How to choose album artwork for your release

This is an unofficial series where I go through my own process of making and releasing my own music, true DIY style 😄👋

Ok so now I have chosen the tracks that will be part of my next album. I’ll even given it a name. Distant Shores. Which is the name of a track from the album. Which consists of music that I’ve made between now and a year back in time (2016–2017). Just to get you a heads up if you are reading this for the very first time.


Given the fact that I’m an old graphic designer and art director I take this next part really serious. More serious than the music in fact. The tracks are made in a very lofi state of mind where I allow myself to make mistakes, play around be foolish. Just have fun. The package, the art that comes with it, the typography? No way.

It’s a bit like buying Lego actually. The box art is always in great order, excellent illustrations, top notch typography, everything’s very neat. Then you open up the package. Still neat. Then you break up the plastic wrapping around the actually Lego bricks. Some kind of order but also a bit of fun chaos. The music. Then you try to make sense of all the bits (the instructions book). For me being a very visual person the things that I put on the cover of my releases must co-relate to the actual feel, texture and theme of the album.

My son and Lego Batman

I’m fortunate enough to be part of the amazing Movecutclone collective so artistic talent is in abundance. For my last album, Pulpofision, I had the super talented Rolf Mao doing some wonderful patterns for the cover. And seeing that he recently also did the cover for Ferms Natsu tape, I began looking for something a bit different. One day just chilling and browsing my Insta I saw an amazing illustration by artist Mikel Nilsson. I fell in love instantly. That was exactly the mood and feel I was reaching for. He had put the words “In a galaxy far far away” under it. Classic Star Wars reference I know.


But also what I realized many of my songs are about. I’m going to be very honest here. Everywhere else in life I put on a mask. I have ones for work and I have ones for my family. Yes even my kids and my wife.

I do that, I think, because of fear. Fear of showing myself to the world exactly how I am. Doing music is the only place were I’m totally honest and being myself, it has always been my “escape”. It’s like entering another realm where everything is accepted and I can be exactly what I am; flawed, a bit messed up and (what I think anyway) a decent human being.

Sorry for derailing a bit. Anyway this is the original illustration:

And here it comes with typography:

Of course the actual cassette cover will be a bit different because (duh) tapes are not square 😊⭐️💥

I’ll post that in another post. 👏🏻

Distant Shores by Djablo will be out in a month or so on limited cassette and digital. You will be able to buy it from MoveCutClones Bandcamp page.

Juan Fernando Maguid

Written by

I create stuff and try to share some thoughts about it. Founder of Designforventures.co

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