Image via Complex Original
For a musician, a band, or a producer, the image you construct is often just as important as the music itself. When someone hears about you through the grapevine and wants to learn more, they go through the first port of entry—Google—and get to investigating. But behind the reactive layouts, cool designs, and magical masonry is a designer or developer receiving little-to-no credit. Here in this list, we hope to shine a light on the unsung heroes of online music promotion.
David Rudnick + Eric Hu
Artists: Evian Christ, RL Grime, Erol Alkan, Tiga
London-born, Yale-educated graphic designer David Rudnick has developed a distinctive palette over the years, having worked alongside some of the most innovative and exciting artists around. Rudnick cut his teeth as the go-to guy for labels including Turbo and Phantasy, and a significant aspect of his appeal is his attention to detail—specifically when it comes to typefaces. More recently, he has constructed the aesthetic for Evian Christ’s Waterfall release with the aid of New York-based developer Eric Hu, as well as RLGrime’s latest outings on WeDidIt in addition to others.
Anonymous
Artist: Pharrell
You know the song, and you probably first heard it through Anonymous’ groundbreaking website. Pharrell’s “Happy”—one of the catchiest releases in recent memory—was launched almost exactly a year ago, accompanied by “the world’s first 24-hour music video,” corresponding to every minute of the day. People landing on the clock-face of the website (constructed by French Web development company Anonymous) were invited to watch the numerous renditions, captured around Los Angeles, including performances by Odd Future, Steve Carell, Jamie Foxx, Jimmy Kimmel, and more. The rest, as they say, is history.
Area 17
Artist: Jay Z's Life+Times
Jay Z is one of the best to do it, and in 2011, hip-hop’s figurehead branched out to create the lifestyle website Life+Times, which covers art, sports, music, fashion, and culture. Naturally, you wouldn’t expect such a project to be a half-baked affair, and so Area 17 constructed a collage-style site, comprised of all the things that make Jay Z who he is.
Fishbucket
Artists: DJ Premier, Kelis, J. Cole
Founded in 1999, Fishbucket is based in Brooklyn, boasting an impressive client list, which includes Kelis, DJ Premier, Pro Era, Dilated Peoples, Common, Big K.R.I.T., and more. The team at Fishbucket has been responsible for producing innovative, immersive, and engaging websites for each respective project, and will continue to do so for as long as there are innovative and engaging musicians around.
Ground(ctrl)
Artist: Nas
The versatility of Ground(ctrl)’s website layouts has been adopted by a wide range of musicians—from Nas to Slipknot to Justin Timberlake to Toto. The group’s main aim is “to see beyond the short bursts of attention surrounding a release, tour, or product launch and provide an ‘always on’ outlet for fans and artists to maintain their relationship 365 days a year.” Mission accomplished, as hundreds of thousands of music fans click through to sites designed by Ground(ctrl) every month.
Jam3
Artist: Björk
Working in conjunction with M/M Paris (Bjork’s creative team), Jam3 looked to maximize the use of HTML5 for Bjork’s Biophilia website. Up until that point, the level of 3-D complexity that characterizes the site had not been done before in HTML5. As a result, Biophilia’s site still stands among the most ambitious HTML5 projects ever produced.
When the users arrive on the site they’re greeted with an astral pattern spelling out Björk’s name that shifts around as the mouse is moved. There is also an audio clip at the bottom of the page that features Björk describing, in brief, the aims of Biophilia.
Erik Zuuring
Artists: Grimes, Majical Cloudz
“Located outside of Mont Tremblant, Canada, I am probably one of the few designers who lives and works in a small mountainside cabin,” says Erik Zuuring. The man behind websites for Grimes and Majical Cloudz, among others, clearly works well in solitude, having produced some well-constructed homes for artist content, seeking him for his specific style.
Avex Designs
Artists: Best Coast, Childish Gambino, Phoenix
Freelance Web designer John Surdakowski founded Avex Designs in 2010, and after working with higher-profile companies like Google, HBO, Ubisoft, and Bank of America, he extended his talents to working with bands and musicians. If you’ve seamlessly navigated through the websites of Phoenix, Childish Gambino, or Best Coast, you’ve had the pleasure of enjoying some of Surdakowski’s work.
Sandbag
Artists: Radiohead, Adele, the xx
Sandbag is an all-encompassing media group dedicated to bringing the best of the best to the top of the pile. Launched as the sister company to W.A.S.T.E. Products Limited (Radiohead’s commercial branch), Sandberg serves as a promotional platform that attempts to provide other artists the same immersive Radiohead-type exposure that the legendary rock band experienced during its heydey. Currently, they take care of household names like Adele, SigurRós, the xx, and more.
Martin Gomez
Artists: Rihanna, the Killers
Whether it’s emulating a high-fashion magazine for Rihanna, or providing a visual retrospective of the career highlights of the Killers, Martin Gomez seems to be the person to talk to when you’re a musician with a budget and an eye for detail. Also having worked with artists including Janet Jackson and Bon Jovi, Martin Gomez makes marquee websites for remarkable musicians.