By Jeanne Tan /asdf 08-10-2008

Power to graphic design.

Album covers are the first thing a potential buyer sees before they know anything about the music, however the cover image is also the 'icing on the cake' so to speak. Graphic designers are probably the last creatives to work on music projects before they go in production: after the music has been written, rehearsed, played, recorded, mixed, remixed and mastered, the graphic designer then adds a visual identity to the music to give it its unique face. But what if this standard practice was overturned 180 degrees?

This idea is explored by the project ONcovered: The Sound of Graphic Design. An initiative of ON concept & production in collaboration with graphic design agency Ontwerpatelier, ONcovered invites graphic designers to create the cover first with no restrictions whatsoever, which will in turn dictate the music on the album. In the end, it will be up to the designers to determine who should be in the band and what the music should sound like.

Designers are requested to submit new album covers in square format in the size of a 12 or 7 inch record. From the pool of entries, 30 covers will be selection for an exhibition and from that, 3 will be produced into an album. It's a radical new way to think about making music and no doubt one that will bring a refreshingly unexpected outcome. Submissions close 1 November 2008. More details can be found on the website.

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