Ali Augur

Floating Points

2011-05-25T10:09:00.009Z

A series of posters / flyers for Sam Floating Points monthly night at Plastic People. Look out for limited posters in the Record Shops around Soho.

Steve Reid Foundation

2011-04-17T20:04:00.009Z

Logo for The Steve Reid Foundation. Set up by Gilles Peterson in memory of the great drummer Steve Reid who lost his life to cancer in April last year. The foundation will work with The Musicians Benevolent Fund to help struggling Musicians with long-term or life-threatening health problems. Look out for the Brownswood Pop-Up shop on April 16th were a limited number of these posters will be available. Gilles will also be running the London Marathon on the 17th April – you can sponsor him here: www.justgiving.com/GillesPeterson

I've used the skin of a drum as the canvas for the logo and chosen typography that feels classic and American. (some sneaking tweaking to Buffet Script). I'm really happy with how the double sided posters came out and it also looks great printed on a T-shirt. Just need to find a spare drum kit and see how it looks on there...

Floating Points & Record Store Day

2011-04-06T11:21:00.007Z

With five 'amper' flyers under our belt and Record Store Day fast approaching, we thought we'd celebrate with a limited edition print. These will be included in a Ltd Floating Points 10inch – Sais (Dub) available on April 16th.

If Music Boogie Night

2011-04-06T09:38:00.003Z

It's been a while since I've done a poster for the guys over at If Music. They join forces with Sounds of The Universe on the 29th April at Plastic People playing all things Boogie. 10pm – 2am and its free entry. I went big and bold on the classic image of Diana Ross and had the excuse to go to town with a really graphic font (Shuriken). Posters are around record shops now.

Marc Mac presents Visioneers

2011-04-05T12:45:00.009Z

From Mr Kirk's Nightmare to Star Chasers I have masses of respect for Marc Mac. So getting a call at the beginning of the year and being asked to do the sleeve for his new Visioneers single was great.

After some initial thoughts, we got to the bold typography idea quickly and I was keen to use a stencil font that was different to the norm. Eames Stencil from House Industries worked well, especially when it's split up using colour. I love the shape of the 'S' and 'R'. To stop it looking too flat I dug out a photo I'd taken years ago of New York taken from the Staten Island Ferry (never thought I'd see my holiday snaps on a record sleeve).

The single is released via BBE records. The last time I worked for Pete was in 1995 (I did the first gen. BBE logo). Apache is on the A side and Shaft in Africa on the B Side. There are only x1000 out there, so get them while you can. Hopefully some more singles will be released before the album drops later this year.

ITV2

2010-10-08T14:16:00.009Z

Its always good to get an Ad through to press unscathed. ITV bought into this look and feel recently and it'll be hitting a lot of publications over the coming months.

I designed the layouts with creative team Matt Fitch & Mark Lewis at BBH. I started by putting all the info in one place (programme title, date, time and URL). Doing this allowed the rest of the ad to be free for the headline and image.

The headlines are key to grabbing your attention, so choice of font was important. I wanted something bold to compliment the headlines but also something that would contrast each other: a condensed, a script and a display typeface. The result is a set of fonts that 'knit' together well and fill in the odd spaces around the people.

The fonts used are Acropolis, Champion Middleweight and Metro Script. Acropolis and Champion are from one one of my favourite foundries – Hoefler Frere Jones.

Look out for this Art Direction on the TV idents too.

The Art of British Rock

2010-10-01T07:46:00.005Z

I was asked to contribute some of my old Plastic People flyers for a new book that launches soon. The Art of British Rock highlights 50 years of Rock Posters, Flyers and Handbills. My scrappy flyers now sit alongside legends such as Peter Saville, Malcolm Garrett & Barney Bubbles. Available at all friendly bookstores, and Amazon.

Acoustically Treated

2010-07-06T10:23:00.005Z

It's weird being asked to do an illustration of a friend for a friend - and I still don't know if it makes the job any easier or harder. Tony Nwachukwu called me in March and asked me to do the illustration for the new BurntProgress site. Fortunately, the combination of Ade's distinctive profile and a solid interview by Ben Verghese meant I had the elements to make the image work. The full interview can be read here.

Vinyl Junkies

2010-05-26T15:30:00.009Z

It looks likely that another record shop is set to close. The Independent reported last week that Vinyl Junkies is to pull down its shutters for the last time in the summer. Vinyl Junkies is a particularly poignant shop as its on Berwick Street – a street with a long association with Record Shops. It also holds a place in my heart as it was one that I featured in The Record Shop Project back in November 2007, photographed by Spencer Murphy.

As well as the main portrait of the shop-owners we also wanted to focus on the details in the shops too.

It was Vinyl Junkies (together with Harold Moores on Gt. Marlborough St) that provided us with the most interesting array of stuff to photograph. It has all the things that I affiliate with a record shop; the smell of vinyl mixed with the Nag Champa, the hand-written labels on pieces of masking tape, rarities on the walls and the stacks of unsorted records filling the floor-space.

Hopefully VJ's will continue trading in the future via its website. Its a shame that yet another shop, another piece of London should vanish. So there's even more reason to pay a visit and experience it before its consigned to history – even if its to experience the smells alone (something you can't get on-line, well not yet anyway).

I wish Jean-Paul, Toru and the guys all the best for the future.

Crouch End Project

2010-04-11T23:22:00.018Z

This has been an on-going project for a while now. These areas of North London are close to my heart – it's been an enjoyable exercise drawing them. They are available to buy now from the store, or email me. Printed on thick 350gsm Conqueror Wove and trimmed to 300mm x 400mm (the size of a standard Ikea or Habitat frame).

Cover Versions: Adland

2010-03-23T11:02:00.004Z

These are cover versions of iconic ads created at Bartle Bogle Hegarty. They are currently on display on large metre square light boxes in the agency. Bet you can't name them all?!

#saveplasticpeople

2010-03-17T20:26:00.014Z

Five Soho record shops take the plight of Plastic to the People.

The combined forces of Wyld Pytch, If Music, Blackmarket, Sounds of the Universe and Phonica play strictly vinyl on PP's system.

Wednesday 31st March 9pm - 2am. Free Entry.

Real Living

2010-02-24T10:15:00.003Z

Thanks to Nick Young @tworuffians for the connection with the guys over at Easy Living Australia. Out now in all good shops in, err, Australia...

#saveplasticpeople_

2010-02-23T20:31:00.005Z

The Petition for Plastic People is now on-line: http://www.petitiononline.com/PP2010/petition.html Please take 30 seconds to fill it out and support the club.

Here are 2 top ten lists from the classic sessions at Plastic. Friday's Blueprint Sessions and Saturday's Balance Sessions:

Friday Night Blueprint Session Tracklist:

John Coltrane – My Favourite Things
4 Hero – Hold it Down (Bugz in the Attic Remix)
Tania Maria – Come With Me Now
Mos Def – Universal Magnetic
Spacek – Eve (Nwachukwu Remix)
Nwachukwu – The Way
Attica Blues – What Do You Want (King Britt Remix)
Love Unlimited Orchestra – Strange Games and Things
TNT Featuring Terri Walker – Easy Loving You
Vikter Dupliax – Messages
Dego – This Aint Tom and Jerry

Saturday Night Balance Tracklist:

Donald Byrd – Dominoes
Pepe Braddock – Burning
Marvin Gaye – What's Going On
Antonio Adolfo – Cascavel
Wayne Shorter – Ponta De Areia
Pharoah Sanders – You've Got to Have Freedom
Mos Def – Universal Magnetic
Larry Young – Turn Off The Lights
Manzel – Space Funk
Leon Thomas – It's My Life I'm Fighting For
Incognito – Fearless

This venue will always be close to my heart. Please follow the updates on the group Facebook Page.

Thought I'd resurrect some words written by Charlie Dark and myself. Written last year for Floor to Wall

FOREWORD by Charlie Dark.

Before we begin this discussion let me make this confession. I was not the one from my crew who discovered Plastic People. That honour goes to my good friend and fellow DJ, Acyde who I met back in 1995 in another hallowed hall of music, The Blue Note in Hoxton Square. Home to legendary club nights such as Goldie’s Metalheadz and Mo Wax’s Dusted. A space where sound system and music policy took precedence over the clothes worn and faces on the door. The demise of the Blue Note left a hole in London club life that the slew of clubs that followed in its wake all failed to fill. Since its closure new clubs and bars sprung up in the area proclaiming great things, but ultimately falling short of the benchmark set. With no place to go out and rave, many faces disappeared never to be seen again.

So when news filtered through about this wicked new space that had opened in Shoreditch, I rolled down to Curtain Road with Acyde to meet the owner and check it out. On first impressions there was nothing to shout about. The grey door gave no indication of the delights that lay behind it, but when Ade finally turned up and led us downstairs into the depths of the club all fears were put to rest. As a veteran of the orbital rave and inner city warehouse scene, I’ve learnt that good clubs begin with a journey, a sense of anticipation climaxing in the discovery of the dance floor. Factor in a pencil thin entrance, steep stairs and a basement devoid of light and I was sold before I even heard the system. Hands were shaken, dates booked and our new night was born.

In a deliberate attempt to go against the grain we dispensed with flyers altogether, hoping word of mouth would fill our space like the clubs of old. Relenting only to small black and white business cards from the three-pound machine in the market to spread the word. With a DJ line up consisting of friends and fellow producers, our Sunday session ticked along quite nicely until enthusiasm died and it suddenly ground to a halt. Surprisingly, or maybe because he couldn’t find anyone else, Ade then asked me to spin at his legendary Saturday night ‘Balance’.

I’ve always had a fascination with flyers. Even before I was old enough to hit the town I would hoard them in old trainer boxes in my bedroom. Once my DJ career took off and my name started appearing on them I was even more diligent with my collection, carefully sticking them into scrapbooks as I charted my career. What impressed me most about the Plastic People flyers was the attention to detail and the subtle references that only became apparent when they’d been stuck to the studio walls for a couple of months. The fact that they rarely stated the music policy or boasted about the size of the sound system also made them stand out and saved them from having the roaches ripped out of the corner. Instead they took pride of place in a collection straining at the seams. But the thing that really caught my eye were the hand-drawn illustrations, the landmarks referenced in an ever-changing city that informed the very music pumping through the speakers. If you trace the flyers in this book from beginning to end you will soon see patterns developing within the names that graced the turntables. Warm-up DJs elevated to peak time draw. Old stalwarts switching genres. Hallowed masters who rarely played our shores pitching up and rocking well into  the morning.

When Ade asked Tony Nwachukwu and myself to do a night at the club we jumped at the chance, excited at the prospect of having a space to develop a regular following and sound. It was our first and only residency and I will always thank Ade for taking a chance and offering us the opportunity. After the demise of our album deal with Sony and the bitter experiences of dealing with the music industry, the Blueprint Sessions were a statement of independence. A chance to play the latest productions alongside the wealth of music that influenced their grooves. The guest DJ line up was a testament to this and again the flyers had an important role to play. Traditionally clubs would make a different flyer for every night but Ade was adamant that it was one flyer a month or nothing. His logic being that if you picked up a flyer and saw the names of all of the guests who were playing you were more likely to come to at least one session. We went back and forth, but in typical Ade fashion he refused to back down. I was still apprehensive until I saw the flyer for the night. With priority given to the names alongside the images, Ali Augur's flyers became a call to arms. If you were a true music head, if you really loved music and the new sounds sweeping across London, then for the next three months we were going to bring you its finest exponents. It worked and the club was rammed, with many people attending each and every session, some even driving from across the country to catch their favourite DJ.

But like all things, it came to an end. When my daughter Naima was born the lure of the late night to the break of dawn session lost its appeal. Specially when you knew you’d be waking up in two hours for the early morning feed. I still play at Plastic on occasion and often drop in when someone interesting is in the booth, but to be honest my regular attendance is waning. Now thanks to Ali, I can stay in with my feet up while the kids use me as a trampoline, flick through the flyers and remember.

Charlie Dark

INTRODUCTION by Ali Augur

Flyers by their nature are throwaway things. As soon as they’ve left the printers, they don’t get the love and attention they deserve. Stuffed into drunken punters’ hands, wedged under wobbly bar tables, or stuffed into the corners of record shops to gather dust. Most end-up in gutters, rather than adorning bedroom walls.

Advertising had taught me some nifty tricks over the years; “The big idea”, “Keep it simple” and “Three’s a campaign” are all rules that I had started to adopt in my work. Rules which, when applied to the humble club flyer make for powerful work. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to a club and its owner in 1998 that would allow me to test these rules and play out my ideas. Ade Fakile’s Plastic People was a basement space on Oxford Street, with an incomparable sound system playing a jaw-dropping selection of music. It was an intimate and friendly space, free from the pretensions usually associated with clubs and unlike anything I had experienced before.

Our first meeting was in the downstairs bar of The Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road. It became a regular place to talk and thrash out ideas. The first meetings were tricky, particularly as Ade made it clear he didn’t believe in promotion, marketing, flyers or branding. But we shared a love of music and common goals. He was as passionate about producing a quality club night as I was about producing a quality flyer. This was enough for us to start working together.

Early on, we played up the cheesiness of the club’s Oxford Street location. Real clubbers didn’t go near the West End on a Saturday night. I dug out some old Letraset books in search of Seventies clipart and found some great poses. I loved that they could be so kitsch, while also looking iconic and graphic – the Plastic People logo was born. Rather than throw away the other found images, we decided to run them all  as flyers.

We went one step further and actually produced the flyers as proper rub-downs, complete with blue backing paper, possibly making them the most expensive club flyers ever. Only a few hundred were produced, with the second batch being printed on tracing paper.

I had borrowed heavily from the much-revered Letraset and I was now keen to focus on producing my own imagery for future work.  I had a passion for London and the everyday stuff people took for granted. These seemingly banal scenes took on a new feeling when captured in illustration and put on a flyer. I enjoyed picking them out and championing them. Soul Jazz records on Ingestre Place and Brick Lane Bagels were the first of these illustrations. Typically for London’s club scene, just as I had got started, the club faced closure. At least the choice of imagery for the final flyer was clear; Ade behind the washing machines which supported the decks, with Jon Lucien’s ‘Would You Believe in Me’ and Donald Byrd’s ‘Dominoes’ sleeves on view.

While Ade searched London for a new space, I had time to take stock and start thinking about a new (hopefully uninterrupted) series. On reflection, there were things that bugged me with the first series; the colours didn’t work well together as a family, the typography was clunky and there were elements that didn’t need to be there. By the time the new Curtain Road space had opened its doors I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

The new space was found and was due to open in April 2000. For a while, the new club was going to be called Wasp. I spent a few weeks developing a logo and look, but Ade eventually stuck with Plastic People. So in a similar way to the Letraset work, we had a set of discarded images that we were keen to use. Wasp was finally used on a Friday gig, featuring Ashley Beadle and guests.

The clubs cornerstone was the Balance session on a Saturday night. In its reincarnation on Old Street, Ade brought in Lee Hefner and Jason Swinscoe as weekly residents. The first image was a drawing of BT Tower, drawn from Tottenham Court Road. Seven more followed in the series, my favourite being the image of The Barbican. I love it as its one of my favourite London landmarks, plus the line-up was outstanding. Like the artwork, the nights were evolving and getting stronger.

The towers had become too obvious. I wanted to continue with a recognizable theme but in a more subtle way. The underground seat pattern was the solution. You have to appreciate they were done ‘pre-digital’, with no Google or digital cameras. I would take to the Underground with a notebook, scribbling down a section of pattern like it was some sort of code, then return to the Mac to translate it in Illustrator.
During this campaign, we decided to transfer two of the most familiar patterns onto large 6ft long canvases and put them on the wall by the bar. People subconsciously liked the patterns for their familiarity. I got a lot of enjoyment watching the punters trying to work them out. A couple of years later, the power of these patterns were finally realised and they could be seen across a variety of products, from sofas to socks.

The patterns were great fun and could have gone on for longer than they did, but I decided to switch it. The last series was a return to architecture and places. I was interested in stripping all the words and logos from these environments and placing the dancing people logo in their place. It seemed the right thing to do, especially as the flip-side of my working life was spent in Adland.

I suppose the choice of imagery was a selfish one. If I liked it, I drew it. From the Bingo Hall on Essex Road to the Rainbow in Finsbury Park. All north of the river and close to my heart. Ten years on, they look even more evocative due to the ever-shifting London landscape. The October image of Charing Cross Road and The Astoria - complete with Routemaster - is a good example.
As well as the Balance flyers, I did a lot of one-offs and flyers for Friday nights. The Blueprint Sessions was like the younger sibling to its brother Balance, with some great nights and guests. The 3 Chairs, Gilles vs Abdul, Quasimoto and Reggae Nights all being favourites.

Looking back at the work as a collection revives a lot of good memories, and over time, it’s been great hearing from people who collected or remembered the flyers. The thought of even a few of them making it to a bedroom wall or two makes it all worthwhile.

Ali Augur

Pause

2009-11-09T14:12:00.006Z

Put Me On It's Amelia Ideh contacted me last month to help out with a flyer for their Sunday night gig, Pause.

Pause is a great word to make a logo out of. Replacing the U with the symbol is an obvious solution that works (especially as its centered in the word).

After working out the logo I took the pause shape and used it to build up a city scape. The majority of buildings in central London are 'dead' on a Sunday evening, apart from where the Pause Party people are – making the most of those precious remaining hours before the return to work.

These posters have been designed as a series that will link together and evolve over time. The next Pause happens this Sunday 15th November, 6pm - 11pm. DJs Andrew Meza (BTS Radio), Eric Lau, Juven & Hits. Free entry all night. 11 market Place, London, W1.

The Book of Conversations

2009-11-06T16:25:00.005Z

Back in Spring 2007, I was asked to contribute to a book 'The Book of Conversations'. Each contributing artist was given a question, from this they were given the task to come up with
an image.

120 artists participated in the project including; Julia Fullterton-Batten, The Glue Society, Mark Porter, Aardman and Rankin.

It is available to buy now. for €39. If you order a book before 01/12/09 you will receive a free limited-edition print (possibly one of mine!). Type FACEBOOK into the voucher code box when purchasing.

You can also join the 1300+ members in The Book of Conversations Group on Facebook.

Faith article

2009-09-14T16:04:00.004Z

A two-hour-late-night-skype-interview with DJ Kenny Hawkes back in July has come to light through this feature in the latest issue of Faith Strobelight Honey. Thank you Terry Farley, Kenny Hawkes and all at Faith for the support.

Harvey Mason Special

2009-09-01T15:32:00.003Z

Following on from the Creed Taylor night in April, If Music put on a night inspired by the music of Harvey Mason. A pleasure to meet Marc Mac (4 Hero) down there and to give him a poster. That's the forth in a series of posters I've done for If Music. They can be seen in all their glory at If Music's new shop located on 42 Langham Street, W1. JC has even managed to hang them straight.

My Choons

2009-08-28T15:25:00.006Z

An amazing opening night for the MyChoons event over in Camden last night. Big shout to Andrew Missingham and Charlie Dark. First guest was Nitin Sawhney. We were privileged to see an acoustic set by the man himself – amazing. Not sure how the boys will beat that for the next one?! Charlie and Andrew wanted a logo based on the Cover Versions that I did last year - its based on The Miracles first album. Look out for future events here:

BBC Urban Music Talent

2009-08-24T15:21:00.003Z

It was great to be asked to take part in the BBC's Urban Music Talent in August. I was asked to speak at one of the workshops, given to the 30 shortlisted candidates about Design and Imagery in music. A great group of talented folk from a wide range of music disciplines were there. I talked through the power of branding, whether it be a big Ad campaign or a club flyer. I showed how branding creeps into music via fashion with this simple image – the sunglasses test. Can you name the artists?

Floor to Wall

2009-05-28T12:21:00.006Z

Between 1998 - 2003, I designed and illustrated over 60 flyers for Plastic People. For those that don’t know the club, it started as a basement space on Oxford Street, with an incomparable sound system playing a mixture of House, Soul, Jazz and Hip Hop. A small and friendly space, and free from the pretensions usually associated with clubs. It moved from the West End to Old Street in 1996 where it continues to draw an underground crowd thanks to its bespoke sound system and initmacy.

The clubs owner, manger (and DJ!) Ade Fakile gave me the freedom to do what I wanted (dream client). I treated the flyers like mini-campaigns with each series based around London or music. The club’s cornerstones nights were Saturday’s Balance Sessions and Friday’s Blueprint Sessions.

An introduction to a Blurb book at the end of last year inspired me to pull these flyers from their various hiding places; shoe boxes, between record sleeves, under beds, backs of drawers... and put them together in a book. After weeks of digging, scanning and writing, a book started to take shape. DJ and writer Charlie Dark kindly wrote the foreword for me, he also wrote a list of 10 memories too (see below). The memories and stories that have come from this have been inspiring, with the flyers acting like cue cards. Ten years on I realise just how special the period was, both socially and musically. A tracklist at the back of the book reflects this.

Thanks to everyone for their help in putting this together, Ade (goes without saying), Charlie Dark (foreword), Jim Lister (for the missing flyers), Becci (support), Justin (copy checking).

“The flyers in this book cover the clubs two homes, from the original space on Oxford Street to its current home in Old Street. Over this five year period, Augur celebrated the less obvious London landmarks through illustration and design. The series-of-8 carried a range of themes, from street scenes, to landmarks to underground seat patterns. On the reverse, the stella line-up of DJ’s who graced the decks from the likes of: Theo Parrish, Gilles Peterson, Madlib, Francois Kervorkian, Moodymann, Questlove, Benji B, Jazzanova. Like the nights they promoted, the flyers have become pieces of clubland past, and remain a tangible record of the nights events.”

“If you trace the flyers in this book from beginning to end you will soon see patterns developing within the names that graced the turntables. Warm-up DJs elevated to peak time draw. Old stalwarts switching genres. Hallowed masters who rarely played our shores pitching up and rocking well into the morning.”

The 7 inch sized 128 page book includes a foreword by DJ and Producer, Charlie Dark and an introduction by Ali Augur. It is being self-published through Blurb.com and is available to buy now.

10 memories courtesy of Charlie Dark:

There are too many anecdotes to list and some of them shall remain in the club but off the top of the dome here are ten with a special place in my record box.

1. Moodyman djing behind a curtain and then coming back a couple of years later and taking requests and entertaining the crowd like a wedding DJ.

2. Leaving my bed at 4am to go and listen to Francois K rock the early morning session. Five minutes of a tropical rainstorm followed by the Bill Laswell rerub of Bob Marleys ‘Exodus’. Heaven.

3. Jay Dilla playing two hours of his own productions on wax on the Plastic People system. Neck hurt for a week afterwards.

4. Dego dropping ‘This Ain’t Tom And Jerry’ on CDR and messing up everyones heads. Proto Dubstep Broken Grime monster. When the Bass dropped my drink fell off the speaker.

5. Black Thought turning up in a mink coat with platinum dog tags and then proceeding to the ghetto V.I.P area on the left-hand side of the decks.

6. Bugz in the Attic debut set at Forward. Dance floor would empty whenever the rhodes came in but the beats were mashing kids heads up.

7. Dego clashing IG Culture at Co Op. CDR’s flying and both dropping boombastic beats that were only ever heard on that night. To close to call it.

8. Theo Parrish. Too many sessions to mention. Always heavy, always different and always full of surprises. And no one rocks the EQ dance like Theo.

9. The 2002 New Years Eve Party. Pharaoh Sanders playing ‘You Gotta Have Freedom’ at 12 o’clock and the insane line up. One of my top ten gigs of all time. I still feel honoured to this day to even have been included on the DJ line up.

10. Mos Def ‘Universal Magnetic’ on the crazy Russion radio station turntables. They weigh a ton, takes ages to set up, impossible to mix on, but make kick drums sound like thunder. You’ll never play a record on a Techniques 1200 again.

Bonus memory: The undercover party room behind the DJ booth. Seek and you shall find.

Charlie Dark

Floor to Wall is available HERE

Joe Bataan

2009-05-06T10:33:00.007Z

New artwork for the next Broad Casting Session. Joe Bataan and James Pants headline the next Red Bull Music Academy gig at Cargo on June 11th. Tickets are available to buy now from the venue. Support from Willie Isz (Jneiro Jarel & Khujo Goodie). DJ's on the night Karen Pearson and James Pants.

NIGHT TRAIN

2009-04-07T19:53:00.013Z

A quick turn around flyer, just how I like 'em. Its a Harlem Renaissance inspired design with some Dapper East London Soul thrown in! The colours were taken from an Aaron Douglas illustration that I uploaded to Kuler (and then downloaded the swatches to Adobe Illustrator). The last versions were looking too flat, so I painted the sky roughly with watercolours, scanned it and placed it behind the vector drawing. The night happens this Friday 10th April 10-5. DJs The BPM, Tic Zogson, Mr. Wonderful and guests. The Shacklewell Arms, London, E8.

Worldwide 10 - Mulatu

2009-04-01T08:58:00.004Z

Following on from the Q-Tip gig at the Roundhouse, Mulatu and the Heliocentrics are to play Camden's Koko next month. Here is another image in the same style as the Q-Tip poster that I did last month. No plans to print a limited edition this time, but open-editions will be available soon from my site.

Worldwide 10

2009-02-12T23:18:00.005Z

Everyone here in London is excited about the forthcoming Q Tip gig on March 14th at Camden's Roundhouse. Gilles Peterson celebrates 10 years of broadcasting on Radio 1 this year with a series of live events, this one being the first. It was great to be asked by Gilles to come up with a piece for the occasion. A limited number will be printed prior to the event. Next up is Mulatu, playing at Koko on May 20th.

Protected – Massive Samples

2009-01-29T15:46:00.008Z

Another compilation from the guys over at K7/Rapster. This time, a collection of original tracks sampled by Massive Attack.

The illustration is based on the hazard flame used on their first albums. I had originally wanted the flame to be screen-printed on recycled board but there wasn't the budget for it. So I found an old brown envelope and scanned the back of it... the result isn't bad. The words were set and warped in Illustrator, then traced by hand and scanned back in.

Its always good to design a record cover and enjoy the record itself. Definitely the case with this one, with the Isaac Hayes and Billy Cobham tracks being my favourites.

Karen Pearson's Broad Casting

2009-01-08T10:32:00.025Z

Just as I'm winding-down for Christmas, I get a call from the ever enthusiastic Karen Pearson with one of those briefs you can't say no to, even if you are running on a reserve tank. The final push was worth it; as well as producing some strong posters for some cool clients, Red Bull, it also makes a good start to the new year. There will be four of these posters over the next twelve months, hopefully making up a good set at the end. The night is happening on Jan 29th at Cargo and is sure to be a good one. Tony Alle n, Hypnotic Brass Ensembl e, Elmore Jud d, plus some very special guests. Looking forward to it.

...and what a night! Really proud to have been part of it. The visuals looked great (thank you Nick Corrigan). Here are some shots from the night. pics by eventful.org.uk

Listen to the event here on Red Bull Music Academy.

Cover Versions

2008-10-22T22:23:00.007Z

I received such positive feedback from last years covers, that I decided to do another set. So here are 8 new Cover Versions to join the original 16. Aside from being classic albums in themselves they also have great cover artwork – it's rare you get both. All of these will be available to buy from my site: www.aliaugur.com

Next up, another cover for K7 in the new year and an update to my site.

Independent Record Shop Project

2008-06-17T14:44:00.007Z

In May 2008 I put on an exhibition with photographer Spencer Murphy about Soho’s Independent Record Shops. Its a project I had originally planned to illustrate about 8 years ago (I’ve had a lot on!) The idea was inspired by the track, Saturday Morning Rush written by Rob Gallagher AKA Earl Zinger.

It captured a mood of an era of record shopping that is sadly on the decline. Over the years a lot of my favourite shops have closed, with each one closing I become more regretful that I hadn’t done anything. It was Reckless Records closing last year that made me finally take action. I decided that photography was key to making this happen rather than illustration.

Using some contacts in adland (thank you Sarah Pascoe, thank you Mark Reddy) I managed to persuade Spencer Murphy to help me out. I approached the shops and we decided to shoot 8 of them. I was tempted to venture North of Oxford Street and to Hanway Street where there are some gems, but we felt that keeping it ‘contained’ in Soho was better.

So on a cold November morning, suffering a ‘post-Dingwalls-hangover’ I met Spencer in Flat White on Berwick Street and we started work. Or rather, Spencer, and assistants Pablo and Linda started work while I browsed the vinyl. It was one of the easiest shoots I’ve done - all the subjects are naturally framed by the counter and their ‘stuff’! We started in Soul Jazz where things were pretty cramped with all the lighting and equipment, Chris stepped up and within ten minutes the first shot was done.

We then moved up to Sister Ray where the staff weren’t so keen on being photographed, but as time was running-out I spotted Matt who was happy (and very good) at being photographed. We were so close to not getting anything but ended up with one of the best shots. Spencer’s lighting is superb and he really captures the mood, especially when you consider the dark and compact space he had to work in. Harold Moores on Great Marlborough Street was next. While Daisy the dog was in make-up we went to Melati’s for lunch. Now the saying goes: never work with children and animals. Well this isn’t true for Daisy, who loved the moment - I’ve never seen an animal play to camera like that... amazing. We spent the last few hours shooting details in the basement of Harold Moores which is filled with interesting stuff.

Tuesday started late as we sat outside Vinyl Junkies waiting for Jean Paul to arrive. He was edgy and a little uncomfortable with us taking over his shop with all the equipment. But then he saw the test shot of himself looking cinematic and grand and soon came around to the idea. More great detail shots in here. I love this shop and the way its laid out. Some pleading with Tolu to join in the final shot and then we were done. Still on Berwick Street, we headed up to Mister CD. This was really cramped, but again Spencer worked his magic and managed to get a good shot in a tightly packed and busy shop. Just 1 month later, this shop would be closed. It was a pleasure to have been there and to record it.

We made our way over to Lexington Street to Wyld Pytch to see Zorra and Digger. When the married couple had stopped bickering with each other we got a good shot of Zorra. This is one of my favourites, Zorra looks great. As always, there was a nice vibe in Wyld Pytch with some good people passing through. I would have loved to have stayed longer but we had a schedule to stick to and we had to move on. A quick dash in the rain down Lexington Street and across Ingestre Place to If Music where we’re greeted with an order “wipe your feet”... yes, it can only be Jean-Claude. While a lot of the shops are cluttered and dusty, this one is the opposite, its pristine. Aaron held the fort while Jean-Claude went out to buy beer. Again the set-up was straight-forward and the shot simple. There were a few props that needed moving around; Fabric Bear and my man Martin Young (RIP) had to be in shot. I help pack Spencer and all the equipment into a people carrier and he’s on his way. Day two is finished and its almost a rap... just Nicky Blackmarket left to do.

A charismatic Nicky appears in the morning for his portrait. He’s happy to have his photograph taken in his shop (the first time anyone has done this) especially as its so close to his birthday. And too soon its all over, with a sense of relief and sadness. Its been an unforgetable few days, surrounded by some very passionate people. The future isn’t looking great for the record shop, I hope we have done something that goes some way towards remembering what we have, now, while its still here.

At the start of the year I set about organising the exhibition and producing a poster to go with it. The square was the starting point and everything was based around this, from the picture crops to the text boxes. The poster folds down to sit in a 7” sleeve. Quadroprint did an amazing job producing this. Originally we were going to source the sleeves, but the unusual way in-which the poster folded down meant the sleeve had to be custom made. Spencer got in contact with writer Cyrus Shahrad who put pen to paper and did a great piece for us. This was printed on the reverse of the poster and appeared large on the windows too - a big thank you to Grant at City Images who helped with these window vinyls and the flyers. The final prints were 1000mm square photographic prints mounted to foam board and supplied by SMP. All the production was managed under the expert eye of Andy Maw.

I learnt a lot about PR and how time-consuming it can be (note to self: out source it next time). Emails were sent with little or no responses - all very unnerving. But one morning I got an email from Gavin Lucas at Creative Review who wanted to meet up for a pint. He was a massive help in raising awareness of the project and wrote a great piece on the CR Blog. I have to thank Gilles too for giving it a push on the radio.

The Private View took place on the 15th May in Soho – with a massive amount of help from Ronojoy Dam. Jean-Claude, Aaron Jerome and Zorra played, while a steady flow of friends and shop-owners made their way through the doors. Having Rob Gallagher in attendance completed the project nicely. 8 years in the making. Better late than never.

More links here:
BBC
FLY
CREATIVE REVIEW

some posters are still available, either from my site or from the record shops themselves.

Working with BBC 21CC

2008-06-01T11:20:00.009Z

In April 2008, I was invited by Kirsteen McNish to join the BBC's 21CC workshop as a Facilitator. The project was a multimedia event based around Steve Reich's 'Music for 18 Musicians' and was split into three parts: Video, Music, and Graphics. Myself and Patrick Vale headed up the Graphic Design section. Students from Kingston College joined us for 2 days at 21CC's space at White City. It was interesting to see how the students worked under such a tight deadline - just two days to conceptualise, design and artwork their covers. The finished pieces were excellent, especially when you consider the time constraints and the fact it was their first time using the applications. All the work was put on display at the BFI Southbank alongside the live music and films that were produced by the other groups.

Controversy - A Tribute to Prince

2008-01-14T22:50:00.000Z

Following on from the Blue Note cover, comes something more purple in the form of Prince. K7 Records / Rapster commissioned me back in September to do an illustration for their forthcoming compilation: Controversy - A Tribute to Prince. Its out next month (Feb 5th 2008). The tracklist is good with some great cover versions on there. Favourite tracks for me are The Dynamics and Hefner (Plastic People Family!) here's the full tracklist:

D'Angelo - She's Always In My Hair
Stina Nordenstam - Purple Rain
Blue States - Alphabet Street
Susanna & The Magical Orchestra - Condition Of The Heart
Osunlade - Crazy You
Hefner - Controversy
The Dynamics - Girls & Boys
Broadway Project feat. Jeb Loy Nichols - The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker
7 Hurtz with Peaches - Sexy Dancer
Soulwax - Starfish & Coffee
Rob Mello - Critical
LB - The Future
Kode 9 & Space Ape - Sine Of The Dub

More info here from the Napster site:
Rapster Records

A print of this illustration is available to buy now from my website:
Ali Augur

Cool Comp

2007-11-06T23:33:00.000Z

My cover art for Blue Note Japan is out now. Sunday Blue is a compilation of chilled Blue Note tracks selected by Toshio Matsuura. Toshio contacted me back in June with a brief to do the cover. It was a refreshing experience working with a client that cares about how things look as well as contributing some good direction and ideas.

The tracklist is excellent and it was playing constantly while I put the image together. The Ronnie Foster track is the one that does it for me! Here's the complete list:

Gene Harris - Latinfunklovesong
Bobbi Humphrey - Please Set Me At Ease
John Lee & Gerry Brown - Love the Way You Make Me Feel
Ronnie Foster - What Happened To The Sunshine
Gene Harris - Beginnings
Donald Byrd - Places & Spaces
Eddie Henderson - Inside You
Marlena Shaw - Feel Like Makin' Love
Maxi Anderson - Let Him In
Bobby Hutcherson - Love Song
Horace Silver - The Mohican And The Great Spirit
Chico Hamilton - The Morning Side of Love
Moacir Santos - April Child
Also worth checking Toshio's Seven Eleven Radio show.

If you're in the UK you'll be able to get a copy of Sunday Blue through Juno Records.

A print of this illustration is available to buy now from my website:
Ali Augur

Exhibition at If Music

2007-06-18T22:06:00.000Z

The '16 covers' I did for Gilles at the beginning of the year have finally made it off the computer screen and onto a wall. Jean Claude at If Music has kindly given me some space to exhibit some work.

The covers are based on the eclectic mix that 'we' all love. Jazz, Folk, Hip Hop, Electonic, New and Old. While they look simple they're bloody hard to put together and took weeks of pain!

The 16 images work as one piece but also work in isolation. The order in which they appear also took many hours of shuffling.

While 'uploading' the images to the wall on Monday night (using a step ladder and spirit level!) I enjoyed the banter as JC and Aaron played Quiz Masters to the poor punters who were desperately trying to 'Name The Covers'. "Marvin Gaye? Nah you fool, and I thought you knew your music!". "Swedish, Jazz, Two blokes who like wearing womens clothes, C'mmon Dude S'easy"

Joking aside, it's important that people continue to respect and value the art in record covers, especially in the age of the MP3.

While my site (and new store!) is being updated, the work will be available to buy in the shop. So if you're passing, drop-in and test your knowledge, and buy some records while you're there!

Support the Record Shops!

Kuler is King

2007-06-18T21:41:00.000Z

Every so often a website comes around that totally changes the way you work. Last year, MyFonts and in particular its whatthefont site got me out of a few tight spots. Now this site looks to do the same. Kuler was forwarded to me a couple of weeks ago. Its amazing. As any designer will tell you, picking a family of colours is difficult! I can remember 'back in the day' literally cutting up swatches of colours and laying them all out to see which ones worked. Well those days have gone.

This site is amazing. The tag system is genius too. I'll be signing in soon and sharing a few of my camo swatches and old Balance/Plastic People ones too.

thank you Vince Frost

2007-06-08T23:09:00.000Z

Being a Virgin Blogger, I assume that the hardest Blog to write is the first, right?

I've been meaning to start a Blog for far too long now. I guess the moment of inspiration came during a recent lecture by Vince Frost Alongside his work were photos he had taken while he was out and about, daft snapshots that amused him. It was cool seeing these 'snaps' alongside work that had obviously been loved and crafted.

I thought of all the daft photos I've taken over the years and my empty Blogger page. Its time to get on with it.

All I need to do now is find those photos...