When my long time creative partner and dear friend Michael Russoff asked me to design titles for his new collection of songs I wanted to make sure that the work captured the essence of each song.
After listening to the haunting melody of ‘Stop This Sunset’ I was stunned by how effortlessly Michael expressed such deep emotion. I was reminded what the great designer Abram Games had said to me - “find maximum meaning from minimum means.” How could the design be as simple as the songs and how could it still stand out in the noise of YouTube.
I asked Michael to write out the song list, using his handwriting as the typography showed he was the author of both the music and the image, and it meant that I didn’t have to invent anything new. The graphic for the first song, ‘Stop This Sunset’ came easily. I’d always been inspired by the musical notation of John Cage and John Zorn, I wondered if notation could become the image. Turning the stave into a never ending circle became a simple way to express the theme of the song, to prevent the end of life.
But, as with all graphic conceits, extending it to a set was both the challenge and the test of the idea. The next song, ‘Nowhere Road’ was simply expressed by the image of an X, the two staves crossing each other. ‘How Many Ways’ could be expressed by striking through and the build up of discarded layers. The last song ‘Unstoppable’, could be expressed by a stave continuing off the end of the image. But, I was stuck on one song, ‘Where The Angels Roost’. I left my computer open, and headed to sleep. As with all problems, a little distance creates the conditions to be inspired. As I was drifting off to sleep listening to the music, I heard the lyric ‘I’ll meet you where the Angels Roost’ and I thought of pin in a map, defining location. Using the stave gave the impression of wings, as an arrow pointing to here. The only thing better than designing things you like, is designing things you like for people you love. Please listen to Michaels songs, they’re simply exquisite.
Team
Michael Russoff – Lyrics and Music
Tubby Brothers – Directors
Marc Shillum – Design