How a great cover let's you discover your new favourite band

Richard de Ruijter is a freelance graphic designer from Rotterdam who works for clients in music, tech and skate/surf fashion industry. A strong sense of style is important in his work, but he also integrates his eye for design in his studio and home. He recently bought a recordplayer, and ever since he spends his spare time browsing through record stores to find out if beautiful artworks match interesting new artists. We talked about analogue music, and his favourite album art

Stacks and stacks of CD's
It was not until I got to know Crosley that I ever really considered getting into vinyl. As a long time music lover, I've still got two closets at my parents' house stacked with CD's. When the streaming era arrived I loved it, but I was also missing the magic of going to record stores, diving into the racks and discovering artists. Sometimes I just check out records because I really liked the cover art and discovered some really cool artist this way. There is so much room for creativity with a physical medium like a record that you can not have with a digital one. In a world where we are getting more and more attached to our screens and are in a constant state of distraction or over-stimulation, putting on a vinyl record is the perfect way to unwind and listen consciously.

How I found my type of record player
My home has a dark wooden floor and the C62 blends in perfectly. The fact that I can switch to a Bluetooth mode is great for late nights or work days, when you just want to have an easy-going playlist that doesn't get in the way of "the flow" you're in. The wooden speakers provide a very warm and clear sound. When I’m playing vinyl, I discover details of songs that I wouldn't discover listening to the digital version. I often get compliments from friends or clients about the looks of the setup as well.

Favourite album
If I had to pick an album I think I’d have to go with the 2013 Arcade Fire album Reflektor. I find myself looking at that record time and time again. The album has a beautifully designed sleeve with a so-called holographic print, which makes it look like those shiny Pokemon cards from way back.

Arcade Fire is one of my favourite bands, and the idea behind the album was both beautiful designed and genius. Being able to portray complex themes into beautiful songs is what I love about them. The first single from the album, starts out swinging, but over the course of the song it becomes haunting in a way. Being able to commit to a different sound and theme without losing your signature is what I greatly respect about Arcade Fire.

I can go on and on about it. Like Richard, we can not more agree about greatness of Arcade Fire. If you like, check out the Reflector album, and dive into their amazing discography. Enjoy!