Graphic Designers Moonlighting as Musicians, and Vice Versa

posted by Emily Gosling August 12, 2021

It goes without saying that a huge number of those who know their way around a printing press (or Photoshop) are also often pretty handy on decks, too (or indeed, VirtualDJ). Music and visual communication go together like, well, Hall and Oates, or PJ and Duncan.

That’s why we’ve drawn together a (hopefully|) interesting and by no means comprehensive list of graphic designers who’ve also got a record or two in their portfolio; from those you might not know, to those you definitely will, to those you’ve certainly heard of but perhaps were unaware of their formative years studying kerning et al.

Antony Burrill Letterpress superstar Anthony Burrill’s career began, in a way, with rave: while at art school in Manchester in the 80s, he was busy creating flyers for events put on by he and his pals that were so successful, they naturally got shut down.

His early musical loves included Human League and Kraftwerk; and he soon fell in love with motorick beats and synthesiser rumbles. His love of music recently evolved from fan into creator when in 2018, he released acid house record The Future Is Now with Acid Washed’s Andrew Claristidge.

The collaboration came about with Burrill having long worked on identity and sleeve design for Acid Washed, and the record marries the musician’s analogue tools with Burrill’s analogue letterpress processes. Sonically, it’s a mix of Chicago house beats with analogue synth sounds and drum machines (including the iconic Roland TR-707) and found sounds (such as chicken and gravy noises) from Burrill’s home in the East Sussex countryside.

In April 2020, Burrill released BIRDS, a collaborative project with Erik Kessels and Malcolm Goldie. Bird song and aeroplane recordings are carefully arranged in what’s described as “an audio collage of pleasant and unpleasant sounds” featuring, amongst others, the House Sparrow, Airbus A320, Blue Tit, Boeing 777X, Wood Pigeon and a Cessna 172.

Peter Christopherson (Sleazy)Best known as Sleazy, Christopherson was one of the original members of Throbbing Gristle (TG), later helping form Psychic TV with Genesis P-Orridge and Geoff Rushton (better known as John Balance.)

However before gaining fame/notoriety with (and helping found) industrial music, Sleazy worked as one of the three partners at iconic British design agency Hipgnosis, renowned for its sleeve designs for the likes of T-Rex, Pink Floyd and Electric Light Orchestra.

Sleazy also worked as a freelance photographer shooting the first promotional images of the Sex Pistols in 1976 and later creating designs for Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s SEX fashion boutique. He also designed the logo of UK fashion label BOY London.

Having directed more than 40 music videos, Sleazy worked with bands like Rage Against The Machine, The The, Sepultura and Robert Plant.

Post TypographyConceptually driven design studio Post Typography’s founders are the sort of people who apparently excel at everything they turn their hands to, having formerly worked together in Baltimore post-punk trio Double Dagger, the band at the heart of acclaimed 2018 doc If We Shout Loud Enough.

While we discovered the band through the agency, we’re big fans—what’s not to love about a trio that eschews guitar for really loud bass? Four strings really are often better than six. Post Typograph’s Bruce Willen is behind that deliciously loud bass sound, with fellow Post Typography co-founder Nolen Strals on vocals.

Ryan Doyle of DR.ME As one half of Manchester’s maestros of collage, DR.ME, Ryan Doyle also makes music under the moniker Fatigay. In April this year Fatigay’s debut record, Bliss & Envy, was released in the form of a fold out large format poster zine and “car CD,” mixing experimental tracks, sound collages and some really stunning artwork including “a video mixtape sealed inside an oversized baggy”. Bliss & Envy marked the second release from Waiting Room Press, DR.ME’s formidable publishing imprint.

Freddie MercuryHe may well have had no time for monkey business, but it turns out Freddie did have time for graphic design, receiving his diploma in the discipline from Ealing Art College (other famous alumni include Pete Townshend and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood). Mercury also studied at Isleworth Polytechnic (now West Thames College).

It was, in fact, Freddie who created the iconic Queen crest logo, shortly before the band’s debut album release in 1973. The logo is said to combine the symbols representing the zodiac signs of the band’s four members: a lion each for Leos John Deacon and Roger Taylor), a crab for Cancerian Brian May and two fairies representing Freddie’s own Virgo sign.

The prominent crown housed by the negative space in the letter “Q” speaks for itself, really; while a phoenix image acts as a sort of holding device to contain all the graphic elements. The original design took the form of a simple line drawing, found on the reverse-side of the cover of the band’s first album, was a simple line drawing. Later sleeves featured a more detailed, coloured version of the logo.

Chuck D Public Enemy superstar Chuck D is well known as having also been a graphic designer, and is credited as one of “the originators of fusing logo work and art into hip-hop.”

He studied graphic design at New York’s Adelphi University, but told a 2008 press conference that he “got kicked out of college – and kinda left. I partied too much as a freshman.” However, he returned in 1979 to finish his degree (apparently a move inspired by early rap record releases), and was a Dean’s list graduate in 1984, specialising in record cover design.

A couple of months ago,Chuck D announced that he was releasing his first graphic novel, titled Apocalypse 91: The Revolution Never Sleeps.A collaboration between comic publisher Z2 and his record label Def Jam, the book is scheduled for release set to this November, following the 30th anniversary of Public Enemy’s fourth album Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black.

David BowieAny Bowie-nut worth their salt knows that he studied at Bromley College of Art in the early 60s; but I’ve only just found out the even juicier detail that he specialised in layout and typesetting.

A piece penned by Lynda Relph-Knight following Bowie’s death in 2016 explores Bowie’s relationship with graphic design throughout his career, and quotes Malcolm Garrett as saying the artist “pioneered the way in which sound and image could be harnessed and manipulated by mainstream pop artists.”

In that same piece,Neville Brody describes Bowie as “one of the biggest influences on my growing up in London. Being exposed to his design sensibility and music was huge. I was motivated and encouraged by his creativity and ability to challenge the norm and make it work joyfully. He was brazen.”

Trevor JacksonTrevor Jackson is one of those rarities who’s probably equally as well known for his visual output as his music. A multi-disciplinary creative, he’s worked across design, music, art and fashion.

He formed design company Bite It! In1987 before starting his record production career under the moniker The Underdog, going on to remix the likes of Massive Attack, Yello, Soft Cell, Tiga and UNKLE.

His label, Output Recordings, has been hailed as a contemporary equivalent to Factory thanks to their aesthetic prowess and boasts design sensibilities befitting of its artists, such as Four Tet, LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture, as well as Jackson’s own Playgroup project. The label was closed after a decade and 100 releases, with its demise heralded by the release of the I Hate Music compilation.

His stunning Metal Dance compilations are personal favourites: blistering showcases of seminal electronic dance music that frequently verges on industrial and everything from darkwave to techno.

Dave Peacock One half of truly iconic duo Chas ‘n’ Dave is also a superb signwriter, as we discovered thanks to Sam Roberts of Better Letters, which published a superb piece on celeb signwriters. As well as painting pub signage (of course), he also has a penchant for painting gypsy wagons.