Brian is a freelance illustrator living on the North East coast of Ireland.

Hi Brian. Can you tell us a little bit about your tape and your song selections?

The tape is about remembering and the role landscape and a sense of place have to play in that process. The tracks were chosen because I’m fascinated by the ability music has to evoke memory and move us beyond ourselves.

How did you go about the artwork?

The artwork is part of a series of images that I’m working on directly connected to the idea of landscape and remembering.

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

Too too many. Peter Saville’s work at Factory is an obvious touchstone but equally Gee Vaucher’s work with Crass was a massive formative influence.

I’ve always been drawn to album covers that have a distinct DIY / indie feel, where it’s hard to separate the artwork from the music itself and although not an album, a good example of this would be E102/ Sad? by The BMX Bandits.

Glasgow’s Postcard Records and especially the early Orange Juice singles would definitely need a mention here, as would Annabell Wright’s work for the Pastels.

In terms of current favourites I’d have to include Gwénola Carrère’s stunning work for Okraina Records and artwork produced by labels such as Lost Map, Violette and Clay Pipe Music. For me, all of these labels share that DIY/ inde ethos and maintain a beautiful ballance between the artwork and the music itself.

What did you listen to growing up?

I was very lucky to have grown up in a household where music was everywhere. A lot of traditional music such as bluegrass, blues and country as well as traditional Irish and Scottish music. As a result my own tastes have been pretty eclectic if not to say shambolic.

Late night radio programmes by people such as John Peel and Alexis Korner were the source of countless home made mixtapes that were decorated and distributed to anybody that would listen. It’s interesting to note that my love of decorating and making tapes has been rekindled recently by the discovery of small indie labels such as Rural Colours and Bloxham Tapes, although I think if I had seen their lo-fi works of beauty when I had been making tapes I would have given up there and then.

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

Without doubt the biggest happening is the arrival of an eleven week old golden retriever puppy which has necessitated a very creative approach to keeping up with the projects that I’m working on at the minute.

Where can we find you?

︎ cargocollective.com/lostcontrolcollective
︎ twitter.com/lostcont
︎ instagram.com/lostcontrolcollective

Thanks Brian.

TRACKLIST
Visage Pâle - Waves / Kathryn Joseph - The Bird / Will Burns - Moth Book (Modern Nature Remix) / Alasdair Roberts - Waxwing / Erland Cooper - Cattie-Face / Out Lines - The Left Behind / Martyn Bennett Soreley Maclean - Waltz for Hector / James Yorkston - When The Haar Rolls In / King Creosote - And the Racket They Made / Andy Truscott - 05:45 / Out Lines - If You Love Me Will You Lie / Kathryn Joseph - The Why, What Baby? / Visage Pâle - Waves ︎