Insound 10 for 10 Portfolio

Back in 2010, we were commissioned by Insound (RIP), a popular online indie music retailer, to create posters for a series called 10 for 10. The concept was simple enough, Insound curated a list of 10 contemporary bands they felt captured the spirit of that round-numbered year. Our job was to design and screen print a limited edition poster for each artist. 
 
It was a stacked line up. Big indie acts like Beach House, Mountain Goats, and Broken Social Scene were rubbing elbows with up-and-comers like Owen Pallett, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. We were excited about about the possibilities (our fuzzy graphic practice was just starting to take shape), but the idea of designing 10 different posters for 10 artists felt daunting, maybe even too much to pull off.

After a day frozen in our tracks, we came to a realization. What happens if we focus on what connects these artists, not what set them apart?  These bands were creating a sonic landscape of early 2000’s independent culture. How could we illustrate this idea?

Our answer to these questions is one of our most technically and artistically challenging concepts to date. Each of the Insound 10 for 10 band posters works as a standalone design, but when pieced together, the group creates a giant abstract landscape, a tactile metaphor for the sonic landscape these artists built together. The series became a bellwether moment for our burgeoning studio practice. 

Long out-of-print, we’re offering a very limited set of Insound 10 for 10 portfolios for sale. These Artist Proofs are signed, original stock.