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 (かいわい).

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.

Sure you can sit in a chair or lay on your bed, but if you demand a more comfortable place to lounge, why not sit in the bookshelf? Yes, in.

Designer Sakura Adachi’s CAVE bookshelf allows you to do just that. So take a book off the shelf and hideaway and get cozy inside it. Here’s the official description of CAVE:

In urban life, there seems to be a common understanding that people tend to consciously or subconsciously become wary of strangers surrounding them. They are always balancing a certain level of privacy with others. A bookcase CAVE provides a private reading space within its form. As a seat height is just above the floor, CAVE gives a feeling of hiding from others standing around it. Books can be stored on both sides. Therefore, CAVE can also functions as a partition of a room.

Check out the CAVE on Adachi’s official website. There’s even a pet’s CAVE design.

Check out more fresh designs at Sakurah.net

tokidoki is a line of cute and colorful products from Italian designer Simone Legno. His world of delight has combined with the classic cool of Onitsuka Tiger. The official site says it best:

The partnership with Onitsuka Tiger brings together two unique facets of Japanese culture. Onitsuka Tiger’s strong history of creating outstanding athletic products married with tokidoki’s modern interpretation of Japanese art creates the perfect blend of function and fashion.

There are currently four styles of tokidoki + Onitsuka sneakers (2 unisex and 2 women’s). Besides being extremely colorful and vibrant, the kicks are splashed with designs and decore all over. Perhaps the coolest part about the sneakers is the sole though. The outsole (bottom of the shoe) sports designs laid behind clear rubber and the insole is decorated as well. The attention to detail on the tokidoki + Onitsuka Tiger line is really impressive.

I saw all of these at an Onitsuka Tiger store in Korea actually and really wanted to cop a pair. At $120 (for lows) and $130 (for highs) though, I couldn’t bring myself to get some. And this is coming from a guy who drops $100-plus on AF1s…so I guess I have no excuse. Shame shame. I want a white/black/yellow pair now more than ever.

The sneakers hit shelves June 1st this past summer.

Check out the official tokidoki + Onitsuka Tiger website

The simple-yet affective design of The Tokyo Hustler Tee stands out as cool. The bright colors and black atop the white shirt make it pop out with some great contrast.

The description on Karmaloop Kazbah says:

The land of the rising sun has always held a certain mystique to the global community. Known for the OG Yakuzas, undeniable style with keen eyes for detail and a new generation of hustlers looking for their piece, Japan deserves respect. This unique release from Cash Money Distribution strives to give daps where daps are due.

Put it on my want list. I wanna cop that hat too.

Check it out

Friends of the Earth Korea sponsored a provocative mural of “Dark Smoke”. It’s an ominous work of public art that’s message clearly emerges through the billowing smoke: “You’re gonna reap what you sow.”

View the full-size image

The caption reads:

In order to communicate the message that the polluted air by human finally returns to human, we did a wall painting on the outside of a building with 3.8 x 2.5m by using water paints.

via Ads of the World

A creation by designer Fumiaki Goto (五島史士) brings music to the dinner table, literally. The table is built like a marimba and striking it produces a variety of tones. A diagram briefly explains:

Copper wires are inserted into wooden bars which have holes. They amplify the sound of the wooden bars like a loudspeaker.

Better yet, diners can knock their glasses, forks, etc. on the surface and make tunes without the mallets.

FUMIAKI GOTO design

via Yanko Design

“Maintain The Balance of Your Knowledge!”

This balancing bookshelf from designer Denis Oh (not the actor Dennis O’Neil aka “Dennis Oh” I assume), brings some slick interaction to the all-to-often boring and static bookshelf. This dynamic creation has style and lets you show off your harmonizing skills for guests. It may make removing a book a challenge though, but hopefully that won’t discourage you from reading your favorite Murakami novels.

The photos show and describe things best:

via Yanko Design

The Spoke sushi roller by Keagan McCurdy recycles old bike spokes, making a perfectly useful sushi roller out of them. More durable and easier to clean than its traditional bamboo counterpart, the the stainless steel Spoke roller is a great and practical reuse of resources. A promo reads:

As technology changes old parts become obsolete. The Spoke sushi roller intercepts old stainless steel spokes and saves them from an enegy intensive remelting.

There’s not much else to say, other than “I want one” and “I’m hungry”.

McCurdy’s portfolio page

via Yanko Design and Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Perhaps that resemblance inspired the Kokeshi Dumbbell こけしアレー by Gendaibujitsu Nitouhey (現代美術二等兵).

It’s a pretty clever way to decorate a dumbbell. Forged from iron, the Kokeshi Dumbbell adds some traditional Japanese craftwork to weight training equipment and makes for an fun decorative piece.

The dumbbells come in 2 and 3-kilogram weights and cost 7350 yen (approx $72 USD) and 8400 yen (approx $82 USD), respectively. It’s pretty fun art, though out of context it may seem like just a weight with a face painted on it.

Kokeshi artists traditionally sign the bottom of their creations and likewise the designer’s name is printed on the bottom (opposite the face).

You can be proud (と自慢しちゃいましょう★)

Kokeshi Dumbbell product page

via Gizmodo Japan

Their new short film, “Light On” will come out March 7, 2008. A 30-second “Light On” teaser features a ground camera with light doodles popping in and out. A skateboarder and rabbit hop around the street and more. Just like every other PiKA PiKA production, it looks really cool.

It’s simply amazing. How do they do it? Well, according to their website:

We took a photo of each image using long exposures and put them together to make them look like one animation.

New PiKA PiKA Project START!!!

PiKA PiKA official site