With the music industry saturated with new artists it was important to establish a strong presence. Using only the logo as the artwork for the first release ensured a bold and confident introduction to the scene.
Overview
Drum & Bass duo Surreal & Rawfunk wanted a brand presence that reflected the strength and power of their music whilst retaining a simple, recognisable aesthetic. I was asked to come up with an initial brand concept to be used in multiple formats and touchpoint that retained its visual integrity at all times.
Concept
The core principle of the design was to visually represent sound. Both the power and weight generated by the music and also as a representation of the producers themselves.
Morse code notation for S & R created this link as a powerful visual mark to serve as the backbone of their brand. Heavy set concrete texture with cracking to embody the weight and power in their music.
Considerations
It was important that the logo carried its strength through to digital platforms where music discovery is so important. It's impact needed to be felt on platforms such as Soundcloud and Beatport, the main platforms Surreal & Rawfunk use to promote their music.
Another important consideration was how the branding appeared in DJ software such as Traktor. With DJs being able to carry thousands of tracks at once a quickly recognisable logo was essential to aid DJs in quickly selecting Surreal & Rawfunk's tracks.
