Indie-Electro CD cover research

To widen my knowledge of understanding and convention within the indie-electro genre, I decided to broaden my research and look at a few indie-electro album CD covers with the aims of aiding me in understanding what conventions of the genre are often portrayed within the albums artwork, which I believe will help me in the creation of my own album cover and artwork.

The naked and Famous are a band within the same genre as my own music video. The first thing that immediately stands out to the audience about this album cover, are the high contrasting bright colours used, which immediately holds their attention. The vibrant colours are a typical convention of the electro genre, as it typically represents the energy of the music. However the indie aspect also comes across due to the colours being in blocks in the shape of the countries within the globe, which links the foreground to the picture of the background which is of a natural picturesque landscape of mountains. This combination perfectly represents the artist as a band with their natural indie pure sounding vocals, with their electronic twist. The album cover relies heavily upon the visual aspect to grab the audiences attention, as the font used is subtle and small, with the album name in smaller print underneath.
The font is simplistic as if they are not trying to stand out, they are merely stating who they are, and sharing their music with their audience. The reasons behind the decision to write the title and album name in capital letters could be interpereted in a multitude of ways. It could be because although they are not as well established and well known as other artists, they are just as important and deserve to be listened to. However it could represent the idea that they do not need to demand the audiences attention, they are just a band among the many others on the shelves, and they are making a statement that their audience can discover them, they are not going to impose themselves upon their audience.
The composition of the album cover again contains several possible meanings, as the band name is positioned within the center of the image of the map of the brightly coloured world, connoting that their music is universally appealing and their gift to the world. However it could also be the band making a statement that they will be the next 'big thing' to conquer the world with their music. However the latter idea is put out by the startling white in which their band name is written in, which connotes the ideas of innocence and purity, which makes the first idea seem more fitting as to why the band name is positioned here.

 This bands album cover however does not follow a similar method to its justification as to its construction. For example, the background is set within what we can assume is a consumeristic image of a modern child's bedroom cluttered with toys. This greatly contrasts the above  heavily nature-focused image and suggests that it focuses upon the modern electro side to its music, but with an unusual twist, as represented by the choice of a child dressed in a monsters costume. By revealing the child dressed within a terrifying costume, it perhaps connotes the idea that their music is something different and unexpected to everything we have seen before, further supported by the second child being comforted and depending on the 'monster', suggesting that they as a band are revealing the truth about everything the audience thought they knew and understood.

The lighting used within the image is ambient and slightly dreamlike due to the use of the colours white, blue and purple, and yet it still remains slightly realistic due to its shadowing and darkness. This suggests that they themselves as a band want to be taken seriously by its audience of young adults, but that they want to cast their audience away into an abstract imagination through the use of their music.

The composition of the shot relies heavily upon the use of thirds, as the placing of the bookcase, and indeed the style of the bookcase itself immediately draws the audiences attention to the setting of the bedroom along the bookcase, until their are led to the image of the children and the artist and album name. By doing this, it makes the artists appear firm upon their image, as they are leading the audience and showing them what they want them to see.

This idea that they as a band are strong and in control is further shown by the use and style of text on the album cover. The band name itself is composed at the centre of the frame within the top third, written in bold and punctuated with a full stop, as if to make a statement to the audience that they are here, they know what they stand for, and they will be herd. The use of white could also as mentioned above be a symbol for their genuine innocent intentions to simply make their music for an audience to listen to, or it may be a more simple decision that was decided upon for aesthetic reasons as it conforms to the dreamlike colour scheme. The fact that the album name nor the band name correctly follow the rules of grammar, by not including spacing and randomly capitalising it's letters suggests that the band are again different, and do not conform to the conventions expected not only within the music business, but within every day life.

All of the decisions above however were made to tie in with the name of the album 'Hurry up, we're dreaming', by playing on the element of dreams to construct this abstract, vulnerable and nostalgic image of the artist.

The third image of an album cover in the same genre as my own is largely different to the other bands albums, because it is a more established mainstream band.

This album cover again uses the rule of thirds as the eye is visually drawn to the bottom part of the screen where the artists name is written in large bold capital font across the bottom of the page. This is undoubtedly the band representing themselves as an important, established band who are not to be missed by its audience. The illuminating light which surrounds the bands name connotes the idea that the band are enlightening and igniting their audience with their electro-indie music. The different shades of blue and black across the letters implies that they as a band reflect a variety of different elements within their music, again an idea which is typical of the genre.

 

The setting is a high angle shot of New York, this is easily recognisable to its audience through the iconic architecture, by using this as its setting it therefore reflects the urban new and energetic feel that their music represents.

The top third of the image is occupied by an image of the sky which is heavily dominated by stars. This is again very symbolic of them as a band, as they see themselves as achieving beyond anything achieved by the rest of the city, and they are sharing their higher world with their audience.

 

Again, my research has confirmed that:

-The genre is known for being unusual, and often does not conform to many or any audience expectations

-Vibrant colours are often used to portray the electric energy of the music

- It relies upon the image to represent the artists as a band, rather than a photo of the artist themselves to represent the band and their music.