Julian House
Encyclopedia
Julian House is a graphic designer
, a musician, and the co-owner of the Ghost Box Music
record label.
design; most notably for Stereolab
, Oasis
, The Prodigy
, and Broadcast
, but also for Razorlight
amongst others.
His work is largely collage
-based, and draws heavily on record sleeve design and comic book art, with an acknowledged pulp
influence - in House's own words, "the 'pulp' end of things which still informs me today, as much as classic design… Strange old vinyl LPs, paperback books, found ephemera…" In the same interview, House named many artists across many disciplines as influences, ranging from Peter Saville, Saul Bass
and Max Ernst
to William S. Burroughs
, Bryon Gysin, H. P. Lovecraft
, and Lewis Carroll
.
The Focus Group
on the label Ghost Box Music
, which he is co-founder of with Jim Jupp. The releases on the label tend to share a common aesthetic, both in design and sound, which draws heavily on the sound of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
, musique concrète
, the soundtrack
s to documentaries
from the 1970s, and library music
.
He lists his most recent work as collaborating with Martina Topley-Bird
, some public information film
s for Live Earth
, ongoing Ghost Box work and a musical collaboration with Broadcast
.
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
, a musician, and the co-owner of the Ghost Box Music
Ghost Box Music
Ghost Box Music is an English independent record label, established in 2004 by Julian House and Jim Jupp.-Concept:The concept for the label was hatched by House and Jupp Ghost Box Music is an English independent record label, established in 2004 by Julian House and Jim Jupp.-Concept:The concept for...
record label.
Graphic design
House is associated with Intro, a London-based design/production direction company who work in many media. House is perhaps most known for his album coverAlbum cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
design; most notably for Stereolab
Stereolab
Stereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier , both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes...
, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
, and Broadcast
Broadcast
Broadcast or Broadcasting may refer to:* Broadcasting, the transmission of audio and video signals* Broadcast, an individual television program or radio program* Broadcast , an English electronic music band...
, but also for Razorlight
Razorlight
Razorlight are a UK based indie rock band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in the UK, having topped the charts with the 2006 single "America" and its parent self-titled album, their second...
amongst others.
His work is largely collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
-based, and draws heavily on record sleeve design and comic book art, with an acknowledged pulp
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
influence - in House's own words, "the 'pulp' end of things which still informs me today, as much as classic design… Strange old vinyl LPs, paperback books, found ephemera…" In the same interview, House named many artists across many disciplines as influences, ranging from Peter Saville, Saul Bass
Saul Bass
Saul Bass was a Jewish-American graphic designer and filmmaker, best known for his design of motion picture title sequences....
and Max Ernst
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.-Early life:...
to William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
, Bryon Gysin, H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, and Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
.
Music
House releases music under the aliasPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
The Focus Group
The Focus Group
The Focus Group is a project of experimental electronic musician and graphic designer Julian House. His releases are on his own label, Ghost Box Music...
on the label Ghost Box Music
Ghost Box Music
Ghost Box Music is an English independent record label, established in 2004 by Julian House and Jim Jupp.-Concept:The concept for the label was hatched by House and Jupp Ghost Box Music is an English independent record label, established in 2004 by Julian House and Jim Jupp.-Concept:The concept for...
, which he is co-founder of with Jim Jupp. The releases on the label tend to share a common aesthetic, both in design and sound, which draws heavily on the sound of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
BBC Radiophonic Workshop
The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of the sound effects units of the BBC, was created in 1958 to produce effects and new music for radio, and was closed in March 1998, although much of its traditional work had already been outsourced by 1995. It was based in the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in Delaware...
, musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
, the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s to documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
from the 1970s, and library music
Production music
Production music is the name given to recorded music produced and owned by production music libraries and licensed to customers for use in film, television, radio and other media.-Introduction:...
.
He lists his most recent work as collaborating with Martina Topley-Bird
Martina Topley-Bird
Martina Topley-Bird is a British vocalist and songwriter who first gained fame as the featured female vocalist on trip hop pioneer Tricky's debut album, Maxinquaye...
, some public information film
Public information film
Public Information Films are a series of government commissioned short films, shown during television advertising breaks in the UK. The US equivalent is the Public Service Announcement .-Subjects:...
s for Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
, ongoing Ghost Box work and a musical collaboration with Broadcast
Broadcast (band)
Broadcast are an electronic music band, founded in Birmingham, England. Original members were Trish Keenan , Roj Stevens , Tim Felton and James Cargill . Various drummers played with the band, including Keith York, Phil Jenkins, Jeremy Barnes, Steve Perkins, and Neil Bullock...
.