One of my most favorite album artwork i created so far has to the first album i designed for soda ash. the  premise was excellent, meaning there were little guidelines except for a bladerunnereque retro scifi feel that the album should have.

Soda Ash – Tech Noir Cover

Soda Ash – Tech Noir Inlay (1)

Soda Ash – Tech Noir Inlay (2)

Soda Ash – Tech Noir Inlay (3)

Soda Ash – Tech Noir Outside Tray

Zeitgeist Zero are a UK based gothrock industrial band and i had the pleasure to designed both their albums so far. Their selftitled debut got released in 2005 and their follow-up  ‘dead to the world’ came out 2008. Despite their dark image they are really nice guys and were fun to work with. Check them out either at their webpage (which i also designed) or their myspace page.

Zeitgeist Zero Debut Cover

Zeitgeist Zero Debut Booklet Inlay

Zeitgeist Zero ‘Dead to the World’ Cover

Zeitgeist Zero ‘Dead to the World’ Inlay

between 2003 and 2004 i had some contact with the german hardcore scene; back then i assumed this music pretty much dead, but techno was still going strong around the ruhrgebiet. one guy contacted me, one thing lead to another and i was working for a couple of the party organisers and some guy who did compilations for more music. without washing too much dirty laundry in public the whole thing was pretty much messed up – two organisers paid only part of the money, and from the compilations i also received only partial payments – more music did pay the company that made the compilations, but the money got somewhere lost before it come to me. no one to sue either, because the company went bankrupt soon after that. oh my. the joy of being a freelancer: extra hours, tight deadlines and after that you get screwed for the money.

anyway, back to the topic i wanted to talk about, hardcore and darkcore in germany and the covers i did. there were a couple of ongoing compilations: godfathers of hardcore, 100% darkness and a oneshot called ghosttown. apart from that were a couple of other compilations like army of hardcore where i did the first two volumes.

after 2004 i discontinued my work on the compilations, so if you see any later volumes, they are totally not from me. believe you me.

nonetheless, i have to admit i had fun with the creation of the covers. here some for your enjoyment:

100% darkness vol. 1

100% darkness vol. 2

godfathers of hardcore vol.1

godfathers of hardcore vol.2

godfathers of hardcore vol.3

ghosttown