🎵 IT0033: Unsatisfied
✏️ Murray Somerwolff
🗓 21.06.19


Murray is a Scottish illustrator, game artist, and writer currently based in Denmark.

Ello Murray, can you tell us a little bit about your tape and your song selections?

Hello Illustrated Taaapes! My tape has been curated to give an adrenaline rush to the heart, making you bop and move whilst toiling away in the sun!

I wanted to share my broad love of maybe-but-maybe-not-post-punk music. I hand picked each song to make sure the experience of the playlist takes you on a journey of guitar riffs you can bite into and choruses which make you want to shout along. Plus hopefully it will introduce people to some new bands!

How did you go about the artwork?

The artwork came together in the same way this music makes me feel - bold and brash. I love noise and post punk in the way it can be raw, dissonant and bright all at the same time. So for the cover I just went nuts with colour and personified how listening to this playlist makes me feel.

What are your fave album covers, records with a great music and artwork combo, or musical projects with a visual component?

Oooh. Hmm.

Ok:

Deerhunter “Microcastle” - Deerhunter are one of my all time favourite bands and I first bought their album Microcastle on my 21st birthday purely based on the weird, washed out red portrait album cover. Best accidental purchase ever.

Ok lastly, I just bought Arab Strap - “Philophobia” on vinyl and it has these great, naked paintings of a woman and what I’m assuming is of singer Aidan Moffat on the front of the sleeves. The paintings are stark and grounded in their nudity and it just encapsulates the feeling of the music so well.


Spiderland – Slint
1991, Touch and Go Records
Photography: Will Oldham


That black and white photograph of them in the water is so iconic and it’s a personal favourite album and album cover of mine. (Also have it on tshirt!)


Microcastle – Deerhunter
2008, Kranky
Design: Bradford Cox, Craig McCaffrey
Photography: Alex Rose


Deerhunter are one of my all time favourite bands and I first bought their album Microcastle on my 21st birthday purely based on the weird, washed out red portrait album cover. Best accidental purchase ever.


Philophobia – Arab Strap
1998, Chemikal Underground
Artwork (paintings): Marianne Greated
Graphics: Adam Piggot


Ok lastly, I just bought Arab Strap - Philophobia on vinyl and it has these great, naked paintings of a woman and what I’m assuming is of singer Aidan Moffat on the front of the sleeves. The paintings are stark and grounded in their nudity and it just encapsulates the feeling of the music so well. 

What did you listen to growing up?

I grew up on the nu-metal boom, when Korn and Limp Bizkit were kings. However my tastes quickly deepened and I was very much a heavy metal teen. However at sixteen I had friends who introduced me to the likes of Pavement, The Microphones, Fugazi and The Replacements and so on. This really opened me up to different music tastes and from there I’ve been acquiring new flavours ever since.

And what’s on your musical radar at the moment?

Ahh so many things.

Ok - so currently new albums I’m listening to: Flying Lotus - Flamagra  / Denzel Curry - ZUU / Cate Le Bon - Reward / Big Thief - UFOF / Priests - The Seduction of Kansas / Big Joanie - Sistahs.


Ohh and also I’ve been listening to a bunch of Silver Jews, Shellac and Arab Strap too.

Phew.

What’s happening in your creative world at the moment?

So I’m currently writing and art directing on a new narrative video game called “Elk: Tales of Real Stories” - which is very exciting!

You can find out more details (and watch the trailer) at the link here: welcometoelk.com, and you can add it in Steam Wishlist!!

Where can we find you?

︎ murraysomerwolff.com/
︎ twitter.com/MurraySomerwolf

Thanks Murray!

TRACKLIST

Kim Gordon - Murdered Out / Pissed Jeans - The Bar Is Low / Gang Of Four - At Home He's a Tourist / No Age - Glitter / Eagulls - Possessed / Jay Reatard - Night Of Broken Glass / Le Tigre - Deceptacon / Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers / Mission Of Burma - Academy Fight Song / The Replacements - Favorite Thing / Big Joanie - It's You / The Breeders - Doe / Pill - Fruit / CHAI - N.E.O. / Human Hair - Party Size / Denise - Boyfriend / Shopping - Suddenly Gone / Savages - When In Love / USA Nails - They'd Name an Age / Priests - No Big Bang / Fugazi - Shut the Door / Shellac - Riding Bikes / Body/Head - Actress / Preoccupations - Death ︎