Do you like talking about fonts? What about in the context of your favorite band's album cover? That's the conversation Missing Artwork wants to have. It's a new podcast produced by L.A.-based record blog Modern Vinyl where host Michael Escanuelas dissects the process behind creating album art with the artists themselves. Think Song Explosion, but for design nerds. Its catchy theme song was made by another L.A.-based up-and-comer named Mark Redito, formerly known as Spazzkid.
The first episode, which came out yesterday, focuses on the cover for Anderson .Paak's new album "Malibu." It's a beautiful collage piece by Dewey Saunders, who is responsible for most of the art that .Paak has been using. They tackle the complexity of his work by going through every layer, from the early stages of brainstorming ideas to the decisions behind every element of the collage. It's a compelling way to understand just how much work goes into a piece of album art, which eventually becomes the thing we remember the most about our favorite records.
.Paak is one of L.A.'s best exports who rose to fame with his excellent 2014 album "Venice." He played locally for years before taking off after a series of collaborations with Dr. Dre and The Game. His new album was met with critical acclaim upon its release in January, receiving the much-coveted Best New Music award from Pitchfork. One can appreciate the consistency that comes with using a single artist for most of his recent releases as well as his tour material; the look that Saunders has created fits the spirit of the album.
You can subscribe to Missing Artwork now via YouTube or iTunes.
