AUPEO! blog

Cover Art of the Week #39: 23, Blonde Redhead

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:12:00 +0200

Anyone for tennis?

Invite two from Blonde Redhead for a set, and then have tea with them while talking about how to picture a beautiful four-legged lady.

AUPEO! at all2gethernow!

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:04:18 +0200

all2gethernow is coming!

Starting on September 6, it will be the opening event of Berlin Music Week and will provide an open platform to get into conversation with established artists and representatives of the music industry as well as internationally accepted business leaders.

all2gethernow is a call to look ahead and to think out of the box to focus on finding solutions, developing ideas and, most importantly, learning from each other while meeting, discussing and planning together.

AUPEO! is a partner of all2gethernow and will host three sessions: Music in The Cloud, Nightmare On App Street: No Low Cost Music App for DIY? (on September 6) and Search & Navigation - Key to Customer? (on September 7), as part of the Media & Technology events at Kulturbrauerei.

To properly celebrate the event, we have a special present for you, too: our brand-new all2gethernow Channel, expressly created for the occasion. Tune in and enjoy great artists such as LCD Soundsystem, Peaches, Editors, Tricky and Hot Chip. Then head for Tempelhof Airport and see them play live at Berlin Festival on September 10 and 11 (check its explosive line up here)!

AUPEO! Channels update: September 2010

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:28:00 +0200

This month we’re bringing four new AUPEO! Channels to your attention!

The British Invasion Channel showcases the many wonderful British artists who made the jump from the into popular culture in the United States. If you thought the Beatles were the beginning and the end of the British Invasion, go to our Pop section and find out more about its history and its evolution with Billy J. Kramer, Dusty Springfield and The Kinks.

For all our Spanish-speaking, Spanish-loving users, we’ve now got an all-Spanish-language Channel filled with artists such as Gipsy Kings, David Bisbal and Manu Chao just for you! Premium users can enjoy the Pop en Español Channel right now in our Pop category.

In between the East and West coasts lies an entirely different Rap scene. Let our Southern Rap Channel introduce (or re-introduce) you to veterans and rookies of the Southern Rap game such as Master P, Birdman and Chamillionaire. Our Southern Rap Channel is available to all users for the month of September in the R&B/ Hip-Hop category. Enjoy!

The Electronic section keeps growing this month with our Bassbreaks Channel. Enjoy it for free this month and let Amon Tobin, Goldie, Roni Size, and many others give you a club-ready mix of Drum ‘n’ Bass!

September’s new set of free Channels for all users is:

POP: New on AUPEO!
ROCK: Seattle 90s
R&B/HIP-HOP: Southern Rap
COUNTRY: Traditionals
JAZZ/ BLUES: New Jazz
ELECTRONIC: Bassbreaks
CLASSICAL: Opera Night

Now over 100 AUPEO! Channels wherever you go with AUPEO! for iPhone or Android and AUPEO! Premium! Want to see how much you’re missing without AUPEO! Premium? Go to our Facebook page to find out how you can get 10 FREE days of AUPEO! Premium right now!

Cover Art of the Week #38: Voices of Animals and Men, The Young Knives

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:22:41 +0200

Charming English pastoral hobbies.

Thanks to The Young Knives we can learn how to enjoy a walk around a small Cambridgeshire town

(at least during the Whittlesea Straw Bear festival).

AUPEO! Music update: August 26, 2010

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:53:18 +0200

New music!

When? Right now, of course!

Klaxons - Surfing The Void

Sun Ra & His Intergalactic Myth Science Solar Arkestra - Sleeping Beauty

Lil Jon - Crunk Rock

Esperanza Spalding - Chamber Music Society

Jammer - Jahmanji

Find them all and lots more on our New on AUPEO! AUPEO! Station!

Cover Art of the Week #37: It's Blitz!, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:05:00 +0200

Smashing eggs = time for an omelette?

As Jamie Oliver says: “At home or in the work place, this is a great dish to do. Simple but brilliant.”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs would surely agree.

AUPEO! Music update: August 19, 2010

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:35:00 +0200

Fancy some whistling refrains with a British newborn star? And what about an electro-housey banger to raise the roof of your next party?
Poppish sing-along, clubby rhythms, Canadian indie idols, a real-life Sir’s powerful voice and fuzzy surf-rock are just some of the treats waiting for you on our NEW on AUPEO! AUPEO! Station!

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Tom Jones - Praise & Blame

Best Coast - Crazy For You

Eliza Doolittle - Eliza Doolittle

Mr G - Still Here (Get On Down)

Have a listen to the freshest and brightest new tracks on AUPEO!

Cover Art of the Week #36: Surfing The Void, Klaxons

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:12:27 +0200

2010: the year of the cat. This according to the Indie Music Calendar – the Chinese one says it’s the Tiger’s, in case you were wondering.

As a matter of fact, the past couple of months have seen cats appearing on the cover of not one, not two but three of the most talked-about indie albums of the summer. Besides the highly anticipated return of British band Klaxons, on the other side of the Atlantic both Wavves and Best Coast went down the feline path:

It turns out that the cat featured in the two covers above is the same one…

Curious about the music? Then follow Hipster Kitty’s piece of advice:

Miaow! Indie US AUPEO! Station & Indie UK AUPEO! Station

AUPEO! Music update: August 12, 2010

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:35:00 +0200

From R.E.M.’s deluxe reissue (including a bonus disc with plenty of demos!), to sample-twisting virtuosos The Books and Wavves, the Kings of the Beach in their quest for an endless summer: find them all (& lots more) in our ever-refreshing NEW on AUPEO! AUPEO! Station!

R.E.M. - Fables of the Reconstruction (Deluxe Edition)

The Books - The Way Out

Wavves - King of the Beach

Cover Art of the Week #35: 461 Ocean Boulevard, Eric Clapton

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:06:50 +0200

A house in Golden Beach in Miami with a (really) bearded guy leaning on a flourishing palm.

House, beard and exact address are Eric Clapton’s. Not really confidential information, we could say.

(And seems like he shared the same irresistible desire to be portraited with his home on one his album covers with Billy Joel, though the latter decided to appear in a more troubled mood)

Cover Art of the Week #34: Madvillainy, Madvillain

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:49:00 +0200

“It’s a companion piece to Madonna’s first album cover. Sort of.”

As said by the record sleeve’s designer (and Stones Throw’s art director) Jeff Jank.
Judge for yourself.

A highly acclaimed album, a reference to a cover from a very different but equally prestigious album, a unique collaboration hidden behind pseudonyms between MF Doom and Madlib.

And how about having a bit of cardboard mask-based fun to get you even more geared-up for our Madvillain AUPEO! Artist Station?

AUPEO! Stations update: August 2010

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:16:00 +0200

Now introducing three new AUPEO! Stations launched just for you this month!

For all fanatics of the French Chanson genre, our Douce France AUPEO! Station brings you the 20th century’s biggest hits all in one place. If you’re in the mood for the smooth sounds of Chanson as only Chanson masters such as Edith Piaf, Serge Gainsbourg and Henri Salvador could bring them to you, tune in to our Douce France AUPEO! Station in the Pop section, available for free in August to all AUPEO! users!

For all AUPEO! users in August, our Running Mix AUPEO! Station is a high-energy selection created to get you through that last push to get to the end of a long run. Let Carl Craig, Ellen Allien, Hudson Mohawke and many more help make the end of your circuit feel as easy as walking. Our Berlin Running Mix AUPEO! Station is waiting to accompany you on your next run now in our Electronic section!

Looking for a tasty blend of Trip-Hop, Illbient, New Jazz and Instrumental Hip-Hop? Our Groovelicious AUPEO! Station brings Premium users a one-stop place to get their fill of Amon Tobin, Jel, Morcheeba and many more. New in our Electronic section for August. Enjoy!

We’ve also got a new set of free stations for all users to enjoy for August. They are:

POP: Douce France
COUNTRY: Bluegrass
JAZZ/ BLUES: Latin Jazz
ELECTRONIC: Running Mix
R&B/HIP-HOP: Soulful
ROCK: Hall of Fame
CLASSICAL: Greatest Classical

Enjoy over 90 AUPEO! Stations wherever you go with AUPEO! for iPhone or Android and AUPEO! Premium! Want to see how much you’re missing without AUPEO! Premium? Go to our Facebook page to find out how you can get 10 FREE days of AUPEO! Premium right now!

AUPEO! Music update: July 29, 2010

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:19:00 +0200

Some more great and brand-new music on AUPEO! this week!

An airy voice over jolts of drum machines, former post-punk revivalists making a full-on introspective acoustic move and a lady who masters a broad range of soul styles - these are just some of newest and brightest highlights that you’ll find on our NEW on AUPEO! AUPEO! Station (available to our Premium users) right now!

Martina Topley-Bird - Some Place Simple

Bombay Bicycle Club - Flaws

Sheryl Crow - 100 Miles From Memphis

Tracy Bonham - Masts of Manhatta

Get ‘em while they’re hot!

Cover Art of the Week #33: MAYA, M.I.A.

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:08:00 +0200

File under: youtubish graphics.

The trippy artwork for M.I.A.’s last album was created by the artist herself, in collaboration with Los Angeles based graphic and web designer Aaron Parsons.

Elements of the design were featured as part of the guerilla art campaign BillBored, in which other popular names such as The Futureheads, Cassette Playa and many others took part. The campaign targeted the 2010 UK general election, projecting billboards onto popular landmarks around London, such as St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tate Modern and the Saatchi Gallery.

And if that’s not enough to satisfy your desire for computer-crashy lo-fi designs, have a taste of some the artwork created for the following singles:

Curious to listen to this much talked-about album? Check out our M.I.A. AUPEO! Artist Station and watch her (on Youtube, of course!) on the Late Show with David Letterman, performing Born Free with a bunch of doppelgängers and none other than Suicide’s Martin Rev!

AUPEO! Music update: July 22, 2010

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:24:00 +0200

So many brand-new records on AUPEO!
Check our freshly-squeezed NEW on AUPEO! AUPEO! Station (available to our Premium users) to find them all together!

Want a sneak peek?

Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Dark Night of The Soul

Sting - Symphonicities

Tokyo Police Club - Champ

Faust - Faust Is Last

… are just some of the newest records now available for you on AUPEO!

So what are you waiting for? Enjoy the best music with AUPEO!

Cover Art of the Week #32: Morrison Hotel, The Doors

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:36:05 +0200

Have you ever spotted your surname on a shop sign and felt the irresistible need to take a picture?
Don’t worry, it’s a totally justifiable guilty pleasure. And you’re in good company, too.

Jim Morrison had the photograph taken and decided that it was so good that it should go on the sleeve, and become the name of his band’s fifth album.

And there’s something that’s even more curious about this artwork. The record is actually divided into two halves, subtitled Morrison Hotel and Hard Rock Cafe. A picture of the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Los Angeles actually graces the back cover and inspired founders Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett to name their very first Hard Rock Cafe after it - today part of a chain of more than 140 worldwide famous locations.

Oh, so much Rock memorabilia today! Fancy some psychedelic guitars to flavor your coffee? Enjoy our The Doors AUPEO! Artist Station and dive into a whole rockin’ world of craziness with our Classic Rock AUPEO! Station, too! Let’s ROCK!

AUPEO! Music update: July 15, 2010

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:05:00 +0200

It’s all over! A month of the best football the world has to offer has been and gone, and it’s time to get back to normal life, whatever that may be. If you’re anything like us, you can get back on track with all the hottest new releases, but where to start after such a hiatus? Well, might we suggest starting right here, with another round-up of great new music here at AUPEO!

Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid

We’ve been waiting on this one a while now, as the lucky americans once again get an earlier release date than those of us across the water. Still, it’s here now, better late than never, eh? We’re big fans of conceptual work here, and The ArchAndroid is certainly an interesting concept - a follow up to her debut EP Metropolis - Suite I (The Chase), Suites II and III find themselves on this album. In a nutshell, it’s a story about a fictional android, Cindy Mayweather, sent back in time to emancipate the citizens of ‘Metropolis’ from the Orwellian sounding ‘Great Divide’, a secret society that utilizes time travel to suppress freedom and love. If that’s already got you thinking along the lines of some Afro-futurist artists of the past (Sun Ra, Parliament, Funkadelic etc) then you’d be on the right track, conceptually and, albeit in a modernized context, musically. Monae uses elements of Funk, Soul and R&B alongside modern styles in the realm of psychedelic hip hop, electro-pop etc. It’s eclectic, powerful, thoughtful, interesting, imaginative, and it’s got a message that’s as important now as it ever was, applicable to all who find themselves in some way in the minority, the struggle between the haves and the have nots. Highly recommended.

Enrique Iglesias - Euphoria

Madrid-born Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler occupies the rare position of being massively popular in the English speaking world, as well as in his native Spanish speaking counties too. From the point of view of economics alone, that’s a huge potential fan base, so it’s no wonder that he’s sold over 55 million albums so far. Euphoria (the ninth studio album from Iglesias) is a bilingual album, and features the cream of the crop from both worlds of music, from American R&B artists like Akon and ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, to Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin y Yandel.

The-Dream - Love King

Terius Youngdell Nash, better known as The-Dream, returns with his third release Love King, and those of you whose brains have not yet been melted by the heat will notice the reoccurring ‘Love’ theme in his album titles (2007’s Love Hate, 2009’s Love vs. Money, and the reputed Love Affair follows next year). Plaudits like ‘superb production’ and ‘richly detailed’ adorn this release, alongside comparisons to Prince, surely make for a great record. But what do critics know? Have a listen and judge for yourself!

M.I.A.- MAYA

British-Sri Lankan singer M.I.A has got the best real name we’ve ever featured on the AUPEO! blog - it’s Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam (Tamil: மாதங்கி ‘மாயா’ அருள்பிரகாசம் in case you were wondering) and aside from her efforts as a musician, she also counts fashion designer, visual artist and political activist among her roster of skills. We’ve already heard a few of the tracks from ‘Maya’ (/\/\/\Y/\ being the typographical representation of her legal name, and her two previous albums, Arular and Kala being her mother and father, respectively) including the video for Born Free, directed by the renowned Romain Gavras. It’s a comment on genocide, something that many Sri Lankans would probably have a lot to say about. Look it up on the interweb if you like, but be warned, the controversy surrounding it’s release wasn’t exactly without justification…

Devo - Something for Everybody

As you know, we like to keep a good mix of newer acts and well established names here on the AUPEO! blog, and Devo might well be the longest running group (discounting ‘off’ periods) we’ve featured so far - they’ve been around since way back in ‘76, and have enjoyed a big cult following throughout their stylistic changes over the years. Something for Everybody is a huge blessing for Devo fans, this being the first release in 20 years! If you don’t know the band, then you must have heard some of the sublime soundtrack work by frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, such as The Life Aquatic or The Royal Tenenbaums, amongst many others. Following a rather tongue-in-cheek ‘focus study’ at the SXSW festival, the album title was chosen with “88% focus group approval”. Satire and a determination not to be taken too seriously being a fairly constant theme throughout Devo’s work, you may have caught one of the ‘communiques’ produced by ex-NBC executive Greg Scholl (who now enjoys the position of chief operating officer of ‘DEVO, Inc.’).

If that little lot hasn’t done it for you, don’t despair like a dutchman, because there’s way more offerings to choose from! just have a look a little bit further down and lets see if we can’t find something you like, and don’t forget you can hear it all on the New on AUPEO! AUPEO! Station!

Errors - Come Down With Me
Autechre - Move of Ten
Rowland S. Howard - Pop Crimes
Justin Currie - The Great War
Wolf Parade - Expo 86
I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
Ben Klock - Berghain 04

Cover Art of the Week #31: Different Class, Pulp

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:38:00 +0200

“Sing along with the common people,
sing along and it might just get you through,
laugh along with the common people,
laugh along even though they’re laughing at you,
and the stupid things that you do.
Because you think that poor is cool.”

(from: Common People, Pulp, 1995)

Different Class was originally released with silver lettering and six double-sided cards with photos of cardboard cut-out band members in black and white, against colored backgrounds of various ordinary places and people. Some additional shots featuring the cardboard-cut-outs were taken also.

The cover reflects the album title itself, of being part of a different class. There is, of course, a double meaning there, reflecting the British class system, but in the end what class really meant to the band was the feeling of not fitting in, being an outsider and for that matter, simply being in a class of their own. One can find an elitist view point in there for sure, but at the same time there is a sense of desire to belong and be accepted. Why else would they put the message “We don’t want no trouble, we just want the right to be different. That’s all” on the back of the record?

The sleeve was designed by Blue Source, a company that closed their doors some years ago, but many of the founders have gone on to set up design studios that are still very much involved in the art of cover art. A good example of these new companies is Village Green, founded by Seb Marling from Blue Source and Jonathon Cooke from Love. The photos were shot by Donald Milne and Rankin, the latter of which has played a major role in anything from Dazed & Confused magazine to shooting portraits of people like Lily Allen and Queen Elizabeth II, or being a guest judge on Germany’s Next Top model, and is generally as close to being an institution as a photographer can be in England. For Different Class, Rankin who is famous for portraits, took the black & white photos and Milne the colored ones. The Pulp logo was designed by The Designers Republic, known for doing many album covers for the mighty Warp label who, like Pulp and The Designers Republic, come from Sheffield.

The music on Different Class has been reviewed and analyzed over and over again and the album is on many of those best of the decade lists that everyone seem to be doing, and so it should be. It still sounds great. You shouldn’t let the band’s other albums go unnoticed though. Hear for yourself by tuning into our Pulp AUPEO! Artist Station!

AUPEO! Music update: July 8, 2010

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:19:00 +0200

Only two games left until the end of what has been a very interesting few weeks for football fans (and one of them is a 3rd place playoff, why do they even do that? seems a bit harsh to make two very disappointed teams battle it out for no good reason other than the glory of 3rd place), so you’d better start thinking about what it was that you did before all this football was on the telly… and what better way to fill that void than by feasting your ears upon some (or all!) of the fantastic new music we’re once again lucky enough to get our hands on. In case you need reminding, it’s all waiting for you over at our New on AUPEO! AUPEO! Station!

Scissor Sisters - Night Work

In the interests of public decency (ahem) it’s probably best if we avoid going down our well-trodden path of revealing real names here on the AUPEO! blog - not due to the real names of the actual band members (which are, in themselves quite interesting) but more due to the origin of the band’s name… Anyway, moving swiftly on, Night Work was almost a very different record until singer Jake Shears decided to throw away 18 months of work last year, and pretty much start again. He escaped for a bit of a time out before starting over with the new material we have now, and where did he escape to? Where does one go for artistic inspiration, unbridled creativity and a healthy dose of fun? Berlin, of course! The break seems to have worked, and we’re glad to have Scissor Sister’s unique taste of glam/alt/disco/electropop back again, and if you haven’t heard them before, the album cover of tightly-clad clenched buttocks kinda tells you all you need to know… Time to get your party on!

Laurie Anderson - Homeland

Long time experimental musician and artist Laurie Anderson is well recognized as a creative force to be reckoned with. A certain Velvet Underground frontman certainly approves of her work (they’re married and frequently perform together along with avant-garde mainstay John Zorn) and guest appearances on ‘Homeland’ include Mr. Kieran Hebden AKA Four Tet, so we can safely say that the credentials are in order, not that she needs them. Accolades are pouring out of all corners of the music press, both mainstream and left-field. The Los Angeles Times even went as far to describe it as “[not] so much an album as it is a poetic capturing of the still moments of a restless mind.” Intrigued?

Miley Cyrus - Can’t Be Tamed

Disney’s own Hannah Montana is back with her third studio effort, and seems to us to be maturing into a well rounded pop act - even the cover tells us that teen-star Destiny Hope Cyrus (yep, that’s her real name) has all grown up. Can’t Be Tamed is a collection of current pop scene-inspired dance pop (Gaga et al) that has received more than respectable write-ups, but interestingly Cyrus has already grown out of this genre, even stating that her music isn’t inspiring her the way it should be. Yes, this will reputedly be her last ‘Pop’ album, with things set to go in a more Rock direction in the future. Watch this space… but in the meantime enjoy the pop sound of Cyrus while it lasts!

The Roots - How I Got Over

One of the most anticipated releases of, errm, last year - How I Got Over was supposed to appear in June ‘09, but because of excessive time spent in the studio, got pushed back further and further… well, at least that’s the sign of a perfectionist at work, so we’re happy to confirm it was worth waiting for! The Roots have positively transformed the world of Hip Hop over their 23 years and nine album lifespan so far. Admired by pretty much everybody regardless of whether they like hip hop or not, Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson and co have played with literally everybody, and currently find themselves as the house band on the Jimmy Fallon show, a pretty impressive gig for sure. How I Got Over features so many amazing guest spots, as we suspect people are pretty much willing to do anything to work with this band, but our favorite has to be the sombre and touching Dear God 2.0 a reworking of the Monsters of Folk original. Amazing. The video’s not bad either…

Herbaliser - Herbal Tonic

British Jazz/Funk/Hip Hop band The Herbaliser have also been around a good while, once an integral part of the Ninja Tune sound of the late 90s. Herbal Tonic is a retrospective ‘best of’, but don’t shy away - like us, you may have forgotten about how definitive their sound really was, and if you were lucky enough to have seen a live show, you’ll know that these guys really know their stuff. We’d also forgotten about all the great guests they worked with in the past - featured on this album are MF Doom and Roots Manuva, among others. It’s not all old stuff though - there’s some unreleased work here too.

If that wasn’t enough to satisfy your thirst, frankly we’d be amazed after that tasty selection. Nevertheless, we’ve always got backup, and we’re not talking about a box of vuvuzelas. No, there’s loads of new stuff arriving all the time, and here’s another short selection of what’s got us dancing about the office like a bunch of Dutch football fans.

Katy Perry - California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg)
Robert Hood - Omega
The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Stars - The Five Ghosts
We Are The Fallen - Tear The World Down
Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks
Hot Hot Heat - Future Breeds
Imperial State Electric - Imperial State Electric
Allo Darlin’ - Allo Darlin’
Hanson - Shout It Out
Tiefshwarz - Chocolate
We Are Scientists - Barbara
Pocahaunted - Make It Real
Ty - Special Kind of Cool
8Ball & MJG - Ten Toes Down

Cover Art of the Week #30: Bitte Orca, Dirty Projectors

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:32:08 +0200

A Dirty Projectors’ album cover and blue and red brush-stroke-like shapes. Have we seen this somewhere else already?
On their Slaves’ Graves and Ballads’ cover art, actually.

In graphic designer Rob Carmichael’s words:
“The whole thing was pretty collaborative. It was basically [Dirty Projectors main man] Dave Longstreth and me sitting down and talking about it. But I think, if I remember correctly, that was mostly his idea to try and evoke the old cover, to try and tie the new thing back to the history of the band. It really was literally that we traced the old drawings and then tweaked them enough to work on the new cover.”

Photographer Jason Frank Rothenberg (well-known for his work for Spin, Vice and Urban Outfitters amongst others) shot the portraits for the album’s artwork. Band members Angel Deradoorian and Amber Coffman (who is also on the sleeve of the single Stillness is the Move) grace the front cover and Dave Longstreth can be found on the traycard. He’s the only band member featured in the image, but he’s not alone.

Questioned by Pitchfork about it, Carmichael says: “You’d have to ask Dave. That was definitely his baby. To me, it just seemed really funny to put in there. I mean, maybe until you see the band live, you’re kind of unclear who these women are on the front cover. [Seeing Nietzsche on the back] actually just seemed funny or amusing, that the whole thing wasn’t so serious and could be a little playful.”

In addition to creating this gorgeously understated album cover, Rob Carmichael (as SEEN Studio) has created such album artwork designs as the circus-like collage of Panda Bear’s Person Pitch, the retro-feeling artwork to Beirut’s Gulag Orchestar, Black Dice’s checker-board-esque Creature Comfort and the hypnotic and controversial cover to Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Check out Dirty Projectors’ tour dates in Europe, Japan and the U.S. all summer long and dive into their finest experimental rock right now by tuning into our Dirty Projectors AUPEO! Artist Station!