JAPAN VIBRATIONS VOL. 1

Concept & Visual Language

For the compilation "Japan Vibrations Vol. 1" by Alex from Tokyo (Alex Prat), curated for his own label World Famous, the full visual concept was developed for Carhartt WIP Radio: artwork, event visuals, posters, and t-shirts for the accompanying tour launching in November 2023/24. The album brings together eleven newly remastered tracks from Japan's electronic, ambient, and dance scene of the mid 1980s to mid 1990s, featuring names like Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yasuaki Shimizu.

The visual language draws on the album's journey through time: a 90s look with VHS effects applied in post production, referencing the era's analog aesthetic without imitating it directly. The centerpiece is a waveform that wraps around the logo type like a scarf. It was developed in 3D, then reduced in After Effects to a flat 2D color treatment, retaining the depth of the original 3D form while keeping the final result graphic and bold rather than rendered. The poster design draws on classic Japanese LP design, with a direct nod to the compilation's original cover.

Client

Art Director

Designer

Year

Carhartt WIP & Alex from Tokyo

Tim Kottmann

Sarah Schweizer

2023

Execution & Rollout

The visual system was extended across event visuals and merchandise for the accompanying tour, which ran through Japan, Europe, and Asia, including stops in Paris at Serpent à Plume and Berlin at OHM, alongside cities like Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Kyoto, and Tokyo. Tour flyers in the same visual language were distributed across social media, shared through the channels of each venue, the participating Carhartt account, and World Famous. The T-Shirt, produced through a four layer screen print process with Printstudio 667 in Düsseldorf, translated the VHS look of the graphic into print. The artwork was halftoned so the grain and texture of the original effect would still read at a distance, keeping the print faithful to the digital source. A limited edition was sold exclusively at each tour date, alongside an artist feature on the Carhartt WIP website linking through to the interview and full mix on SoundCloud.