Big Active’s creative director and founder Gerard Saint has just returned from Athens after speaking at the Design Panorama conference. Saturday’s headline talk focused on Big Active’s music design output – and why we believe an integrated approach is essential to produce effective creative work. “Music design is the glue that holds together all the fragmented aspects of the way music is currently consumed – from digital to print – so it’s really important that each adds a new dimension to the story…”. Examples of this way of thinking include campaigns for Beck, The Enemy, Keane, Goldfrapp and Mark Ronson.

Design Panorama is organized annually by +Design Magazine and Sunday’s main presentation featured Anne Miltenburg from the Dutch design studio Lava who have been named European Design Agency of 2010. We’d like to thank Demetrios Fakinos and +Design for their superb hospitality.

06 December, 2010 - Posted in Art Direction & Design, Gerard Saint, Music | - Tags: +Design Magazine, Art Direction & Design, Design Panorama, Gerard Saint, Music Design | Permalink

Voting has now gone live for this years Best Art Vinyl Awards. The nominations for best vinyl sleeve created in 2010 features two works by Big Active in the form of Goldfrapp’s ‘Headfirst’ and Mark Ronson’s ‘Record Collection’. The winning sleeves are decided by public vote and will be announced soon after Christmas. All 50 nominations will also be on show at several galleries in the UK, France, Belgium and Sweden throughout November and December. For more details and to cast your vote (for us of course…) please visit www.artvinyl.com

09 November, 2010 - Posted in Art Direction & Design, Music | - Tags: Art Direction & Design, Art Vinyl, Big Active, Goldfrapp, Mark Ronson, Music Design | Permalink

The new Mark Ronson album ‘Record Collection’ features many different record covers that are used to create the actual design. The album campaign was directed and designed by Big Active with collaborative imagery by Mat Maitland, Jasper Goodall, Will Sweeney, Jesse Auersalo, Parra and Markus Karlsson. The ‘Record Collection’ is available as a CD, 12″ Vinyl, iTunes Interactive Format and Collectors 7″ boxed set – featuring the individual sleeves from the album collages and housed in an 80’s inspired leatherette record carry case.

04 October, 2010 - Posted in Art Direction & Design, Gerard Saint, Illustration, Jasper Goodall, Jesse Auersalo, Mat Maitland, Music, Will Sweeney | - Tags: Big Active, Mark Ronson, Music Design, Record Collection | Permalink

The summer edition of Eye magazine focuses entirely on design for music – from the first sleeve graphics by Alex Steinweiss to the performance art of Laurie Anderson. The special issue also features an extensive profile on the work of Big Active and interview with creative director Gerard Saint – discussing the challenges of packaging music for the digital age – and why in his opinion design will always have a compelling role to play in making music visible. Eye #76 is out now.

04 August, 2010 - Posted in Art Direction & Design, Gerard Saint, Music | - Tags: Art Direction & Design, Eye Magazine, Gerard Saint, Music Design, St Brides's Library | Permalink

Mallorca Rocks is the bad-ass brother of Ibiza Rocks. The brand new Mallorca Rocks Hotel opened it’s doors with a sell out show by The Kooks, Zane Lowe and Bombay Bicycle Club. Designed in collaboration with Big Active the hotel features more shows this summer by The Prodigy, Dizzy Rascal, Calvin Harris, The Courteeners and Pendulum. ‘The look and feel of the hotel are a natural extension of the work we’ve developed for Ibiza Rocks for over the past four years’ says creative director Gerard Saint, ‘these last few months have been a really busy time getting everything together, so it’s amazing to now see the place really come to life…’ Designer Markus Karlsson described the opening as ‘an absolutely crazy party – no sleep for 24 hours…’ Big Active are design directors for the Ibiza Rocks and Mallorca Rocks brands. Respect.

21 June, 2010 - Posted in Art Direction & Design, Gerard Saint, Music | - Tags: Art Direction & Design, Ibiza Rocks, Mallorca Rocks, Music Design | Permalink

‘Saturday Night’ is the strictly limited new 7″ release from Das Pop – and it’s out this week. Designed by Mat Maitland for Big Active.

14 June, 2010 - Posted in Art Direction & Design, Music | - Tags: Art Direction & Design, Das Pop, Illustration, Music Design | Permalink

The new album from Foals is out now. ‘Total Life Forever’ is the follow up to their 2008 debut ‘Antidotes’ and sees an evolution in the band’s sound which is reflected in the new imagery created for the band by their good friend and outsider artist Tinhed. The underwater shots of the band are by Steve Guillick. Big Active made the art work.

15 May, 2010 - Posted in Art Direction & Design, Music | - Tags: Art Direction & Design, Foals, Music Design, Total Life Forever | Permalink

This month’s Grafik magazine features a provocative special report on the future of music design – essential reading we think. Gerard Saint our creative director shares his opinions on page 65. More…

07 May, 2010 - Posted in Art Direction & Design, Gerard Saint, Music | - Tags: Art Direction & Design, Gerard Saint, Grafik Magazine, Music Design | Permalink

The new album by Kate Nash is out today. Produced by Bernard Butler – “My Best Friend Is You” – sees a development in her direction towards a more indie sound and features a rawer more stripped back approach to her music. To reflect this attitude Big Active were commissioned to create a campaign that has been inspired by references as diverse as 1920/30’s constructivist collage to stateside girl-band iconography from the 1960’s. Mat Maitland art directed the campaign working in collaboration Kate Gibb – who produced all of the silkscreen imagery. Reflecting the personal sentiment in the album’s title the printed imagery takes the form of collages all incorporate keepsakes belonging to Kate Nash, “The silkscreen process gives the visual flavour a much more hard edged organic feel – in keeping with the spirit of the album” . The imagery is integrated across all aspects of the promotional campaign.

19 April, 2010 - Posted in Art Direction & Design, Illustration, Kate Gibb, Music | - Tags: Kate Gibb, Kate Nash, Music Design | Permalink

The new album by Goldfrapp ‘Headfirst’ is released today. Featuring the single ‘Rocket’, this is the fourth album release we have designed for the band – and marks yet another new direction in the band’s sound and imagery. The campaign has been art directed by Mat Maitland in collaboration with Alison Goldfapp – with photography by Serge Leblon, styling by Cathy Edwards, and set design by Shona Heath. BBC6 Music likened the album to ‘…the first sun of spring’ – rather appropriate we think…

22 March, 2010 - Posted in Art Direction & Design, Mat Maitland, Music | - Tags: Cathy Edwards, Goldfrapp, Music Design, Serge Leblon, Shona Heath | Permalink