This month see’s the release of Tom’s first book, ‘VHS: Video Cover Art’, of which he is the designer and curator. The book is a collection of over 240 complete video sleeve artworks, many seen here for the very first time. Whether you’re a fan of movies or a fan of art in general, this book is quite simply fascinating and will immediately transport you straight back to those wondrous days of the video store!

Recently I was lucky enough to catch up with Tom to talk a little about his new book and his love for VHS.

RP: Tom, thank you so much for speaking with me today. How are you?

Yeah not bad thanks!

RP: Do you remember the first VHS you ever rented?

Yes I do! I went to the video shop with my Mum and cousin, I remember being in awe of all these movies on the walls. It was the first video shop in the area, it was called ‘Blaby Video’ (named after the village it was in). I rented Tron and my cousin rented the Hulk movie, he tried to make out he’d picked the better film… oh boy was he wrong!!!

RP: When did you first become interested in VHS cover art?

I was a VHS addict from the start and all the tapes back then had such amazing covers for all these random films, you couldn’t help but get excited by the artwork. We (me and my cousin) used to get loads of old sample covers from the local mobile video shop, I still remember the excitement of going through the boxes of covers and picking out the ones we wanted. 3 of those covers which survived have actually made it into the book; Trapped, The Chinese Typewriter and The Big Town.

RP: Can you recall the first cover you worked on?

The first commissioned cover I worked on was Jaguar Lives. It feels kind of rough now looking back on it.

RP: As an artist, what inspires you and who are your favourite artists?

Lots of things inspire me, I’m quite a visual hoarder. But for the poster work its mainly a mixture of old poster art, video covers and pulp fiction books.

My favourite artists have to be Enzo Sciotti, Renato Casaro, Caudio Casaro, Graham Humpherys, Laurent Melki, Drew Struzan, Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazzetta.

RP: Are you generally allowed full artistic freedom when designing cover art?

Well to a degree, but there is always criteria which you have to cover, elements the director wants to include or two concepts get merged into one. I do try to talk people around if I feel super strongly about a visual aesthetic. Like life though, some compromises usually have to take place.

RP: You’ve designed countless covers and posters for movies, is there a particular piece that you’re really fond of?

It varies depending on what new job comes in, I’m quite chuffed about a piece I did for a cult zombie film at the end of last year, but it hasn’t been released yet. Obviously Hobo with a shotgun has stood me in good stead and I do love The Innkeepers poster still.

RP: What’s the worst cover to a movie you’ve ever seen? Whether it be past or present.

Well I’m always surprised how they keep butchering films on DVD covers, especially some of the classics which already have great artwork. So virtually any new design created for general DVD release 2000 upwards.

RP: When did you first get the idea to do this book?

It was an idea I had been toying with for ages, I’d dip into all these amazing video cover artworks for reference and there was no books out there which treated video cover art in the same way they do with poster art. There have been some video books released in the past but mostly they focus on collecting or they crop the covers etc. I wanted something which clearly and concisely displayed the whole image and was a good solid collection of the best designed video covers.

It was screaming out to be done. I even told people who had published film books that they should do one, but no one took the hint. I guess I was the one who had the passion and drive to see it though, so I knuckled down and did it myself. It was a lot more work than I realised, I even had to miss my birthday last year to work on it. So it was a total labour of love.

RP: The book contains a foreword by fellow VHS obsessive and man from Mondo, Justin Ishmael. How did Justin become involved?

That was a sort of last minute thing, I had to compile some testimonials for the back cover and I spoke to Rob Jones at Mondo having worked with him on ‘The Heat’ (he project managed that job), It was his idea to speak to Justin who he said was a massive VHS head and he’d most likely be up for writing a foreword. So I sent over the working artwork for the book and told him about the project, he obviously knew me from my work and ’The Heat’, he loved it and said yes basically.

RP: Can you remember how many VHS covers you looked through in total while compiling the book?

Man, hundreds! I scanned a load more than I put in the book too, but you have to cull the page count at some point!

As well as my own collection I met up with two of the UK’s most prolific collectors Dale Lloyd: Viva VHS (www.vivavhs.co.uk) and Phil Baker: Video Collector (www.videocollector.co.uk) who between them have over 9000 videos!

RP: The particular style of cover art featured in your book seemed to fade away during the 1990’s, what do you think of the path that it’s taking today? I mean as far as most being slapped together in photoshop?

Yeah it sucks, films are poorly represented and the covers don’t inspire anymore, not like they used to. Its all homogenized crap for supermarket sales, distribution sales departments have the final say and its some suited guy/girl who has no creative training. So to do something they can easily quantify and control they drag it all down to a basic level.

RP: Why do you think cover art is so important?

Because it was a cultural art form which touched us all growing up. I still see the isles in the video shop as a sort of twisted pop art gallery, they inspired creativity and imagination in kids and I think its had a lasting effect on anyone who experienced it in its heyday. You always see people smile and their eyes light up with, “Ah yeah, I remember that cover at the video shop”. Its art as far as I see it!

RP: Finally, if you had to pick your favourite 80’s movie based on the film itself and its cover art, what would you pick?

So many!! I love Neon Maniacs, which is why I’m holding it on the cover! All be it flawed and a troubled production, its a great 80s concept for a horror film and its only a film which could have been made back then, with the characters being Monsters, Samurai’s, Rambo’s etc. The young budding director makes horror films on her video camera with the teen kids at school and the grand finale is at the school disco, complete with bad 80s bands! It has it all!!!

Tom Hodge’s new book ‘VHS: Video Cover Art’ is available for pre-order NOW at www.vhsvideocoverart.com

For more information on Tom’s work, you can also visit his official site www.thedudedesigns.com

EP II is OUT NOW!

April 30th saw the release of Power Gloves eagerly anticipated follow up to their 2013 debut, EP1.  The new album wastes no time in picking up from where the Australian duo left off and begins to dig deeper into the dark and mysterious soundscape as heard in their previous work. This time around the guys begin to explore some new territory, taking us on a journey through the seedier back streets of their creativity.

The 7 track, self released EP opens with the tone setter, ‘Insert‘ quickly re-familiarizing us with their ominous vibes. It’s a short and sharp introduction to the world of Power Glove, a world that seems a far cry from the beautiful shores of St Kilda’s beach and resembles more a dystopian future Australia, the kind seen in George Millers ‘Mad Max‘.

Next up is ‘Punker’, a more rhythmic track that pulsates and alternates from quiet too loud, never hesitating in its intensity. There were a couple of brief moments in this song that bared some resemblance to Aphex Twin, channeling some of that great unpredictability and peculiarity.

‘E-240‘ is perhaps the most interesting song featured on the record and is definitely the one that came as the biggest surprise.  Like an R&B song submerged beneath a warm wave of electronica, this is definitely the moment the duo emerge from their chrysalis to dazzle us.

Track 4, ‘Grips’, oozes from the speakers like sweat from the body of a spandex coated fitness freak.  I can only wish that someone out there would make a fitness video accompanied by a soundtrack of Power Glove’s eerie workout grooves. If anyone from Retrosweat is reading this, I’m talking to you!

Next up is a remix of ‘4am‘, originally written by Bristolian Shoe gazers, The Fauns. After listening to the original track I can say with honesty that the Power Glove version almost renders the original unrecognizable and they succeed without question in making the song their own. Sometimes remixes have a tendency to throw off the flow of a record and that’s why they’re commonly better left as b-sides. But there’s a certain tone to the original that really works within Power Glove’s boundaries and it sits rather nicely on this EP.

What was strange about the next track, ‘Motorcycle cop‘, is that before I’d even heard it, I found myself staring at the EP’s tracklisting and thinking to myself, “What a cool name for a song”.  I immediately began to envision a cop on his bike, cruising through the night against a backdrop of blurred city lights. After listening to the song, I was left aghast by how well the music captured the imagery I had pictured, almost as if it were scored to my own daydream. This song was definitely the most impressive for me and if I had to pick, I would say it’s my favorite on the record.

As quickly as the EP reels us into the world of Power Glove, we find ourselves fading out to the beautifully dark ‘Finale‘, bringing us to the end of a vivid and ambiguous voyage. EP2 is more progressive in comparison to their first EP and I really like how they’ve wasted no time in exploring some new sounds, whilst staying true to their identity. Power Glove may not have an extensive back catalog of work, but what they’ve released to date is a very solid body of work. It stands tall and demands your attention, which is something I enjoy and admire about these dudes. 

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]]> https://newretrowave.com/2015/05/12/power-glove-ep2/feed/ 0 https://newretrowave.com/2015/04/20/makeup-and-vanity-set-wilderness/ https://newretrowave.com/2015/04/20/makeup-and-vanity-set-wilderness/#respond Mon, 20 Apr 2015 17:11:14 +0000 http://new-retro-wave.com/2015/04/21/2015420makeup-and-vanity-set-wilderness/ For anyone who is aware of Makeup and vanity set, you will already be familiar with his gift for creating vast and exceptional pieces of music. His experience and obvious affiliation with his sound helps him carve out vivid and beautifully rich sounding tracks and Wilderness is no exception.

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Wilderness Cover Art designed by Caspar Newbolt / Version Industries

April 8th saw the release of the new Makeup and Vanity set record, entitled Wilderness. It’s the tenth full length album from Nashville based electronic artist, Matthew Pusti and has been released via Telefuture Records.

For anyone who is aware of Makeup and vanity set, you will already be familiar with his gift for creating vast and exceptional pieces of music. His experience and obvious affiliation with his sound helps him carve out vivid and beautifully rich sounding tracks and Wilderness is no exception. Absorbing a record of this enormity is not always an easy feet and multiple listens are often required in order to really get to grips with the songs. Yet shortly after first listening to Wilderness, I was left dumbfounded by how effortlessly I made it through the albums massive 1 hour and twenty one minute running time and just how instantly connected I felt to it afterwards.

I feel Wilderness is more than just an album, its a prodigious musical journey that is searching for answers and although melancholic at times,is never totally devoid of hope.  Despite the majority of the album being instrumental, we are treated to songs like Hand in handand Remember, both of which are infectiously charming vocally led tracks that ascend at just the right moments. The album boasts some wonderful contributions from the likes of Big Delta Black, Jasmin Kaset, Thomas Barrandon and The Protomen.

Those quick enough off the mark, may have been lucky enough to bag themselves one of the super cool Wilderness double LP Vinyl’s, which are housed in a gatefold sleeve and limited to only 250 copies worldwide. The artwork has been lovingly designed by previous collaborator and gifted artist, Caspar Newbolt. The finished product is simply stunning and vinyl this sexy is guaranteed to stir an erection or two amongst some of the more overly obsessive collectors out there.  But fear not, a digital version of the album is also available to purchase and I hear a second run of vinyl is also on its way. To all those who purchase the album, a free digital download of ‘Eidolon: A short Film by Joey Ciccoline’ is also available. This visual bonus coincides with the release of the album and I strongly urge you to check this out too.

Making an album of this magnitude is never going to be an easy feet and I can only imagine how much Pusti laboured over this one. Not only does it feel deeply personal, but it really does reflect a certain realness and honesty. It twists and winds through the chasms of the mind and it bares deep seated feelings and emotions, almost like a form of self therapy. Wilderness is many things, it’s humble, proud, claustrophobic and free and it succeeds where so many others have fallen short before it. This is Makeup and Vanity set’ most accomplished and beautiful work to date, its quite simply brilliant! 

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]]> https://newretrowave.com/2015/04/20/makeup-and-vanity-set-wilderness/feed/ 0 https://newretrowave.com/2015/03/25/tommy-86-disco-machine-ep/ https://newretrowave.com/2015/03/25/tommy-86-disco-machine-ep/#respond Wed, 25 Mar 2015 17:42:42 +0000 http://new-retro-wave.com/2015/03/25/2015325tommy-86-disco-machine-ep/ French electronic gadget maestro Tommy '86 is back with a brand new EP entitled "Disco Machine"  released via 86' Records . This shiny and glamorous assortment of songs is going to travel in through your ears and wear you like a sparkly outfit, its going to make you wanna move and its going to make you wanna party!

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French electronic gadget maestro Tommy ’86 is back with a brand new EP entitled “Disco Machine”  released via 86′ Records . This shiny and glamorous assortment of songs is going to travel in through your ears and wear you like a sparkly outfit, its going to make you wanna move and its going to make you wanna party!

Disco Machine captures that feeling of reaching the end of the working week, when all you wanna do is head into the city to hang with your friends and forget about the monotony of your bullshit office job. It’s built upon groove inspired beats and topped with tuneful keyboard parts that are more infectious than Malware; it’s highly unlikely that you’ll resist its charms for long.

The EP erupts with its two strongest songs ‘Revival’ and ‘Back To Basics’, the two of which are absolutely killer tracks. I think I may have listened to these songs back to back more than 8 times and both have this amazing beginning of the night vibe, the kind that fills you with hope and promise for the night ahead and enables you to forget all your worries. When an EP is strictly instrumental like this one (Minus a few vocoder parts), melody and hooks are vital for capturing the listeners attention and ‘Back To Basics’ is a masterclass in how to achieve this, it without doubt bares my favourite hook of the year so far.

The third track on the EP ‘New lands’ is a slightly more lower key dance number in comparison to the records opening two. Even though a prominent beat is still present in all its danceable glory, the synth melody cools off proceedings and helps lower the intensity level to a more dreamier plane. Track 4, ‘If dreams could become reality’ is a soaring and herculean piano ballad that steams forward tirelessly and passionately. This truly beautiful piece of music adds extra dimension and serves as an interesting addition to the record.

The title track wastes no time in pushing the pedal to the metal and quickly lifts us back to the highs experienced on the EP’s opening tracks. This slick and fast paced song takes us on one last jaunt around the dance floor and doesn’t disappoint with its stirring and relentless melody. Finally we wind down with ‘A song for people in love’, a warm and heartfelt conclusion to a great night had. It feels a lot like that train journey home at the end of the night, when you’re surrounded by the blurred lights of passing buildings as you slump contently in a state of reflection.

Disco Machine is a wonderfully paced album and it takes us on an enjoyable ride through a variety of emotions. Its pilot and composer is one who bares an obvious aptitude for electronic music and is one who clearly understands the dynamics of song structure. This EP is more than just a selection of songs thrown together; it plays more like a concept album and it feels a deeply personal one at that. I thoroughly enjoyed this record and I hope you will too, Vive La Tommy!

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]]> https://newretrowave.com/2015/03/25/tommy-86-disco-machine-ep/feed/ 0 https://newretrowave.com/2015/03/17/nightcrawler-strange-shadows-ep/ https://newretrowave.com/2015/03/17/nightcrawler-strange-shadows-ep/#respond Tue, 17 Mar 2015 15:30:09 +0000 http://new-retro-wave.com/2015/03/17/2015317nightcrawler-strange-shadows-ep/ Following 2014's brilliant 'Metropolis', Nightcrawler returns with perhaps his darkest work to date, 'Strange Shadows'. The EP featuring 5 original and 4 remixes take great inspiration from Italian Giallo and horror movies of the late 70s and 80s.

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Following 2014’s brilliant ‘Metropolis’, Nightcrawler returns with perhaps his darkest work to date, ‘Strange Shadows’. The EP featuring 5 original and 4 remixes take great inspiration from Italian Giallo and horror movies of the late 70s and 80s. The record was produced by Nightcrawler (AKA George Gold) and mastered by the great Vincent Salvia (Atlantis, Chromelove EP). Not only is Gold a kick ass musician but he’s also a talented graphic designer and again lends his artistic vision for the cover art of his latest EP.

To get in the true spirit of Nighcrawler’s latest work, I advise that you run yourself a late night bath, light a few candles and bolt them doors and windows tightly! I was only three songs into this sucker before I became convinced that some maniac flaunting an axe was going to break into my home and chop off my arms and legs, leaving me nothing more than a mangled mess for some badly dubbed Italian detective to ponder over.

The two opening tracks, ‘Macabre Serenade’ and ‘Una Notte Violenta’ are great and they serve well in familiarising us with what we can expect. The hooky lead keyboard parts combined with fuzzy grim undertones almost leave you feeling as if you’re being pursued by the music itself. Both tracks bare distant resemblance to some of John Carpenters earlier scored work and his classic fear provoking synth soundtracks of the 1980’s. It’s when we reach ‘Omicido Nella Sala Rossa’ that things visit a new level of potency. Nightmarish samples partnered with the tangled sounds of a female in distress, pull no punches in elevating tension and hurling your heart rate into overdrive.  From the dream like void of ‘Omicido…’ we are led toward the last of the original tracks ‘Pendulo Oculto’ and my personal favourite, ‘Calvary: Feat. Vincenzo Salvia’.  ‘Pendulo Oculto’ is perhaps the most danceable song on the EP and comes complete with a heavily infectious backbeat that steers the songs dread filled melody and distantly stirs at memories of Nine Inch Nails earlier work. The excellent ‘Calvary’ draws proceedings to a close and although it too continues on a unsettling path, it bares some signs of hopefulness at its core, perhaps hinting to the listener that not all is lost after all. The final 4 songs of the record are remixes; OGRE takes a stab at Macabre Serenade, Umberto takes on Pendulo Oculto and both Alexandro Parisi and Profondo Delle Tenebre unshackle their own enthralling versions of Una Notte Violenta, all bringing their own unique twist to Nightcrawler’s original tracks.

On the whole ‘Strange Shadows’ is heavily atmospheric and is a vast exploration of darker sounds. It’s certainly not a record you’re going to listen to at the beach or play at your children’s birthday party, but that’s not saying there shouldn’t be a place in your life for this haunted gem. What’s impressive about Nightcrawler is how his sound continues to evolve and that he refuses to remain stationary for too long. Instead he demonstrates perfectly how an artist can stay true to their sound and fan base, but at the same time still remaining fresh and progressive.

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