Blog - Herm the Younger

15th November 2024

Release Day: Obsidian Heart

My artwork for Aidan Martin's latest single is a tribute to ancient ornament and good music, both art forms which have fascinated me for years.

A geometric exploration of the song, the artwork is inspired by its poetic language:

There’s been a cataclysmic collapse⠀/⠀Of life as we know it⠀/⠀Light a fire
It’s so cold and dark⠀/⠀Obsidian heart⠀/⠀Obsidian heart

Alternative Cover

Another option we created utilises the fascinating phenomenon of obsidian flints. The stones were carved by ancient men into intricate fractal patterns, and then carried on their person as a sort of talisman, embuing strength and protection.

This design pairs two of these with a scattering of other gemstones. Despite being a direct representation of the title, it has a mystical and unknown element to it that defies the obvious. It's unexpected, and that's what makes it effective.

Animated Promo by Donavan Sloan

I'm pleased this mysterious abstraction is present in the final green artwork. The song was released today on Bandcamp.

credits

Commissioned by Aidan Martin
Designed by Herm the Younger

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Published by Herm the Younger in Album Cover, Graphic Design, Illustration

11th October 2024

Release Day: Inspired

Today marks the release of Ben Mwanga's debut ten-track album, Inspired. I was trusted with the design of the main album cover, which set the aesthetic for the whole project.

The album cover follows a classic layout with an intimate portrait in the centre and beautiful typography. This is a reflection of the music, which is poetic and steeped in emotion.

More insight into this collaboration will follow as the project is revealed.

credits

Commissioned by Ben Mwanga
Designed by Herm the Younger
Photography by René Fitzek

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Published by Herm the Younger in Album Cover, Graphic Design

3rd September 2024

Release Day: All These Moments Will Be Lost

I'm honoured to share the artwork I created for Ontzieling's debut EP, which releases this Thursday. Limited edition vinyl copies are available now.

About the Album

Step into the haunting soundscape of a dystopian future with Ontzieling's debut 'All These Moments Will Be Lost'. This record with Blade Runner-esque qualities is a blend of ambient and experimental music, meticulously crafted to immerse you in the eerie ambience of a crumbling metropolis. Each track is a journey through desolate streets, abandoned buildings, and the haunting echoes of a society that once was. 'All These Moments Will be Lost' captures the essence of isolation, decay, and the ghostly remnants of human existence.

The artwork is created by Herm the Younger:

“We are faced with a scene that could be in a future era or at the beginning of the world. An epic scene, balanced in the frame and dissolving with time. Even the significant moment captured here is slipping into obscurity and will soon be forgotten.”

‘Ontzieling’ is an ambient project by Michael Paap, a music producer hailing from the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The project meticulously explores the realm of soundscapes, dark versus light, drone, noise and lo-fi, seamlessly weaving them together with the modular synthesizer. Each composition is an unfiltered glimpse into a moment, a live creation captured in one continuous take. The project’s essence lies in embracing the present, record, unplug and move forward.

credits

Commissioned by Michael Paap
Designed by Herm the Younger
Released by Esc.rec

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Published by Herm the Younger in Album Cover, Graphic Design, Vinyl Record

7th August 2024

Quote: True Originality

“I must safeguard myself from being thought to urge any quest of originality. Quite the reverse. I am satisfied that all search for it just blocks the way, with our preconceptions and limitations, to any possibility of realizing a true originality, which properly is of the root, not of the appearance.

True originality is to be found by those who, standing on the limits of the sphere of the known, reach out naturally to some apprehension and understanding of what is beyond; it is the next step in an orderly development.”

— W.R. Lethaby, The Architecture of Adventure (1910)

Published by Herm the Younger in Insight

24th July 2024

New Work: Heaven & Earth

Today, I am pleased and proud to release another piece from the archives.

Heaven & Earth, an original artwork by Herm the Younger.

Published by Herm the Younger in Art, Illustration, New Work

27th May 2024

Tracklist Typography & Process

The tracklist for the I May Be Some Time album is created using a very special technique. Each letter is cut out and arranged one by one, just like they would have been with letterpress printing during the early 1900s – the same era the album is inspired by.

The process allows granular control over the letters and spacing, producing an effect that is impossible to achieve with a technically perfect computer font.

This video provides a look at how it was done:

The tracklist on the back of the CD digipak. The same technique is used on the spine.

Read more about this project:
I May Be Some Time

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Published by Herm the Younger in Design Process, Typography

11th May 2024

Revisiting “Formations”

Looking through old work to inspire the new.

My 2019 artwork Formations was all about exploring symmetry and composition. The stars are made from simple drawings, mirrored across six lines. Smaller stars are scattered around them to complete the effect.

A tall, vertical banner was the perfect setting for these beautiful shapes:

Not only was this proof that you can make something out of nothing, but it affirmed that the best art is made that way. Limiting your means stimulates deep creativity.

The process itself created some lovely surprises. When the drawings were scanned in, they appeared to glow. As it happens, this effect was caused by my settings being wrong:

Were I to remake this artwork now, I would retain much of this texture and lighting in the final piece. Yet the simplicity of this series does not offend five years later. It inspires, and that is the ultimate achievement of art.

To those who are reading:

Make good work.
It is all worth it.

Published by Herm the Younger in Art, Design Process

8th May 2024

Voice of the Wild

I'm pleased to reveal the cover I designed for Voice of the Wild by Million Moons, the first single from their second full-length album.

The album is heavily inspired by Antarctic voyages of days gone by and tells the story of a doomed polar expedition. After digging deep into public archives, I found the remarkable photography of Frank Hurley (1885–1962), an adventurer and photographer present on those same missions.

The covers mix historic photos from Antarctic missions with icy palettes and beautiful typography

From the official press release:

“Herm the Younger created the album artwork, collaging archival photographs from Antarctic expeditions to create a haunting landscape that conveys the beauty and isolation these explorers encountered.”

The main album artwork and covers for all seven tracks will be released with the album on July 5th.

Cover art for the second single: *Endure, Overcome*

The full case study is now live:
I May Be Some Time

Credits

Patron
Million Moons

Art Direction
Herm the Younger

Photography
Frank Hurley

Published by Herm the Younger in Album Cover, Graphic Design

8th March 2024

Featured on Semplice.com

I was honoured to be featured this week in the Semplice Showcase. To everyone coming from there, welcome and I hope you enjoy exploring my work.

You are encouraged to download the artwork you love, save it to your mood boards, and reach out directly if you have ideas for collaboration.

I've built several websites using Semplice since 2018. The plugin allows deep (but simple) customisation, it's a one-time payment, and their support team personally help you when you have questions.

It's a lovely feeling to find a well-designed, functional, and affordable tool. Semplice is exactly that. I highly recommend it for building design portfolios and other websites that need a special touch.

Learn more about Semplice →

Special thanks to Tobias van Schneider and the Semplice team for featuring my work.

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Published by Herm the Younger in Graphic Design, Milestones, Website

1st March 2024

Break (Work in Progress)

New artwork – entitled Break – coming soon.

Published by Herm the Younger in Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, Work In Progress