Intro’s art is on its sleeve

If your idea of German electronic music is Kraftwerk, then think again. The 1970s avant garde outfit, Can, is getting a new lease of life in the form of a remixed album coming out next month.

Can has something of a cult following among the new generation of electronically inclined musicians and producers. Mute Records is making the most of this by bringing in the likes of Brian Eno and Sonic Youth to remix the band’s sounds.

However, not everyone could bear the thought of tampering with Can’s creations, hence the album’s name: Sacrilege.

For the sleeve and advertising campaign, Mute was determined to have designers who were really into the band. Luckily, Intro’s designer Julian House and creative director Adrian Shaughnessy qualified, both admitting to records of their own at home.

In creating the album’s look, House took his lead from the 1970s European avant garde art scene. ‘The sleeve resembles an art installation of the period, reinforcing Can’s status as art, not pop, and suggests the cult of Can,’ explains Shaughnessy.

Huge lightboxes displaying the title and credits were installed and shot by Merton Gauster in a minimalist gallery space.

Meanwhile, the reel-to-reel tape machine has been toyed with, implying ‘remixing as desecration’, says Shaughnessy. Intro kept to black and yellow to reinforce the austere German art catalogue look, he adds.

Design: Intro

Client: Mute Records