Catalyst
Branding | Graphic | Concept
Catalyst is a new music production agency specializing in dubstep. Having built a fan base for the last four years while making music in his free time, the owner, David, is now moving forward and expanding the brand. The guidelines detail the new identity based on David’s unique sound and his need to push the boundaries of this music genre. Catalyst is a combination of music production, management and business.
Brief
The new branding needs to highlight the style of Catalyst’s music. Sound which is created to be energizing with abstract twists. David wanted to extend his love of nature into the brand itself. The focus of the new identity is to convey the abstract nature of the music whilst having opportunities for merchandising, a major part of creating a profitable company in the modern music industry. The brand is image led, focusing on natural scenes with obscure technological references in the background. Visuals and music go hand in hand with the dubstep and electric genre’s so they need to reflect the abstract nature of David’s sound.
Delivery
The logo design incorporates the “line”, a major focus of the brand identity. This icon will be used as a stand alone image as a reference on small print, posters and animation. It is used as a divider of information and is present in all materials. The full logotype is used in larger formats where titles are needed and on composition posters for clubs, festivals and other touchpoints that contain information about multiple music acts. The logo is unapologetically bold but unlike it’s peers and competitors doesn’t employ the same graffiti style to draw the eye. It is methodical and clean with abstract elements, just like the music produced by this brand.
Imagery is a large part of the identity David wanted for Catalyst. There was a focus on building the perfect set of primary imagery for distribution and use on touchpoints. There are two approaches for the brand imagery. The first uses full, natural images with an element of music technology as a secondary focus in the image. The second is abstract sculptures composed of nature and technology intertwined, taking inspiration from old “Fabric” (a London based electronic club) posters which had a similar aesthetic style. The two approaches cover the full range of print and digital use with a unique style that demonstrates David’s vision.
This is still an ongoing project and therefore only the image to the right can be shown until the full brand has been revealed to the public.