Fort Romeau - 'SW9' artwork by Michael Cina

Link: Michael Cina
Link: John Klukas
Link: Ghostly

More beautiful Ghostly/Spectral work from Michael Cina that picks up from the painterly figurative style of his previous Matthew Dear sleeve. Only this time (for the 100% Silk-affiliated Fort Romeau) the paint adds a gauzy texture to a photograph of a woman by John Klukas with further veiling of the image via a more rigid graphic overlay. Cina pairs this with some sophisticated and carefully arranged type on the reverse. Out 11th March.

Matthew Dear - Beams by Michael Cina

Link: Michael Cina
Link: Ghostly International
Link: Matthew Dear

Following the dark visual and sonic aesthetic associated with Matthew Dear's Black City long-player, Beams - his upcoming album - has a very different feel. There's a more optimistic approach here that, in terms of both sight and sound, was evident on his 'Headcage EP'. And it has continued through, catchy new single, 'Her Fantasy'.

For the artwork, Michael Cina's use of colour is clearly suggestive of the new direction, but texturally - lacking the smokiness and grittiness of Black City - it also feels more joyful (whether that's applied to his abstract or more figurative imagery). Cina says:

"The Beams project has been the most ambitious music packaging project that I have worked on to date. It started in November of 2011 and ended in May of 2012. The full scope involves almost 100 paintings, two of the paintings being 20 feet long, flying to NYC to be filmed painting a six foot portrait, another portrait that took two months to paint, a custom typeface, and countless designs. There will be four singles to come off this record as well, each requiring new pieces as well."

Shigeto - Lineage by Michael Cina

Link: Michael Cina
Link: Ghostly

More great work from Michael Cina and this time it's for the latest release from Shigeto - a.k.a. Zach Saginaw.

Intensely personal, the front cover for the mini-album features a photo of Saginaw's great-grandfather's house from 1916 in Hiroshima, Japan. The back cover also includes a photo of his great-grandfather, Shigeto Ohmur. This was taken at the Amache Internment Camp in Grenada, Colorado after his family had been transferred from Tule Lake Internment Camp.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent declaration of war against Japan, many Americans believed that Japanese-American citizens were spies or traitors. Thus, why Saginaw's family members ended up in these camps.

A limited edition screenprinted sleeve will be available from the Ghostly Store at a later date. The digital version plus pre-order for the vinyl will be available on 31st January 2012. Image one is the digital version of the artwork. Images two and three are the vinyl versions.