Nite Versions (Soulwax - 2005)

Artist Context: In the industry Soulwax is certainly one of a kind and a group I was keen to analyse. Under the umbrella genre of electronica*. . Ironically in their early albums Much Against Everyones Advice (2000) featured a song called Too Many DJs. 2manyDJs became the groups electronic music moniker that they mixed and played from their pirate music station: Radio Soulwax. Hence comes the name of their compilation albums: As Made on Radio Soulwax. *Soulwax actually originally started as a Rock/ Electronic outfit however have always expressed interest in DJing and electronic influence in their music. Soulwax is an interesting one in respects to this project as he originally was a rock artist but made his way into the darker side of electronic music . Album Cover:

The album cover is an optical illusion whereby the viewer must stand away from the cover in order to see the title. This design was made signature for the band through the highly successful Any Minute Now (2004) and reflects the visual state style adopted by their 2manydjs moniker which includes trippy drug culture influenced visuals including album covers of their own and that of other artists. Optical illusion in themselves are linked to drug culture in the fact that users/ clubgoers use them to exaggerate the experience given by the drug. The use of this in their album cover not only appeals to fan, curious potential consumers, but also those familiar with the applications of these illusions within Dance/Club/ Drug culture even in Audiovisual/venue setups. Another link is found within the titles of the groups songs make heavy reference to drugs and Club culture: Krack Slowdance Any Minute Now Please don't be yourself. All reference the feeling and influence of drugs taking control. Another thing to point out for is the embedding of hidden tracks that replicate/ simulate the effects of drugs that can only be obtained by ripping the material CD copy using an Optical disk drive. (As Herd on Radio Soulwax P.2 features a 9minute song where at roughly 6:00 mark that remix of Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out of My Head). Dance 2 Slow. Any Minute Now (2004)'s hidden track includes slurred voiced to a alternative turne to the melody of E-Talking. Furthermore tightening the group brand to the experience provided by drugs. The implementation of random "Easter eggs" and mix songs many wouldn't picture together conveys a sense of playfulness that is very much part of their brand identity: "Playful Imaginative and, best of all, never taking itself at all seriously - Q on as heard on radio soulwax p.2 In the cover's case (no pun intended) this comes in there form of tricking the mind into creating the illusion that the title disappears as the viewer gets closer reflective the prankster attitude Soulwax/2manydj's approach to composing their music/ mixes. Their webpage is an impractical joke and can be viewed here: http://www.soulwax.com/2007/ This idea of drug culture and the link to the group is also established in Soulwax's music video of their song E-Talking whereby members of the Fabric club, London are shown to be taking/ or under the influence of each of the A-Z of "club drugs" starting with Acid and ending with Zoloft during a 2manydjs set. A clear link to the presence of Goodwin's Star image theory. Presenting the main artist in a cameo role as DJs in the background within their own video. There is also another instance of this within this video as the last characters representing Zoloft leave the members of Soulwax and picking up their stuff ready to play a set inside the venue. Group illicit group appearances within their own music videos is common convention within the Electronic/Dance music genre as shown in The Chemical Brothers highly successful music video Hey Boy, Hey Girl (1999) where the bands duo appear to be entering the club as the main protagonist leaves.

Hallucagenics are common place in club environments and the idea of looking at an album cover in a different way to have a different view is a concept that drug users are familiar with. "club drugs" a term know by many youths and young adults who have had experience/s of Dance/Electronic music venues, legal/illegal across the UK. The matter is a hot social topic in the UK as highlighted in the critical essay published by the UKDC (2011): (i) "taking drugs seriously a demos and uk drug policy commission report on legal Highs" The report explores the effects of Club Drug culture on youths and the breakthrough of new "legal highs" . Looking at the cover in retrospective at the time where the original Club Drugs were most dominant post 1990 eventually curving into the drug landscape we have today following Howard S. Becker's (ii) Subcultures Theory Soulwax addresses the Hallucagenic effect the dominant drugs of the day produced. Soulwax's cover not only attracts familiars to this culture but makes a statement simply by its presence normalizing the often negative public perception of "Club Drugs" questioning it and highlighting its place in our society. A point also highlighted in the report. "Reuter suggests there is an increasing tolerance in Western society for altered states of consciousness" . (ii) "There are a number of reasons for the growth in the market for these drugs, including changing social norms, youth culture, the manufacturing process, the ease of substituting precursor chemicals and psychoactive substances, and the convenient methods for taking these drugs (pills versus injecting, snorting or smoking" "When patterns of drug use are limited to low-income and low-status groups, societal reaction tends to be punitive, and government pursues a prohibitionist policy. When drug use becomes common in many segments of the youth population, public reaction is one of temporary alarm with later adjustment (Becker 1967, 1974)" You could even go onto saying in terms of design that Soulwax has created a timeless album cover as for along as there are youth subcultures (especially with the direction of the industry) and a ever growing electro/dance centric music industry Club Drug culture will exist and so will the reference. With its implementation into previous album covers they have using Andrew Goodwin's Star image theory associated illicit/casual drug use with their brand & star image. Which is excellent for horizontal branding cross associating the surreal feeling influenced by drugs to sell a consumer product. In terms of marketing this album cover is a great example of striking design yet still practical in a shop environment (in the context of when it was released) because of the way that it will be viewed from afar. The use of purple texture is striking highly contrasting the white background attracting attention and emiting an overwelming visual effect with the continuity of the diagonal stripe pattern.

A last small point is that drug culture is a big deal in their home country Belgium with the EUs most relaxed laws on drugs (this fuels their thriving drug tourism industry). The inclusion of drug references reflects the openness of their home countries drug policy. (i) http://www.ukdpc.org.uk/publication/an-analysis-uk-drug-policy/ (ii) http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/560/1/Toward-a-Theory-of-DrugSubcultures/Page1.html>