re:cover is Interpreting Classic Local Albums Through a Modern Lens

By Mei Zi  •  17 Aug 2017 in Design

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The relationship between music and visual art has always been a tenable one, and local artists have decided to harness that bond to produce a contemporary take on Malaysian album covers. TBWA\KL have partnered with the crew behind the Cooler Lumpur Festival 2017 to bring you re:cover, a creative project featuring 12 designers and their interpretations of cover art for classic local albums. Sure to appeal to vinyl lovers and art buffs alike, the exhibition is out to bridge the millennial gap by fusing music from an older era with modern visuals.

All re:cover art will be made available for auction during the festival, with the proceeds going into helping local musicians to get one step further towards realising their dreams. Those who are interested but unable to attend have the option to bid on re:cover album covers through the TBWA\KL website on the days of the auction (19 – 20 August ’17) itself.

For a sneak peek at some of the artwork that will be on show, check out the pictures below:

Pengemis Cinta by Ella
Artist: Ng Siow Foon

Ng Siow Foon’s reimagining of Ella’s Pengemis Cinta details the process of healing a broken heart and allowing the aftermath of emotions to wash over oneself. Only then, Ng’s art conveys, can one resurface whole from the depths of mourning.

Saat Yang Ku Nanti by DJ Dave
Artist: Driv Loo

Driv Loo, founder of an independent graphic design studio called Little Ideas Everyday (LIE), used various LED fonts you would typically find on digital watches to convey a modern idea of time passing during the wait for one’s love, in line with the title of the album, Saat Yang Ku Nanti (The Moment I’m Waiting For).

Gerimis Senja by Ahmad Nawab
Artist: Liana Azwa

Poet and artist Liana Azwa drew inspiration from ’50s design for her work, transforming the album title into an analogy of dusk and drizzle (‘Gerimis’), and the gleaming sunset (‘Senja’). The setting sun and the artist were transformed into minimalistic figures to produce a modern reimagining of a Malaysian classic.

Keadilan by Lefthanded
Artist: Tan Sueh Li

Tan employs bold typography with the album name, KEADILAN, representing the record’s heavy guitar riffs and downtrodden love songs. The colours are inspired by the band’s 2006 live concert at Planet Hollywood.

Hukum Karma by Wings
Artist: Faridz Husaini

Paying heed to the original album art (which featured the band in a body of water), multimedia and digital design graduate Faridz Husaini incorporates amplified and smooth waves to depict Hukum Karma‘s melodic guitar solos.

Sigadis Ayu by Black Dog Bone
Artist: Olivia Ariferiani

Ariferiani’s illustration tells the story of a father and his daughter, with the playground representing a space where they both feel safe and secure. The train running across the title is a subtle ode to the original album art.

Catch all 12 designs of re:cover at the Cooler Lumpur Festival this 19 – 20 August ’17 at White Box, Publika, Solaris Dutamas. Follow the Cooler Lumpur Festival and TBWA\KL on Facebook for updates.

Check out how this Malaysian artist redesigned iconic punk and classic rock album covers as Ramadhan greetings.