

But Flume isn’t scared of a little tight roping. Many are cautious when covering songs, constantly dancing the line between theft and inspiration. During songs such as “Hyperreal” and “Escape,” Flume dutifully played background instrumentals, demonstrating something many artists haven’t: comfortability with insignificance.Īrtists also often struggle with originality, but Flume embraces - one could even say remixes - this discomfort. Though he’s featured many in the industry, Vera Blue and Kučka shared the stage with him on Sept. Being mute on stage for an entire set can be disengaging and repetitive, but Flume keeps things fresh with collaboration.

Though Flume perfects a calibrated formula, he also recognizes his shortcomings. High energy crowd pleasers such as “The Difference,” “Never Be Like You,” and “Say Nothing” were interspersed in between those that begged only a mellow head bob like “Holdin On/ Drop the Game,” “Daze 22.0,” and “Sleepless.” This meticulous balance between expression and restraint proved adept at conserving energy throughout the night. Modeled after the middle school English class’s curriculum - rising action, climax and falling action - he created a seamless show that ebbed and flowed in accordance with gauged audience reaction. With little to no lyrics, Flume let the music speak for him to create a Genesis from primary EDM elements.įlume evinced continuity in his fine-tuned performance equation. Using separate tracks as building blocks in the opening song “Helix,” he embedded a story in the layered synth, heavy bass and hi-hats. A lot can happen during a decade of DJing, but Flume took it back to chapter one with his set’s opening numbers. Ten years, to be exact - his performance at the Greek being a celebration of such a milestone. Every conversation between Cal students seemed to start with “Are you going to Flume?” and end with “See you there!”īut Flume’s been part of conversations for a while. Throngs of college students desperate for a break from frat row were buzzing for the entire preceding week. Or stay with the theme and show some love with a Cactus Tee.Flume opened his Greek Theatre set with the phrase “Hi, this is Flume,” a greeting that might have seemed ironic. So beware.įeelin’ it? Check out more of Zawada’s work, or listen here.
Flume album art skin#
PSA: The plant on Skin Companion EP 2 is called a Crown of Thorns and it’s found under a gigantic Aloe Vera in Zawada’s garden. “I recognised how much album art influenced my reading of an album”Īlas, we’re calling it: our favourite producer X artist collab yet. If anyone leverages off fear, its Zawada. He used to find dictating that aesthetic, of what music ‘looks’ quite terrifying. Vicariously, Zawada and Future Classic both share victory for Flume’s ‘Best Dance/Electronic Album’ (art) Grammy. The end result is a testament to Future Classic relinquishing control, allowing Zawada & Flume’s imagination to flourish. It was an entirely intuitive process, in which a visual narrative flows from the physical records to Zawada’s creative direction of visuals and set design for Flume’s legendary live performances. The true-to-life botanicals we see on record covers for the Skin LP, Skin Companion EP 1 & 2 are elaborations of this, possibly explained by horticultural influences from Flume’s mum. From audio prototype to visuals visuals to music.Īfter some mood boarding AKA brainstorming in the creative world, Harley was captured by a miniseries of botanic renderings Zawada privately produced. Skin’s aesthetic was developed at the same pace as the tunes, with Harley and Zawada going back and forth. Instead of being engaged by a label upon the completion of an album and concrete campaign schedule with a tightly controlled concrete vision, the creative relationship began as a mere seed. It almost goes without saying, that Flume himself, is anything BUT conventional. Working with Flume & FC defied most previous music-based jobs Zawada had. These guys, at the helm of the Australian independent record label that Flume is signed to, were laid back enough to relinquish control and let the creatives do their thing. Some might say Zawada was destined to be rescued from his four-year hiatus.Įnter Future Classic.

After almost 10 years in the biz of album art, producing for Bauuer, Rustie and Mark Pritchard, music labels collectively left a bad taste in his mouth. So how did these creative Aussies marry their craft so beautifully? This shit was not a chance occurrence.įor Zawada, it started with a little convincing. The equally talented Perth born graphic designer / visual artist works across all things music, art, publishing and fashion. Jonathan Zawada is the man behind the art for Flume’s Grammy winning Skin oeuvre.
