Phosphate Solid in use

ALM / Busy Circuits

Jake Internet — Sat, 14 Jan 2023 14:16:00 +0000

Contributed by Jake Internet

With roots in late 1950s synthesizer designs, modern modular synthesis (and in this case, the Eurorack format) has exploded in recent years as a music and sound-design platform. Combining a small footprint with original analog and digital circuit designs, the possibilities for module connections and interaction, and the resulting sound output – a process called patching – are spellbinding.

While software such as Ableton, Audiomulch and Sunvox allow for a more immediate and approachable environment to achieve similar audio results and experiences, one of the benefits here is a sense of tactility and responsiveness. There are certainly ways to incorporate physical modules into a computer-based paradigm as well (the excellent VCV Rack offers a more 1:1 Eurorack experience for free and allows for external module control with the proper setup).

Given the direct, hands-on nature of the format, there's lots of room for branding and user interface considerations – particularly if you're spending hours staring at the same panels and working out a patch. From the technical clarity of Doepfer and Xaoc to the punkier & funkier Make Noise and (currently) illustration-driven Pittsburgh Electronics, there's something for most everyone to dig into.

The two-part logo uses sans-serif caps – probably from Raisonné – with a perspective effect for “ALM”, and Value Serif for “Busy Circuits”

ALM / Busy Circuits’s playful handling of type in their module designs stands out in this now fairly crowded market:

ALM / Busy Circuits is a UK-based audio electronics company that produces innovative, useful devices for working with sound.

Our aim is to build products that foster creativity through engaging, playful experiences. We combine past influences with modern concepts and possibilities, to allow space for new ways of working and ideas to flourish.

Hinging on Colophon’s sturdy and 70s-flavored Raisonné, the brand’s interface clarity and restricted palette leaves a window open for some tongue-in-cheek type. I personally resonate with the application of more so-called pedestrian typefaces like Balloon and Frankfurter Highlight among a couple of Colophon's finest work.

The System Coupe (ALMSYS001) with labels in Raisonné and module names in Optima (mmMidi), Pacifico (Pamela’s Workout), Frankfurter Highlight (Quaid Megaslope), Acumin (Squid Salmple), Balloon (MCO / MCF) and Quicksilver (Tangle Quartet)

Tyso Daiko (ALM031), a dual 12-bit digital wavetable drum voice, featuring Gikit

Mega-Tang (ALM033), a 4-channel linear VCA and stereo mixer, featuring Frankfurter

Akemie’s Taiko (ALM015), an FM synthesis based drum voice, featuring Phosphate Solid

Dinky’s Taiko (ALM005), a 12 bit digital drum voice, featuring Phosphate

Jumble Henge (ALM029), a 16 input stereo spectral mixer, featuring Paddington

Beast’s Chalkboard (ALM002), a dual channel stepped voltage source, featuring LL Akkurat

MUM M8 (ALM018), an 8hp Eurorack low pass filter, featuring UK Number Plate

Boss Bow Two (ALM027), an 8 way bidirectional voltage controlled switch, featuring squooshed Jaakko

The ALM Busy Circuits website uses Raisonné for headlines and the menu with Basis Grotesque for text.

This post was originally published at Fonts In Use

Vaporware album art & posters by Lunitas

Eva Silvertant — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 08:04:46 +0000

Contributed by Eva Silvertant

Source: www.reddit.com Lunitas. License: All Rights Reserved.

Limousine – Bizarre Bazaar (front)

Lunitas is a graphic designer and illustrator who does album covers and layouts for a myriad of Vaporwave bands. This music style features specific themes that both ironically and nostalgically celebrate consumer capitalism, pop culture, and the somewhat counterintuitive tranquillity of malls and elevator music.

While Lunitas fully embraces these themes, his work is very idiosyncratic, and unmistakably his own. Characteristics are spiritual/occult/Buddhist references, as well as a wide array of radiant colors and gradients—often dominated by greens, blues, and purples, and complemented by yellows and magentas.

Considering the beauty and splendor of the illustrations and use of colors, there is another characteristic Lunitas element that may be overlooked, and that’s the use of typography. Because, even though Lunitas’ formulaic approach results in a nice diversity of album covers that are each unique in their own right, he tends to use the same two typefaces for all his work; Phosphate Solid (Red Rooster Collection) and Hiragino Kakugo StdN W8 (FontPlus).

VA – Aquablanca 音楽レーベル (front)

猫シ Corp. – Live in Los Angeles 2019 (front)

猫シ Corp. – Live in Los Angeles 2019 (cassette)

Body Cruise presents Equip poster

Mint Kiss – Visuales Paraíso (personal work)

Lunitas – Illusory Pleasure (front)

Tu Cuerpo (personal work)

Lunitas – Playa: The Short Visit Ashtray (front)

Abraxas Inc. – Illusory Dream (personal work)

Persona la Ave – Relation / Temptation (front)

This post was originally published at Fonts In Use

Ginger Root – “Weather” video

Jack Grimes — Fri, 01 May 2020 10:15:57 +0000

Cheee and Cooper, together at last.

Music video for the single "Weather" by the self-described "aggressive elevator soul" band Ginger Root. Directed by Cameron Lew and production-designed by Ashley Kron, the video is framed like the experience of flipping through TV channels and alternates between very fun retro-styled graphics shot off an antique CRT and a family on the couch trying to settle on something to watch.

We open on a tightly-tracked title in James Edmondson's psychedelic Cheee and some wide-set Cooper Black Italic in front of a close-up of a corduroy couch. It's a perfect hat trick of a mood-setter; the video (and Ginger Root's overall sound and brand) fuse funky 1970s influences with more contemporary cues.

The first TV shot introduces Phosphate Solid, an extremely good “local news station identity” choice that's also chunky enough to hold up to some analog distressing. (The serif it's paired with – probably Caslon – gets distressed a lot more, but the effect is neat.)

The other big graphic identity for this video is the “Late Night!” card, which only appears for a second but makes excellent use of Mark Simonson's slick, fluid script Kinescope to nail the "cheesy early-80s talk show" vibe with very few moving parts.

A lot of people are credited as working on this video & even OH no Type Co. is listed in the “Special Thanks” section, so I don't really know who did the typography, but they did a great job.

The rest of the credits are all Cooper, flexing some extreme tracking in both directions.

Phosphate Solid adds some impact while matching the retro attitude (and staying legible even when packed in super-tight and blurred by the TV). The smaller text here is tough to get a good look at through the CRT but appears to be some version of Caslon.

With a whopping three at once, I think this shot is the most fonts on the screen at any point in the video.

The sans on these weather-forecast graphics is the one font here I can’t identify – seems likely it’s just Helvetica but the CRT makes it tough to get clear outlines.

This post was originally published at Fonts In Use

All This Panic (2016) movie posters

Love Lagerkvist — Mon, 29 May 2017 09:19:34 +0000

In his now classic ScreenFonts column, Bald Condensed notes that Oddopolis’ posters for All This Panic from 2016 use a curious Phosphor with its inline removed. I guess the designer really wanted that ‘S’.

Source: www.oddopolis.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Source: www.oddopolis.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Source: www.oddopolis.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Source: www.oddopolis.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Source: www.oddopolis.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Source: www.oddopolis.com License: All Rights Reserved.

This post was originally published at Fonts In Use