UPSTREAM
music poster and album design
PROJECT MANDATE
Creation of a music poster and record sleeve design for German pianist and composer, Hauschka.
Volker Bertelsmann, best known for his performances under the name of Hauschka, is an experimental musician celebrated for his distinctive and trademarked sounds. He achieves these sounds by combining the piano with various small objects. He has composed music for numerous films and soundtracks and continues to do so regularly and successfully.
Hauschka at Traumzeit Festival, 2019
DESIGN THINKING
In 2021, Hauschka collaborated with filmmaker Rob Petit and writer Robert Macfarlane to produce an album for the experimental film called Upstream. This album, featuring only four songs, provides a slow journey into wilderness and winter through a haunting soundtrack. It showcases one of Hauschka’s most melancholic and deep compositions, reflecting a darker mood than his previous works.
To create the poster, I immersed myself in the album, generating different visuals to capture its essence. My aim was to maintain a minimalist design, using plenty of white space to evoke a mysterious yet tranquil atmosphere that mirrors the album’s themes.
DESIGN MAKING
The final poster captures the essence of the album with abstract representations of the cello, piano, and synth variations. Upward-moving circles symbolize the stream, echoing the album’s title “Upstream”. The record sleeve also complements this theme by incorporating similar shapes and tones from the poster, capturing the atmospheric and mysterious nature of the album.
Creating something inspired by the album was a challenging yet enjoyable process, and I hope Hauschka appreciates it as much as I do!
UPSTREAM
music poster and album design
PROJECT MANDATE
Creation of a music poster and record sleeve design for German pianist and composer, Hauschka.
Volker Bertelsmann, best known for his performances under the name of Hauschka, is an experimental musician celebrated for his distinctive and trademarked sounds. He achieves these sounds by combining the piano with various small objects. He has composed music for numerous films and soundtracks and continues to do so regularly.
Hauschka at Traumzeit Festival, 2019
DESIGN THINKING
In 2021, Hauschka collaborated with filmmaker Rob Petit and writer Robert Macfarlane to produce an album for an experimental film called Upstream. This album, featuring only four songs, provides a slow journey into wilderness and winter through a haunting soundtrack. It showcases one of Hauschka’s most melancholic and deep compositions, reflecting a darker mood than his previous works.
To create the poster, I immersed myself in the album, generating different visuals to capture its essence. My aim was to maintain a minimalist design, using plenty of white space to evoke a mysterious yet tranquil atmosphere that mirrors the album’s themes.
DESIGN MAKING
The final poster captures the essence of the album with abstract representations of the cello, piano, and synth variations. Upward-moving circles symbolize the stream, echoing the album’s title “Upstream”. The record sleeve also complements this theme by incorporating similar shapes and tones from the poster, capturing the atmospheric and mysterious nature of the album.
Creating something inspired by the album was a challenging yet enjoyable process, and I hope Hauschka appreciates it as much as I do!
