Initial Thumbnails and Ideas

So my immediate response was to create a literal poster for Blockhead. It's way too predictable, while it still could be used somewhere in the poster. Basically, I need to represent Blockhead's musical style of colorful, diverse sampling and layering. I plan to fix my "predictable" predicament by creating an intricate collage of various images and shapes. Vague? Maybe. Eventually awesome? Most definitely.

 This was another literal image, just a different kind of "Blockhead". It's a little dark, but I may keep the name on the spinning record idea.

Ah... More References

I researched some band posters of the Blockhead's genre, along with some others for great imagery and color references. I hope to capture the layered style of Blockhead's work by including "collaged" images with colors that mimic musical moods. This first example incorporates color beautifully.

This is a poster for Blockhead's most recent tour. Pretty creepy, but well done.

This piece for the Oslo Film Festival is extremely detailed, with some awesome color choices. The detail views show the thoughts and concepts behind the poster.

Not to be too predictable, but I plan on incorporating some geometric shapes and patterns along with the collage of images. With a name like Blockhead, it's too hard to resist. These are great examples.

The Music Scene

I have decided to create a poster for the artist Blockhead. Blockhead consists of one man, Anthony Simon, a dj who works with samples and layering to create a very chill sound. Blockhead began his musical career producing beats for underground hip-hop artists such as Aesop Rock and other musicians on the Def Jux record label. Blockhead has recently gained notoriety as a solo artist with his most recent album, "The Music Scene".

I first heard Blockhead on an Aesop Rock track without realizing who produced the beat. My interest in Blockhead increased after I saw this video by Anthony Francisco Shepperd for the title track from "The Music Scene".

The video is amazing, from the style to medley of colors it captures the essence of Blockhead. So now my goal is to visually represent this artist who blends genres, tones and moods all with a head-bobbing beat. 

Instruments of Inspiration

So over spring break I compiled a fairly comprehensive list of inspirational music posters. I discovered many similarities and trends that I can use to my advantage. Many band posters sport bright colors, high contrast, and a theme that is somewhat hidden or completely unrelated to the band.

I found repetition to be a very powerful tool in poster design.

Unexpected scale spices up the meaning and visual appeal of the image.

Great imagery and incorporation of the pattern. Bold and impressive with two colors!

Nice literal take on the band name.

This is a great example of collage, with many unexpected components.

These reminded me of Shepard Fairey's constructivist-inspired posters.

Great unexpected imagery with a great concept. Is the poster related to the band Wilco? I guess they are a pretty ironic, so it works for me.