How much of an impact do you feel the visual image (album art, music videos etc) has upon the listener’s overall experience of the music?
Hard to give a short answer to this one as each listener reacts differently. As a musician, good and consistent design certainly gives you the edge. As a listener the visual image should enhance the narrative or feeling of the whole thing – not necessarily to be in your face or dominate – but help tell the story and excite other senses. It all depends on the type of music or performer. Each project commands its own individual design solution – that’s probably why music is such an interesting area for designers – the possibilities are infinite.

Your favourite album cover of all time (that you did not design) and why?
Miles Davis’ ‘Bitches Brew’ – artwork by Mati Klarwein. It’s simply sublime.

With the popularity of digital music downloads, how do you ensure the album artwork you are commissioned to create encourages listeners to purchase the CD or 12” over the digital download?
The artwork should translate into every format; vinyl picture discs for the collectors, snappy web banners for the forum heads, videos for the live performance etc. You need to encourage them to get involved with as many formats as possible! You can’t dictate to the listener – people are really media savvy – they know when they’re being blagged – just make sure it’s beautiful, inspiring, honest and conveys the same feeling as the music, and you can’t go too far wrong.

What are you currently working on at the moment?
This week: Andrea Clarke album artwork for Future Soul Records; Redlight ft. Ms Dynamite 12″ vinyl & online banner artwork for MTA records; Akabu album design for Z Records; logo & branding for a new promotions company and plenty of events stuff for this weekend’s carnival. Hopefully I’ll get into these for free – woohoo!

How do you feel your approach to design has developed over the years?
My arsenal of styles and skills continues to diversify. I can pretty much do anything under one roof now. As media changes and develops – so have I. Photography, illustration, typography – online, video, print – bring it on!

What’s does the future hold for Mitchy Bwoy?
There’s some exciting clothing stuff coming out later this year with Addict. Also, really cool upcoming projects as a WeActivist with WeSC. Keep ‘em peeled!

Interview by Steve Williams
mitchybwoy.com // facebook.com/mitchybwoydesign

Page 3 visuals: Various record sleeves (Likwid Biskit / Blak Twang) / Addict ‘Star Wars’ / Addict ‘Clown Girl’