Features
Behind the Artwork: Because of Art 'Because of Art'
Next month, we’re releasing the debut album from Because of Art. Since announcing the project this summer, Alex has given us a taste of what’s to come through singles ‘Shift Focus’ (with Blair), ‘Perception’ (with Shadow Child), and ‘Hold On’, alongside powering through brilliant sets in the Bay Area, Washington State for ABGT700, and Malta. It’s no wonder we’re counting down the days to November 13.
In anticipation, we’re taking a closer look at the album's striking artwork, which features Alex surrounded by his own handwritten production notes. We sat down with Will and Jordan from HQ to get the behind-the-scenes story on how they brought his vision to life…
Tell us about yourselves, Will and Jordan! What is your background in design, and what other artworks or Anjuna designs might fans recognise of yours?
Will: I’m Head of Creative at Anjuna, overseeing the creative output across the labels, from album artwork and artist campaigns to live shows and stage design. I first started working in music while living and working in Ibiza between 2013 and 2015, before moving to Leeds and eventually to London in 2019. I’ve now been at Anjuna for seven years. Two projects I’ve worked on that stand out for me are the Genix ‘YOU.ME.NOW’ album campaign and the festival branding and on-site creative for Anjunadeep Explorations.
Jordan: …and I’m Senior Creative, also approaching seven years at the company. I come from a multi-disciplined background of graphic and motion design, typography and photo/video within the music realm. Over the past few years I’ve leant further into the production side, capturing or directing content for an array of Anjuna projects, such as Dusky, Ezequiel Arias and plenty more – most of which alongside my guy Will. anamē's 'Hopes & Fears' campaign stands out for me personally as a campaign I'm particularly proud of. It was my first time directing an album campaign and there were a lot of challenges on the shoot day with weather and logistics, but somehow it all came together in a magical way.
Tell us about how you and Alex conceptualised the artwork for his album ‘Because of Art’?
Will: Alex has spent years immersed in club culture, and we wanted to find a way of communicating how those experiences have shaped him and his music. Club culture is a theme often explored in dance music artwork, so we were keen to approach it from a more personal and unique angle. We knew he was an avid note taker, constantly documenting thoughts, ideas and experiences, and that felt like a really interesting way into the artwork. From there we developed the visual idea around his notebook, using its pages as a metaphor for years of inspiration and experiences building into something bigger.
How did you find the location?
Will: We were looking for a location in London that had the right feel for the concept and E1 felt like a natural fit. We knew about the Function-One speaker wall, which felt like a great way to bring in that connection to club culture, and the industrial aesthetic of the wider room worked perfectly for the overall look we wanted to achieve.
Talk us through the shoot day.
Will: The shoot was about capturing Alex in a moment of reflection, surrounded by his notes as though he were revisiting years of ideas and experiences. We started building the set at 7am, hanging individual sheets of paper from ultra-thin thread to create the effect of them floating in the air. It was one of the hottest days of the year, which made the setup a bit of a challenge! We wanted the image to feel slightly surreal, with the movement of the pages creating a sense of thoughts and inspiration coming together. We kept the lighting quite dramatic and the setting relatively stripped-back, allowing Alex and the floating pages to become the focus. We captured the album cover first followed by head shots for the single artworks, then press shots and then finally video.
How do you then turn the photos into artwork?
Will: The main focus was getting the composition and lighting right in camera, carefully positioning Alex and the notebook pages to create the image we had in mind. By getting that right on the day, we only needed a bit of retouching afterwards to create the final album cover. We could have created something similar using AI, but it was important to us that the artwork felt authentic.
And how did you design the full physical product, with additional inner sleeves etc?
Will: We wanted the physical product to build on the notebook concept so the inner sleeves feature scans of Alex’s actual notebook pages, including his mix notes for each track. It gives fans a glimpse into his creative process, while also extending the idea of the artwork into the physical product in a really natural way. We also printed on reverse board to give the packaging a more tactile and textured feel, which felt right for the raw, personal nature of the concept.
What were your favourite parts of the shooting process?
Will: I really enjoy the planning and problem-solving side of a project and figuring out how to bring an idea to life. Seeing everything come together on the day is always rewarding, and sometimes a bit of a relief!
Jordan: Yes, seeing it all come together is a great feeling, but also the whole process of figuring it all out while shooting is too. It rarely goes exactly to plan on the day, but that’s what makes it fun and keeps you on your toes – and this was one of those days where everything began to flow and fall into place. Alex is also very chill and up for a laugh which always helps!
And how do you feel about the final artwork?
Will: I’m really happy with how the album cover and campaign as a whole came together. I think it captures something quite personal about Alex and his relationship with music, without being too literal. The notebook also became a prop for storytelling throughout the campaign rather than just an element of the artwork. For the album announcement trailer, Alex even hand-wrote the announcement itself, which was a nice way to carry that personal touch through to the wider campaign.
Jordan: Yes very happy with it – I think the entire campaign ties together in a smart way through the visual concept of the notebook and the grittier street feel. I think this juxtaposition is what makes it striking and unique. Alex also killed it on camera in all the artwork, press shots and trailer which helps carry the emotive side of the artwork and setting the tone.
