An archival portrait of Steve Rachmad
Built from fragments of his own history. Old gear manuals, photographs, gig memories and analogue textures collected over decades. Instead of polished animation, we used stop motion and scanned materials to keep everything tactile and real. VHS artefacts and analogue-inspired sound design bring the machines back to life.
Services
Creative Direction
Film & editing
Identity
Artwork
Credits
Steve Rachmad (Music)
Frank Jansen (Creative Direction)
Edward Brandhorst (Art Direction)
Rick Böing (Animation)
The starting point of the project was to create the artwork celebrating 45 years of music. Rather than designing a logo in the conventional way, we looked at the tools behind Steve Rachmad’s sound. The mark is based on the grid of a MIDI tracker, translating the structure of his machines and compositions into a graphic form. A nice reference that connects the visual identity directly to the music.
Looking into the machines behind Steve’s sound, we referenced the original gear manuals that came with them. Their technical layouts, diagrams and typography informed a large part of the visual language of the reel. By layering these elements into the film, the design takes on a more technical and tactile character, echoing the machines and tools that shaped Steve Rachmad’s music over the decades.
The result is an archival portrait that brings together past and present. Combining historic material with powerful footage from Steve Rachmad’s performances today, the film gives space to the many facets of his career, including the different aliases under which he has shaped electronic music over the decades. Presented in a classic 4:3 format, the reel echoes the visual language of earlier eras while framing a career that continues to evolve.