Album Artwork Research: Pendulum

Pendulum - Hold Your Colour

'Hold Your Colour' is the 2005 debut album from the Australians drum and bass / electronic rock band, Pendulum. The artwork is highly conventional for the style of music it serves to promote.

One of the most notable ways in which this is achieved is through the much more advanced and complex levels of editing and graphic design involved in the artwork, in contrast to album covers of different genres - the more gritty and darker approach of the typical rock or metal album cover, for example. This is likely to be synonymous with the much smoother sound of the music of this sort of genre, with a multitude of overlapping sounds tending to blend into one another - as a general rule, music of this genre is far more reliant upon the mixing and mastering of the track to achieve its intended purpose than say a more raw, basic rock sound might be. The overall cover seems to have a fairly smooth, soft focus - the edges of the images are not particularly sharped, and everything seems to just flow in to each other, subtly reinforcing the link between the style of the music and the visuals.

Another convention of this sort of genre is the copious amounts of vivid colours used within the graphics, implying vibrancy and energy. This is combined with another typical generic feature of light - in this example, a trail of white dots and stripes highlight and accentuate the strands of colour - perhaps significant to the intended target audience in that it may be reminiscent of clubs or raves, where it is common for such a genre of music to be predominantly played. This could also be reflective of the idea of lightning and a storm, perhaps in parallel to the mass of different beats and pulses and likely implicative of the energy contained in the sound. Furthermore, this could be representative of the genre in that this type of music is often held within itself as 'different' or 'unconventional' of sorts - this cover could perhaps be in line with this idea of 'breaking the mould' that seems to be an underlying theme or value to this style of music. The vibrant usage of colour is also perhaps in reference to the title track of the album, manipulating it in such a way that satisfies the generic conventions and portrayals. The synergy between the title track and the artwork would be deciphered by the intended target audience, thereby creating some form of connection and cohesion between the band and artist.

The main focus of the artwork is a large eye, framed off-centre, to the right hand side of the cover. This could again relate back to the convention of the unconventional, in that it immediately draws the attention of the audience due to it's unusual layout and positioning within the overall image. The image links to the lyric "Twisted the knife and opened your eyes" from the album's title track - a line which is repeated multiple times throughout the song. This could link to the theory of audience gratification in that perhaps a fan may already be aware of it's significance, or after buying the album would then hopefully recognise the synergy between the two. This theory is further strengthened by the impression of eye contact, which places the artist and audience at a level stance, showing a reciprocated respect.

The eye could also be looked at in light of the 'storm'-like implications - representing the calm or the 'eye of the storm', whilst surrounded by a confusing abundance of swirls, possibly connoting destruction which would again imply the sound and impression that the band wish to make with their music. Another interpretation is that the eye represents power - perhaps omniscient, or 'all-seeing', it is the central point around which the rest of the cover revolves. Low-key lighting is used here to emphasise this ideology, which brightly lights the central section of the eye and surrounding areas, making sure it catches attention and can clearly be seen in great detail, whilst at the same time casting the corners and edges into shadow. This approach typically creates an air of mystery and illusion, and potentially even intimidation, as the audience become more concerned with what is being hidden rather than what is being shown. Furthermore, the eyes are often held in high regard as key to conveying emotion, whereas the specific selection of only the main part of the eye makes it difficult, or even impossible to gauge any emotion from it, as it perhaps comes across as blank or vacant. This perhaps serves to unsettle the audience, in parallel to the feeling or emotion that the band aim to achieve within their audience with their music. Additionally, the eye could be representative of the band themselves, and their levels of power and authority, along with the chaos and energy they aim to create within their audience.

An oppositional reading of this could be from a viewpoint in line with feminist theory. The eye comes across as quite feminine - widely opened and with long, thick eyelashes. Some may see they eye as being entrapped or imprisoned within the turmoil surrounding it, stuck in the darkness.

The swirls of colour seeping from the eye seem to resemble a strand or double helix of DNA, which could enforce the 'powerful' imagery, as some from of creator figure. This may also connote the connection between the band and their music, in that perhaps it means something to them on a more personal level, or even that their music is a part of them.

The text on the cover is minimalistic, and stands out from the rest of the cover. Due to the riot of colour and light in the background, it would probably not be clear to simply layer the name of the artist or album straight on the top. A black, rounded ended tab stretches out across the bottom left of the frame. Again, this could comply with the convention of the unconventional in that it is not necessarily the most typical cover placement, however it succeeds in drawing the audiences attention, attracting them to their name printed in large, bold letting - perhaps suggesting a desire to become a well known name (this only being the band's debut album, but a goal that they have since achieved), as well as again to establish a connection with the intended audience, who would recognise the name and immediately register interest.

The name of the album is positioned on a smaller, extended tab that seems to flow off the 'P' in 'Pendulum', creating some form of underline for emphasis, whilst also reinforcing the idea of a certain fluidity associated with the genre and style of music. This is further supported by the rounded, lowercase typeface and band logo, giving an impression of finesse and expertise that perhaps the band wish to define or categorize their working style as.