to see a lot of “high resolution” 24Bit/96kHz mixes that only peaks at -18dBFS or so. Why bother? if you are not using all the bits you are only getting a fraction of the resolution available. I bet all these mixes wound probably sound better in 16bit/44.1k printed just below clipping! Use all the bits available. It doesn’t cost more, it’s not difficult, and it just sounds better!

4. With so many people doing their own records in their bedroom, many artists are now trying to master their own material as well. Since you’re a mastering engineer, can you give us the case for why it’s good to get another set of hands on it?

I understand the reason why people are trying to do as much as possible on their own. I don’t blame them! It’s a lot cheaper and with all the software available why not take advantage and give it a shot? But, I also think it is wise to have a fresh set of ears to approach the mastering. Just like it is often important to have a different engineer mix the project. I usually notice that the artists are stuck on irrelevant issues instead on focusing on the overall picture. I believe that nowadays anyone with common sense and a lot of time on their hands can get a pretty good result at mastering a single song. But working on an entire album is a much different task. This is where experience comes into play, and will make a huge difference. Remember, a busy mastering engineer delivers over an album a day. Roughly 250 or more a year!

5. Do you always recommend a band to send along reference tracks or do you feel you can work without it?

It’s always very helpful to understand the band’s expectation. So I don’t mind listening to some reference tracks. But it doesn’t mean that we will get that same result. Nobody can make you sound like AC/DC if you’re not AC/DC! Most people think that mastering is going to do miracles and fix all the problems. Mastering can only help correct some minor issues or make good mixes sound even better. We don’t have a “Back in Black” preset button on our console! For a live band, the magic will only happen during the recording or the tracking session. After that, it’s only polishing! Having a few reference tracks will of course give the engineer an idea of the overall tone, loudness, brightness, compression, dynamics, etc., aimed for in the finish product. I always encourage my new clients to bring some of their favorite recordings with them if I am not yet familiar with their taste. Unless there is a specific request, I usually like to hear the mixes with no preconception. When I hear a song for the first time I know within seconds what it should sound like. Unless it’s already there, I will spend 15 or 20 minutes to get as close as possible. If I can’t get it right within that time frame, then we have a problem! Mastering should not be major surgery! Just icing on the cake!

6. A lot of bands who record and mix their own songs like to mix with a compressor on. Would you ever recommend bouncing a file with compression or do you always prefer a completely blank slate?

It is fine to mix a record with a 2 bus compressor or limiter as long as you know exactly what you are going for. Some engineers are coming up with some amazing mixes! I am sometimes very impressed. I don’t have to do anything! It sounds great and on top of it, it’s loud! I just have to do the best possible transfer to the 16Bit / 44.1KHz world! These guys are usually very experienced and have a lot of hit mixes under their belt. I have also heard too many over-limited mixes that are very difficult to work with. Mastering engineers rely mostly on transients and headroom. If it’s not there, it makes our job much more difficult or even impossible.

If you’re not sure, send the client your “pumped up” mixes for approval, but give the mastering guy some room! Print two mixes. One with your favorite limiter / compressor and one without processing. Bring both to the mastering session so we can have an idea of what was approved and work in that direction. If you want a loud record, my best advise would be to have it in mind from the very beginning of the project. It doesn’t only happen in mastering. It is key to pay attention to details during tracking and that will make a big difference later. Tuning, timing, phase accuracy, and of course the playing and the production are essential. Use appropriate compression on the individual tracks during the recording and the mixing stage. This will bring you closer to the goal you’re looking for. I know it’s not easy but this is why it’s an art!

7. On a technical front, are there any new tools/plugins/hardware you’ve been using a lot more of lately? Have their been recent advancements in the gear you use, or do you find yourself going back to the same tools?

I have been using pretty much the same tools for the past 10 years. It’s all outboard. Analog and digital as well. Just like well-maintained vintage gear in a recording studio, they are still hard to beat and they sound great! At this point, I know them very well. Technology is giving us a lot of options nowadays. Too many maybe! Every month new pieces of equipment and plug-ins are popping up. All these manufacturers are trying to recreate and emulate the old popular classics. But nothing is really new or exciting. A lot of engineers are hooked on all the latest stuff available instead of learning a handful pieces of equipment inside out. I do use plug-ins occasionally but mostly for restoration purposes. No question, combined with modern processing power, they work the best. De-Noising, De-Clicking, De-Buzzing etc., are just great and very effective.

Sometimes I also use a plug-in EQ with an extremely high Q factor or a Multi band compressor to address a very specific problem. But I must say, I mostly rely on my outboard equipment to get the overall sound of the record. Besides, I don’t like to stare at a screen full of numbers all day while working on a project. Remember, with a mouse you can only change one parameter at the time! To me, that’s frustrating and not so musical. I am not saying that mastering with plug-ins is not appropriate, I just like to work with what I know best.

8. Any final tips on what bands can do with their mixes before mastering that can make a mastering engineers job easier?

Besides the sonic aspect of the sources, it is very important to be well organized. If you have multiple mixes, pick your favorite one for each song and put them in a main folder or on a main reel. Keep all the others in a secondary location. Make sure you label all the mixes accurately in case the engineer asks for a vocal-up or for an alternate version. Have the sequence ready. Do your homework ahead of time. It will save you money and will get you better results by using the studio time in a more productive way. Personally, I do not like to work with stems. I cannot afford to spend an hour or two balancing tracks before even thinking mastering the song. Some engineers do (especially if the studio is charging by the hour). But I am not a mixing engineer and I will loose the initial motivation and excitement by the time I get the track to sound balanced.

If you have some edits in mind please do them beforehand. It is a huge waste of time to experiment during mastering. With all the software available I don’t understand why this cannot be done ahead of time. But don’t do fades unless you are sure. It’s always harder to correct a bad fade than to do one from scratch. If you are bringing analog tape, it’s very similar. Make sure all the reels are well labeled and organized. Using leader tape between takes is always a good idea even if you have all the timings listed. It’s visual and a lot faster to locate. Make sure that you print tones and document them accurately so we can calibrate our playback machine to your recorder. Always provide a digital back-up of all the mixes as well. Just in case!

9. Finally, you’ve amassed quite a number of credits and worked with some amazing, multi-platinum artists thus far in your career – what are your goals for 2010?

For me it will be just the same as the past 15 years: to provide the best possible service and of course to keep my clients happy!

[Photograph by: Amy Kalyn Sims]

About Joshua Marc Levy: Joshua was born Jan 27- the same day as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lewis Carroll. He graduated SVA with honors in 1998 and worked in Entertainment Advertising and the Record Industry afterward. Shortly after leaving SVA, he won many awards including Young Guns, Art Director’s Club and a “First Place Student Entry” at The Type Director’s Club of New York. In 2010, he was once again accepted into the Type Director’s Club for a series of Modest Mouse 7″ and 12″ vinyl designs, which are traveling the world.

UM: What and who are your influences?

JML: I’ve always been a fan of Robert Rauschenberg, Dali, Shepard Fairey, and recently Damon Soule. My favorite album covers are the old Warner Brothers Grateful Dead albums.

The most influential visual films to me are Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Evil Dead II, Triplets Of Belleville, and City Of Lost Children. My favorite bands are AC/DC, Iggy & The Stooges and Pearl Jam. I am a huge fan of music.

UM: How do you usually work on a concept? Could you tell us the usual process?

JML: I try and tap into my ESP. “What is this meant to look like?” “What visually will make me want to listen to this record?”

UM: Please feature one artwork and tell us how you did it.

JML: One of my favorite packages is Arlan Feiles – Come Sunday Morning.

Arlan is currently based out of NJ and has become a big part of the Asbury Park music scene which has always held a place in my heart. Arlan came to me asking if I could do a collage similar to what Robert Pollard does for Guided By Voices. Turns out we are both big Guided By Voices and Robert Pollard fans. The album has an Americana folk sound and I felt this was a great match to some of my earlier Robert Rauschenberg-inspired collage paintings from SVA.

A Robert Rauschenberg artwork. See the resemblance?

My wife and business partner, Amy Kalyn Sims, shot the photography under my Art Direction on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. After the photos were retouched and approved, I began working on my cover collage. Using new and old collage paintings, while listening to the album, I created a patchwork that really compliments the music. It’s a gem and I’m extremely proud of it! I really love working with independent artists.

UM: We agree! It’s really beautiful! Now Joshua, What was the worst experience you had with designing CD covers?

JML: I’d LOVE to provide you a long list of artists with bad taste, unfriendly management and evil labels, however I respectfully decline to list them specifically in print.

UM: Hahaha. Good decision. I will ask you questions that we ask all our designers. To you, what makes a good package?

JML: It’s hard to say…In these times where budgets are really low and the music industry is dying. Sometimes it just comes down to very nice typography and solid cover graphics. The coolest deluxe package I’ve seen recently is the AC/DC Backtracks amp box set that came out last year. Shaped like an Amplifier, it Includes a large hard bound book, stickers, poster, vinyl, etc. It’s got foil, varnishes, embossing….the whole works. It’s a dream for fans. I’ve plugged my guitar into the 9-volt powered amp and jammed out in my living room!

UM: We featured that in our site. That’s one of the coolest packaging ever! Going back, what do you think makes a bad package?

JML: The standard plastic jewel case has got to go. How many times has the plastic that holds the disc in broken on you? Bad for the environment, bad for the customer.

Works:

You can check out more of Joshua Levy’s works here: Joshuamarclevy.com

Record label Name: C400-Recordings

Owners: Analoge (Owner), Turtle-wax (Co-Owner)

Hi Analoge! Thank you so much for allowing us to feature you and your record label on our blog.  First off, Could you tell us something about yourself.

You are very welcome, Unified. I am a producer/DJ/Studio Sound Engineer and I have been in the industry since 1988. I started with music when I was 4, playing my first guitar (self taught), as I was brought up in the Electronic music era (1980s) with the like of Kraftwerk, Human League, Depeche Mode and others. It was the synth that caught my attention. I was 14 when I made my first track, using Tascam 4-Track with a Yamaha DX and a Korg Drum Machine as a starter. I love making music and when I got older, I want to discover new artists and assist them with their career.

How did C400 Recordings start?

This whole thing started out with a small group of Mc`s, Dj`s and producers who want something more than just making their own music. C400 Recordings was born in 1995 by  Dj Slam Dunk, Philip White and KP, and me. We all want to assist unknown musicians in achieving the career they want. In 2001 Lisa Jones aka turtle-wax is our new co-owner on the media audio.

This is Turtle-wax (Lisa) aka company manager, modeling the C400-Recordings T-Shirt.

What kind of music does C400 produce?

Most of the music we produce are Techno/House/Dubstep/Drum and Bass/Breaks but we are open to anything else that pops into our minds.

How do you keep up with all the changes that are happening in the music industry?

It helps to keep in regular contact with other labels and keep in contact with fans, just to see what new things they are looking for and how we can help bring that forward. As with most industries, everything changes all the time( ie. music type) so having contacts elsewhere helps a lot. I’ve always been a strong minded, forward thinking kind of person, so I always have new musical ideas in my head that stand out and that is what keeps our reputation.

This is Analoge with MC PaddyManski and one of the fans from a live performance in Manchester

That’s a very sound tip. How do you see the record industry in 10 years?

The record industry is getting tougher year by year especially with vinyl sales as everyone is buying digitally. To keep up with the change, we also sell our stuff online and I think that is where everyone is heading. Hmmm…10 years. Anything can happen in 10 years really, it’s hard to predict.

Yes, 10 years is too far away I cannot imagine what the world will be like by then. Today there are lots of musicians who want to start an indie record company. Any advice?

Don’t put restrictions in place, it may only make things fail. Keep your options open and be open minded. Be open to variety.

What do you like best about your job?

Communication with staff and traveling worldwide are the main things, but I also like the challenge.

What do you hate most about your job?

Not having enough time to do what I need to do!!

Benjamin Lande is the  first merch designer featured on our site. Yey! But aside from designing tees, he also creates CD packaging art and other kinds of artwork for bands (check out his awesome works below). During his free time, he loves to watch lots of horror movies while munching on some burritos.

Hi Ben. Could you tell us how you got into design?

I graduated from SCAD in 2004 where I majored in illustration.  I was interested in several outlets for my art like tattooing, making comics and editorial illustration.  I didn’t think a career in band merch was even a possibility at that time.

How did you get your first gig?

After school, I began networking with bands online on message boards just before myspace took off.  I offered free artwork to any bands interested.  I quickly built a portfolio and it soon became a full time job.

What and who are your influences?

The bright, gross action figures, skateboards and cartoons I grew up with have definitely played a huge influence in my artwork. I can’t deny that covering Skeletor in slime as a young child changed my life forever.  I’ve always been pretty obsessed with horror movies and band shirts too.   I get bored around most people…I usually start to look around and think of weird things to draw.

Can you describe to us your works?

I go back and forth between concept and “cool”.  I think of a CD layout almost as a comic book…its a great format to tell a story and get creative with.  With my shirt designs, I think bold, obnoxious illustrations work best.  Overall, I think I am thought of as the guy with the neon, crudely drawn creature illustrations.  I’m totally happy with that.

How do you usually work on a concept? Could you tell us the usual process?

When a client gives me complete freedom, I usually take the opportunity to work on something that I would like to see.  Zombies, gore and random animal hybrids usually come the most natural.  I will start off with a quick thumbnail sketch to get the basic composition down.  From there comes a pencil drawing and inking. I’ve been doing more and more digital inking with Photoshop and a Wacom tablet over the past year.  Color, textures and logo are added in the final steps in Photoshop.

What was the worst experience you had with designing MERCH?

I can’t say that I have ever had a truly bad experience designing merch.  My clients are familiar with my work and know what to expect from me.  Collecting money from certain bands, record labels and managers can be fun sometimes.

Could you feature one work and tell us how you did it, the difficulties you encountered, etc?

This design for Chiodos was created using my usual traditional/digital hybrid illustration process.  The hardest part for me is finding a good stopping point with the linework.  With digital inking, it is easy to get caught up adding endless lines and small details. Overall this was a fun, smooth project that got approved with no revisions.

What are your plans in the future career-wise?

I am always trying to take my art to the next level and push myself further, while creating what I think is cool.  If I never work in another office or retail store I will be extremely happy.  I’d love to paint more and focus on the fine art world a little more too.

What advise can you give to those who want to get into this kind of career?

Developing a unique style and building a strong portfolio is the best thing you can do as an artist.  Networking is also extremely important.  Trends come and go.  Do your own thing and hopefully others will dig it.

CD artwork:

Sam Hayles is an independent art-director and graphic designer currently living in Scotland.  He has been designing for 15 years and worked as a freelance designer since 2005 under the name ‘DOSE-productions‘ (DOSEprod). A lot of his works are music and art related, (working with musicians, bands and artists he can relate to). His core output is usually graphic design, illustration and motion design for CD/DVD digipaks, websites, videos, logos, t-shirts etc.

Though he was born in England, he has spent the majority of his life – so far – in France. It was only in last year that he has moved to live and work in Edinburgh, Scotland. With it being such a culture shift, he says he’s already finding it quite inspiring being in such a wonderful city. He will share to us very sound advice and tips based from his 15+ years experience in design. He says that any aspiring designer should have intense passion about design in order for him to make it big- he should be 100% determined such that he’s willing to work hard and forget about social life for a couple of years just to create a solid portfolio.

How did you get into design?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always drawn sketches and created some form of art. I have always been interested in music and film and I’d spend hours looking at LP vinyl artwork and movie posters. Movies were – and still are – a big influence in my work and I’d always try to figure out how they created the special effects with set design, matte paintings and all the other cool photography tricks.

I’ve had no formal training. Everything I know is self-taught from years of reading design books, experimenting and software tutorials. I developed a fascination with typography and collage and even now these are the strong qualities that come out in my work.

I did try schooling years later and put myself on a 3-year Visual Communication course at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design, but only lasted a year because it wasn’t as exciting as the things I already knew and loved. That and my tutor hated Neville Brody and David Carson. Things were never going to work out…

What and who are your influences?

Like I say, a lot of my work is influenced by music.  It could be the band themselves and the actual music or maybe just a song title or lyric…and not just the artist I’m working with. I’ve amassed a pretty eclectic record collection over the years and I’ve no doubt plays a part in my visual world.

I regularly take time to watch films too. A lot of emotional depth and feeling in my art can be traced back to science-fiction and horror films. In general though it can be anything from street art to pop art, punk and D.I.Y. styles, devils, skulls, zombies, robots, spaceships, death, life… y’know, normal things like that.

When it comes to “Who?”, I’d say: Dave McKean, David Carson, Neville Brody, Vaughan Oliver, David Lynch, J.P. Witkin, Mark Ryden, Banksy, Chris Cunningham, The Designers Republic, HR Giger, Tim Burton, Dali… the list goes on.

Do you have a certain style that you’re known for?

I think these days people do know my style and what they’re getting into when they approach me about a project. I do love grunge textures, rust, old paper, sepia tones, anything that looks old, destroyed, burnt. Like it has a history. And I could be accused of using skulls, skeletons and gas masks a lot in my work. Can you blame me?

How do you usually work on a concept? Could you tell us the usual process?

Most projects start with a discussion with the client about ideas and concepts. We try to pin down some keywords, outside influences and maybe work they’ve already seen and then I leave it for a day or two to give myself a chance to think it over. This is time to consider how I might approach the brief and what I’ll need to make it happen.

Then I’ll begin gathering elements like photography, quick sketches, textures etc. and look through any stock imagery I’ve stored away that might be appropriate. I usually start amalgamating found elements already; testing out combinations, discovering what works and seeing if anything jumps out at me. Whether it’s for a specific project or not, I take a lot of photos. I usually have my camera at hand wherever I go to capture things like natural textures, urban environments or even people.

With everything out in front of me, I start the actual design. Like with all creative work, even with all the prep work the results can still be quite unpredictable. Sometimes a design can be close to complete within a day, but other times it can take weeks. I’m not afraid of happy accidents either. Some errors or glitches sometimes supersede my original ideas and take the project on a whole new direction. With everything I do I tend to leave it to “rest” so I can view it with fresh eyes another day.

What was the worst experience you had with designing CD covers?

It’s not that I’ve had one particularly bad experience, but it is really frustrating working with people who believe they know more about design/layout/typography than I do. I am not saying or suggest that they have no idea, but I have been doing this for quite a while now. Some clients fail to take any advice on board and forever ask for something to be tweaked or modified. With enough changes they’ll be convinced that the design has been made better because they’ve had their input, when really you’re left with a confused mess.

Could you feature one work and tell us how you did it?

Here are  several proposals,changes and the evolution made on the artwork for Celldweller – Wish Upon A Blackstar – Chapter 02. All done using photoshop, scans of watercolor and paint splattering.

I will ask you questions that we ask all our designers. To you, what makes a good CD package?

I say anything unusual or experimental. A good CD package should try to push the envelope a little. It’s difficult to reinvent the wheel, but it is nice if someone is willing to take a bit of a risk. Also, I think it’s good if the design is more than just the cover itself. I enjoy blending the design style throughout the whole product, (cover, inlay, the CD itself) to make it feel like a complete package, as if the design tells a story.

What makes a bad CD package?

A design that looks like it’s had little thought gone into it. So many bands and artists fall back on clichés like stock photography or a group shot of the band. That’s just boring to me.

What advise can you give to those who want to get into this kind of career?

You’ll need to believe in yourself, have a lot of patience, work on creating your own style, and be prepared to work hard and forget about social life for a couple of years. I’ve seen many people over the years decide in a day to take up this kind of work because they figured out where the filters in Photoshop are.  But it doesn’t take long for them to realize that it’s not that simple.

I’ve been into design for about 15 years and freelancing professionally for 5, but it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve been able to make a good living from it. It takes a long time to build a solid portfolio and substantial client base. Before you’re calling the shots you’ll need to be prepared to work a lot for little in return – and go that extra mile. Also, more and more, you’ll have to keep track of the evolution of the technologies you use and the new formats that are introduced every year. You need to be more than just an illustrator these days. You have to add a lot more strings to your bow, (whether it’s coding for web design, photography for stills and video or disciplines in animation and motion design).

If you hope to focus your design on particular subjects you have to really ingratiate yourself into that world. It has to be less of a job and more of a passion. There are loads of other jobs that’ll pay way more, but there’s a good chance you won’t be having as much fun. I’m happy to making less because I enjoy what I do so much. Oh and being your own boss is pretty nice too.

Perttu Murto is a 24-year-old graphic designer /art director /illustrator from Finland. He has been involved in graphics for almost 8 years. At a young age, he was selected as the Young Advertisement Designer of the Year for 2007 in Northern Finland and he worked for big companies such as Dolce & Gabbana. His works have also been featured in several prestigious design websites and magazines.At the moment, he is working as a graphic designer for Finnish advertising agency Työmaa and doing some freelance work on the side. On top of that, he’s on his final year in Oulu University of Applied Sciences Business and Information Management, majoring in Digital Media. What a busy guy. Good thing he still managed to squeeze in our interview to his hectic schedule. (Thanks Perttu!)

How did you get into design?
Before graphic design, I was initially interested in photography. I bought my first digital camera when I was 16 or 17. That’s also the time I got my first touch with Photoshop and I got amazed by it. I was so into it that there was a time when I played with Photoshop everyday. I kind of forgot the photography part and started designing and illustrating things more and more. I studied things about typography, layouts, logos, branding and everything which had something to do with graphic design.  It is really fun! Looking stuff from the internet and connecting with other artists around the world made the design more like a lifestyle than a hobby.

Anyways, after few years of daily photoshopping and learning stuff I started to freelance. A lot of bad and good projects came and went and each one taught me more and more about this industry.

What and who are your influences?

It really comes from everywhere, but mostly from music, movies, other designers, cd-cover art etc you name it! I also find great influences every day when I browse my daily design blogs. All those stuff influence me one way or another.

How do you usually work on a concept?

I try to sketch more and more these days and when an idea pops in my head in the middle of the night or while I’m out and about during daytime, I try to write them down right away. About working on concepts, it really depends on my clients and the brief they gave me. But if  I work personal artwork, I usually sketch and just play with photoshop and see what comes out of it.

I will ask you questions that we ask all our designers: To you, what makes a good CD package?

I think a good CD packaging should reflect the content of the music. It’s important because it gives a first feeling of the album. The art should tell what the album is about.

What makes a bad CD package?

You should avoid all the trendy stuff you see around because it usually makes a bad package. What I mean is, do not do what everyone is doing. Do something different.

What advise can you give to those who want to get into this kind of career?

Just keep working and trying new things each day. Be a nice guy to everyone. Try get connected and be nice to your (future) colleagues because you’ll be the ones helping each other in this industry. Most of all, be patient. Things do not happen in one night. Just keep working the things you are interested in and it will come to you eventually.

If you want to know more about Perttu and his works, visit www.perttumurto.com

I saw some of his works online and I told myself I have to interview this guy! I simply must! At such a young age, he has already found and established his own style(scroll down to the bottom of the page to check his works).When you see his works, you see something common in all of them even if they’re all still unique from each other. It’s like he stamped all of them with his signature. Well yes, I’ve see some works that are similar to his style but he does it so much better and when you look at his creations, you know that it’s done by Dan Mumford.

Dan Mumford is a 25-year-old freelance CD and Merch designer living in Central London. He’s into sci-fi and horror films from the 80s and 90s and he claims that he’s quite a big nerd.

How did you get into design? Did you have a formal schooling?

Yeah I did the usual gcse at Camberwell, a level art route and then went into a degree in illustration at Brighton University.

What and who are your influences?

A lot of sci-fi and horror films and comics from the 80s and 90s are primarily what I love. The kind of imagery I create mostly stems from them. Actually, I don’t tend to look for influence in the graphic design world that much. I do take a lot more influence from other forms of art like film, music, comics, etc.

How do you usually work on a concept?

I play round with a few ideas then I try to come up with rough sketch idea that has everything I want in it.

Could you feature one work and tell us how you did it, the difficulties you encountered, etc?

The Evil 9 Zombie landscape piece was a hard one. The main landscape piece spanned over the covers of three 12″ singles, so the artwork had to be made at quite a large scale in the first place and then the actual imagery was comprised of over 20 figures in close detail and about 20 more in the background. It was a lot of work and the layers in Photoshop got totally out of hand. It took me a good fortnight to colour and draw that piece, probably the longest any piece has taken me. It was just a bit out of hand detail-wise but it came out fairly well though!

I will ask you questions that we ask all our designers. To you, what makes a good CD package?

Something that is slightly outside the normal, that subverts the way we see packaging and uses it in new ways. I also like to see packaging where the artwork throughout is varied and not just reused bits of the same one piece.

What makes a bad CD package?

Just lazy art direction and type.  I always get disappointed when I see a CD with a great cover but when I open the booklet, I find bland panels with simple type and none of the great artwork from the cover inside. It’s just kind of lazy and always a shame.

What advise can you give to those who want to get into this kind of career?

Just like any other industry, working freelance in the music industry designing stuff, is all about the contacts. It’s generally all about who you know and who you can get in contact with. I started out by offering my services to a few bands I knew when I was younger.  The more work you do with them, the more recognition you can get as that band tours with your tee or CD artwork on sale. It’s a great form of advertising for your work and from there you can end up getting more clients.

Some of his works:

Check out his website for more of Dan and his creations.

Seldon Hunt has been working as an art director, designer and illustrator since 1995.  In recent years much of his output has been devoted to creating a diverse and highly recognizable body of visuals that have become synonymous with contemporary international music culture. His work is exhibited globally and appears regularly in music, art, culture and design publications as well as being displayed in many new books on contemporary design and illustration.

What stuck in my head after  the interview was when he said that people who approach him now know his style and what he does. And because of that, he’s working more as an artist, creating something what he can call his.  For the past two years, I’ve been working in the advertising and film industries. It has always been my dream because I want to create something that people would find awesome but then when I was there, I realized it wasn’t much fun or creative at all.  I simply became a ‘slave’ of other people’s art. So you see, what he said really struck a chord. I want to challenge myself to find my style, not just find my style but create echoes with it…Anyway, enough of me. Read this up and you’ll get some great insights,too. (But don’t read the last part if you’re only after inspiration).

Hi Seldon. Could you tell us something about yourself?

I was brought up in Australia, but migrated to New York in 2006. I have worked for myself as a designer, illustrator and artist in that time. Most of my work is music related, hence CD and LP packaging, posters, t-shirts, etc.

What and who are your influences?

I have few influences now as I have developed my own visual style but originally I liked people like Vaughan Oliver, who worked for 4AD in the 90′s, Neville Brody, the Tomato studio. I liked these people as they were very innovative, and when I was in college, it was the graphic design digital revolution, and these people were taking things in a totally new direction. It was very inspiring.

How do you usually work on a concept?

I usually ask the client, which is usually a band or a musician, to send me some ideas about what they want to see in their album art.

In creating album art, I think a lot of the time the work is very collaborative. But we must bear in mind that when working for artists (or clients in general), the client has the bigger “say” on the creativity. The graphic designer’s role is to give suggestions and work around the big idea of the client.

After years of experience though, I’ve developed my own style and got quite known for it. People who approach me know what I do and ask for me as they want my ‘style’. So more often than not, I am not finding new answers to a problem. Rather, I’m working more as an artist, creating something of mine with the artist’s concept.

Could you tell us one challenging or difficult experience you encountered while working for a band’s CD art?

This band was difficult to work with in that they had a strong idea about their concept.  What I mean is, they are already solid about what they want and do not entertain suggestions from me, their graphic designer. But as it was quite an esoteric one, they had little idea about how it should be represented. This is a common problem I face and it can require a lot of patience on my part.

Essentially they wanted something complex but clear and had color ideas in mind which were obviously not going to work, and working in this kind of detail it becomes pretty hard to make changes to form and color, but I had to just listen and make my point about certain aspects of the job but to also try and satisfy them as much as I could. In the end, it came out pretty well and we didn’t come to blows or anything drastic, but there were a lot of phone calls!

I will ask you questions that we ask all our designers. To you, what makes a good CD package?

Like a book, you do need to be able to judge it by its cover. It’s not like you’re buying pillowcases or a crockery as you have little idea of what the product will actually be unless you have heard it previously. But the CD packaging should be SUGGESTIVE about what is contained musically in the package.

It should also be something that celebrates the music, enhances the notion of holding something special when you put the disk into the player. It should have a slightly religious feel to it, I believe. A lot of time and effort has gone into the recording and much expectation is placed on the music so the cover and package should be indicative of this as much as possible.

What makes a bad CD package?

Just bad design. Poor imagery. Poor typography…You get what you pay for…

What advise can you give to those who want to get into this kind of career?

The industry has changed and will continue to do so. I am of the last generation of people who will make a name for themselves doing this kind of work, I think. Labels are not willing to spend nearly as much as they used to on cover art as there are so many other forms of marketing to spend the budget on the album now which of course is so readily available digitally via the internet.

I would estimate for an album cover, the budget has decreased by as much as 75% of what recognized cover artists received for an album package 15 years ago. Times are tough!

I would not recommend following this path if starting out. There is little work and not much money to be made in comparison to other industries.

Seldon’s Works:

Check out his site.

My Q&A with Duncan Long is not very long but it is very insightful. This guy is not only talented and smart; he also has a wicked sense of humor. He sent me this self-portrait saying “this will give your readers a picture that can also be used to scare away mice and make small children cry.” He does look quite scary here, doesn’t he?

Duncan Long is a writer/illustrator, originally starting mostly as a writer who illustrated his own books, then slowly getting to the point where he was doing an occasional CD or book cover for other musicians and writers. Today, most of his work is illustrating and doing very little writing. He said that perhaps it’s because he finds illustration work more enjoyable in that it can be completed in days or weeks rather than months. And perhaps it’s because people seem more willing to pay for illustrations as opposed to writing.

I especially like what he said about how money and the lack of it can affect art. For him, art needs an unpressured, playful side to it if it is to develop without becoming stilted. When there is pressure to produce money, it becomes really challenging for artists. Read up.

How did you get into design?

I got a Master’s degree in music composition — so I guess I can identify with the plight of many of the musicians I do CD cover illustrations for (ha). I’ve had no formal training in art or writing, but always enjoyed both so eventually I moved into those areas in order to make money. But I still have a great love for music and music making.
What and who are your influences?

I suppose the realist movement…  Norman Rockwell would be the illustrators who has most influenced me and Andrew Wyeth, the artist. Both have been quite influential on my style.

How do you usually work on a concept?

Almost always the client will have a concept in mind. I may suggest a more effective or eye-pleasing way to do what’s needed, but generally stick pretty close to the client’s original concept for the artwork.

That said, I often create artwork for my own enjoyment and post it online — often with an art director or other buyer inquiring if it is available for use. So some sales are made that way and often (I think) from an artistic standpoint these are often less “stiff” than trying to work toward a concept, though certainly that’s not always the case and an illustrator always strives to keep work appearing as natural and spontaneous as possible.

Could you tell us about one of your works?

The Fallen Heroes cover was done for the band Coming Soon. It was actually a “for fun” picture I’d done and posted. Basically the only alteration was shifting the picture a bit so it could accommodate the lettering on the cover.

The Ammunation cover (for Audio Kombat Arsenal) was created following the 9/11 attacks. Several years later the band wanted a similar cover so I re-created the original, shifting the planes around a bit and refining the original concept and then adding their lettering to the cover illustration. I think maybe I modified a photo of the band for the back but I can’t quite remember what that work consisted of other than just some touch-up work if I remember correctly.

The New Jerusalem cover I did for Rick Derringer (yes, THE Rick Derringer) was pretty much how the musician and his wife envisioned the picture (I’m not certain that this was ever actually used for an album cover but hopefully one day).

The cover illustration for What Mother for Firebox was also pretty much the concept of the band, except that I had an idea of rather than having the creature burst from an egg it might pop out of a skull that at first glance looked like an egg. I believe the original concept called for wings on the creature so it looked more dragon-like, but we all decided it worked better without the wings.

I will ask you questions that we ask all our designers. To you, what makes a good CD package?

I mostly just do covers according to the art director’s dictates, so I doubt that I’m the guy to ask about this. I am a “how far and how high do you want me to jump, sir” sort of designer (ha).

What advise can you give to those who want to get into this kind of career?

If I had it to do over, I would have gone to an art school and learned at least some basics. Learning by the seat of your pants can work, but it isn’t as quick as having someone say, “Here, try it this way.”

Be sure you love the work. There are times when any job is pretty thankless and those are the times that your love for your craft and your belief in yourself are all that will keep you going. The people who don’t have those two things often fall to the wayside. It isn’t the money that should motivate but rather the love of what you’re doing. If you love your work, it is satisfying even on those early days that have trouble paying your bills.

When starting out, I think it sometimes helps having another job to bring in the money to pay the bills, thereby taking the pressure of the artwork to “produce.” When art of any sort goes onto a deadline, or must be done with an eye toward attracting attention and money rather than being intellectually and emotionally satisfying and true to the artist’s vision, the illustration becomes less than it should be. A professional artist must produce on command to some extent, but having the need for money hang over your head and dictate all you do isn’t a good thing. Art needs an unpressured, playful side to it if it is to develop without becoming stilted.

For this reason the old, “Don’t quit your day job” can be good advice when starting out in any of the arts, I think.

Hi Lindsey! Could you tell us something about yourself?

I’ve always had the knack for creating colorful concepts and jarring composition either through fine arts or media based design. I studied graphic design at Maryland Institute College of Art, graduating in 2009 Magna Cum Laude. After graduating, I decided to travel west to San Diego, CA to discover the West Coast design world. Now as a freelance designer, I acquired a few unique jobs as a package designer for companies in Canada and Australia. In my free time I’m either at the beach, roller blading on the boardwalk, or exploring my new found home in Cali. I love the warm weather and array of diverse people who call this place home.

Could you tell us  about the design you made for “The Kinder Kids” Audio Book.

“The Kinder Kid’s audio books offer an interactive and whimsical approach to Dr. Seuss classic stories. I designed a storage sleeve with two movable trays within the CD’s holder allowing both sides of the package to simultaneously open revealing the inner content. The Packaging was inspired by the children’s thick chipboard stylebook. I wanted the packaging to be as engaging as the stories.”

How did you make this design?

I first developed a die cut using Illustrator and hand drawn sketches. Then I applied graphics and typography to the desired areas of the layout. The lay out includes two sliding panels front and back, and one band that wraps around its-self creating the outer box-shell. Next I printed out the design on photo quality ink jet paper. Then used spray adhesive to bond the design to my material. I used 3ply white board as my base for the package. Finally I cut it all out using the die cuts I had created and scored, folded, and glued as need.

Thanks for sharing that to us. Now here’s a question we ask all of our featured designers: What do you think is a good package?

I believe all good designs speak without a sound and the best design is the one that communicates directly to the consumer. As a designer, I love the challenge to design for both thrifty products and high-end products.

Thanks Lindsey for sharing to us your time and talent. We hope to see more of your works!

Lindsey’s site