Drain Story
Book Project
160 pages
8x10 in
Swiss binding
exposed spine
cloth cover
flush cut edges
vatican
akkurat
My designs in the book are inspired by the aesthetic of the Drain gang, which is a multi-racial group of Swedish rappers who rap in English with a heavily auto-tuned style. I learned how to make a brand from book design. I used a CMYK color palette because it represents the base of expression and I see it used a lot in their album artwork. I used a storybook like display font called Vatican that reflexed the groups playfulness. The book brings together a lot of content from Drain Gang that gives the audience context into how their aesthetic influences their music and vice versa. It was a challenge in itself to create something that is 160 pages long and cohesive.
Working with a printer and bindery was a new experience where I had to come correct with a vision and because I knew exactly what I wanted the book turned out looking amazing. The cover introduces the book's brand, established by the colors and fonts used inside the book. Back coverTitle pageHalf titleLyric spreads I used lyrics from Drain Gang to create more expressive spreads. Pull quote spreadsThe pull quote spreads were another opportunity to express the complex aesthetic of Drain Gang. I used articles and interviews from contemporary magazines like Fader and 032C. I wanted to create a system that honored the wierdness of Drain Gang while also keeping everything legible. Drain gang imageryThe album covers influenced the brand direction Images belong to Year0001