Even in the age of mp3s and digital downloads, the cover art that would be on a CD jacket or booklet is still an important part of a musician’s release.
Though traditionally designed to lay beneath the plastic window of a CD case on a shelf in the store, cover art is even more visible now. Whether it advertises the new release on an artist’s official website, catches the attention of someone surfing a digital download store online, or ‘puts a face to the name’ for press purposes on websites like SparkPlugged where we write about new releases all the time.
View cover details on KaiwaiWorks’ WORKS page
Additionally, graphic design in music goes well beyond cover art and CD jacket design. Graphics are essential when it comes to defining a band’s ‘image’. Elements of this include logos, websites, t-shirts, buttons, concert flyers, print advertisements, and more.
KaiwaiWorks is a company that does all of this and although the group’s most visible products are cover art, their portfolio spans a breadth of media. KaiwaiWorks was actually founded by members of the similarly named band, Kaiwai (ã‹ã„ã‚ã„).
KaiwaiWorks has created cover art for RX-RECORDS artists BIGMAMA, onsa, and L.A.SQUASH as well as bands like the chef cooks me, bulimia, trico, and many more. Chances are you’ll recognize some of these covers.
It appears as though KaiwaiWorks has worked especially close with the chef cooks me and onsa. In addition to designing an album cover for the chef cooks me, the company has designed the band’s logos and website. As for onsa, Kaiwai has designed a half a dozen or so pieces of cover art for them.
KaiwaiWorks has also been commissioned for work with winnie, reach up to the universe, fam, and some rock festivals. They’ve also created cover pieces for split EPs involving avengers in sci-fi and PaperBagLunchBox.
Although there is a wide range of styles within KaiwaiWorks’ body of work, many of their pieces have a signature style.
“They tend to lean towards more traditional methods like pens/inks, watercolor, handwritten text which gives a warm kind of familiar feeling. Because its not Michaelangelo we’re talkin here, it’s very simply rendered stuff but effective. If they do use photography, it goes through a sort of artistic filter to take off the edge of reality and make it surreal and dreamy in a way. Their work feels very contemporary and organic,” is how Jimi, our benevolent in-house artist characterizes KaiwaiWorks’ pieces.
KaiwaiWorks is the team of Masahiro Sakai, Shimo :) Ryo, “kaba” Reona, and azumi. Check out their site and browse their extensive portfolio.
