All in Vain is a band based around Ash Ludd's dark banjo rhythms and societally critical lyrics. Other musicians they meet along the way accompany Ludd, creating an eclectic musical ensemble.
For this assignment, I took inspiration from Ludd's vagabond lifestyle as a travelling musician, as well as from their scenic and metaphoric lyrics. The result was a Cassette Design for the EP "A Hex Against the Concrete that the Saplings May Break Through".
Sideview of Case
Back of Case
Matchbox Case Open
Matchbox Case Open
Matchbox Case Open
Matchboxcase Open
Lyric Card Sleeve
Lyric Cards Front
Lyric Cards Together (Panorama)
Lyric Cards Back
Lyric Card Panorama
Cassette Sleeve
Cassette Side X
Cassette Side Y
The Concept:
The four rabbits connected to one another convey the circle of life, or the travels each of us must undertake. Their four paws point in four different directions, building a compass. They are enclosed by a circle, which further relays the idea of a compass, but is also a symbol for Ludd's main instrument - the banjo. The case can be turned in every direction and the name of the band and their album title remains legible.
The lyric cards are double-sided. On one side is a visual representation of the metaphor employed in each song, while the other side displays the lyrics and chords. The lyric cards were designed in this fashion for a few reasons, the first being that the instrumentals in All in Vain's music come from a variety of people and in order to uphold the commutative aspect thereof, the cards are made so that anyone with an instrument can play along. The visual representations fit together into a long rectangular panorama image - representing the journey, but also representing the cassette's magnetic tape. Within the images are visual cues and clues, one of them being on the final image, a rabbit that is facing in the direction of a clearing in the woods. Within the clearing, is an image that represents the first image of the panorama, a clue to cyclicity and a nod to the rewinding of the cassette tape. The design of the lyric cards is meant to represent someone who is on their travels, sketching what they have seen and keeping a travel diary.
