THE REQUEST
When the Loveless Whizzkid asked me to design the cover of their new EP, Name Improvements for Everyday Stuff, they were looking for something that could reflect their new sound — brighter and more vibrant than their previous album, We Were Only Trying to Sleep.
The initial brief was to create a colorful and abstract visual, not tied to any recognizable image.
HOW THE HELL?
After a few failed attempts, a new request came from Davide Iannitti — guitarist, singer, and composer of the band.
The good Iannitti was determined to include, at all costs, an old photo he had taken as a teenager on a scorching summer afternoon.
The subject? A fragment of an abandoned carousel.
Specifically, the head of a horse.
Deliciously creepy.
The problem?
They still wanted an abstract visual — but now with a horse in it.
So… how the hell do you make something abstract and include a horse?
AN AFTER EFFECTS “SYNTH”
I took the opportunity to create something I had been wanting to try for a long time: a sort of video synthesizer to digitally erode the image, playing with distortion and saturation using my favorite Adobe CC software — After Effects.
The result was a violent, abstract visual with a digital edge and a painterly aftertaste.
And yes — the horse finally made it in.
