ABOUT

A collection of 10 inch vinyl samplers for a varied collection of artists on a Merseyside based independent record label, Robot Records. Each sampler has a protective mail delivery box, a record cover and a protective paper sleeve for the vinyl record. The samplers are catalogued by a set of coloured triangles. The concept of the design was driven by Robots dislike of the corporate tradition of the music industry and the rise of the digital download.

The minimalist and stark design of the packaging is inspired by the demise of the record music industry, the rise of the digital download, the fall of the physical format and Robots passion for music rather then profit. Restraining the mail delivery boxes to there graphic essentials was important to make the designs feel monolithic and by doing so give them a sense of value beyond their function. The physical formats of music are intertwined within our own personal history. Illustrating on each delivery box a dead or dying musical format reminds the audience of the physical representation of what helped them to fall in love with music and why the physical format should still be valued; Spending hour’s with liner notes, packaging details, decoding covers, and taking care of the physical object were a vital part of the music listening experience, an experience that is unfortunately absent in the digital download.