THE END — various artists
Artwork for the ambitious final release from Exalt Records — triple vinyl in six panel trifold sleeve, double CD in custom six panel oversize digisleeve with spot silver foil slipcase, four single colour vinyl inserts, a sticker sheet and a screen-printed t-shirt.
Exalt Records started in 2003 and was based around the number 23 (which signifies new beginnings, revolution and transformation in numerology) and the original plan was to only do 23 releases. The design brief was to use this numerology concept but keep everything simple and uncluttered with large, bold typography, similar to this KLF cover. The final design uses stylised circles to represent cells — the cover has a single cell which then multiplies over the rest of the artwork.
The end isn't the end but a new beginning.
The triple vinyl comes in a six panel, gloss laminated trifold sleeve, the full title visible over the front and back covers. The white spines separate each panel and each stage of cell multiplication.
On the CD packaging the title is spelled out over the six panels of the trifold digisleeve sleeve. Track listings are on the back of the CD wallets, keeping the sleeve clean and minimal. The slipcase uses silver foil as a tactile finishing touch on front and back. To contrast the LP sleeve, the CD is finished with matt lamination.
The label wanted to put the eight CD exclusive remixes out over four 12" records, so I designed some single sided inserts that are printed on uncoated card stock. I returned to the large typography of the LP sleeve to display artist, title and remix credits over black and white treatments of the circles.
To tie into the numerology of 23, THE END was supposed to come out in 2023 but the scale of the project, and inevitable vinyl production delays, pushed everything into 2024.
I have designed most of the artwork since the label returned in 2018, see more here.
