Remember to Check.

After getting the results for A5 and A6 assignments I feel pretty positive entering the A7 project. This project is flowing with the chance to do creative and effective design work.

I found the feedback for the assignments useful and have learnt the importance of making sure an image is 300dpi as well as making sure that the CD structure is right. However all these problems have now been resolved, so the concentration is on A7.

Having just designed the 3 logos I found this process relatively straight forward, however what I have learnt is not to spend too long on a design. For example I took about 5 hours to do 1 design and then did 1 in 5 minutes, in the end the one that I did in 5 minutes was the better one of the two. Logo 1 Design below:



We then gave a pitch on the logos. This was a new experience as explaining my designs isn’t always my strong point; this is something I need to work on in order to develop my skills. Also I am beginning to design the CD artwork. I am going to enjoy this project as I have already started thinking of what possible designs I could have, this is going to be the project where I start the creative juices flowing.

When it comes to handing in the assignment I am going to make sure that I have checked my SPG perfectly and check all the briefs to see if I have included everything that is asked for. As well as making sure the CD is correct.

Signal Robotron Album Review

Signal's new album Robotron is nothing short than brilliant, with its experimental new sounds, psychedelic beats and chemical head-thrashing melodies.
It really is like nothing you have ever heard. By using the same distorted beats throughout songs, it really will make you want to party - even when your not at a club.

Signal opted for no lyrics which makes this album bring the new wave into music, where the backing track is digitally made. I found that this album gives you an immediate party feel like no other. This isn’t your average dance music. This will get your heart racing until you can’t dance anymore.

The build up in some songs really creates tension when waiting for the break down. Also Signal create a wider range of different sounds for example “Wismut”, a 7 minute track that really gets everything out using different tempos, beats and sounds. I would say that Signal Robotron's main sound was experimenting with white noise like we hear on our TV. This has been done in such a professional and alternative way that Signal Robotron could be one of those bands to make it big in the club scene.

When I started to listen to Signal's album I thought, here we go, another band hooked on ‘drugs’ messing with music software in their basement. Boy was I wrong! The album is so progressive you get that feeling that they have purposely gone for the more continuous beats and distorted snares to give it more of a fuzzy sound - something that indie bands might consider adding into their backing tracks to give it a more alternative feel, instead of sounding the same as every other ‘indie’ band.

There is a theme that arises as you listen to their tracks; when I listen to Signal's new album Robotron I get the 'technology feel', almost as if they have used simple pieces of technology. An example of this would be the 23 second long song of Datasette which is basically an Internet connection mixed with a flat line.

This is music that has been brought out not because of the fact that it is up there with the Britney Spears making millions of pounds. This album has been created because the band Signal enjoy playing around with alternative sounds and creating them into something that experimental youth can listen to when they aren’t in a clear state of mind.

This album is a must have for the more expressive groups of people who enjoy showing that difference is a good thing and not something that record companies have over produced to make someone sound perfect. The main reason I like Signal is because they will make whatever they want and still not care. If someone says it's ‘crap’ they won't care because they are musicians.

This is new wave music with obvious influences being bands like: Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Prodigy, Caspa, Rusko and other artists that are in with the alternative dance scene.