Fuji Speedway, a nu-jazz act from Sheffield performing nationwide since 2021, approached me after encountering my illustrative work. They invited me to become their de facto visual member, tasked with translating their sound and personality across all aesthetic touchpoints.
Our collaboration began with extensive discussions about improvisation and flow - concepts which manifest in music, art, and human connection.
These conversations shaped my creative process, immersing myself in their compositions, allowing their rhythms to guide my hand, translating sonic elements into visual movements. Each piece emerges through a direct response to their music, with brushstrokes echoing synth lines and pen strokes following beat patterns.
The cornerstone of their visual identity is a logo that plays with dual meanings. The highly stylised text suggests both a racetrack and musical notation, while the conventional typography of 'Fuji' grounds the composition. Like their music, the design rewards careful observation - the word 'Speedway' reveals itself within the surrounding lines only to the attentive viewer.
Their album cover directly translates our discussions of improvisation and flow state. It depicts a human figure both distinct from and merged with its environment. The composition balances opposing forces - yin and yang, ascent and descent, interior and exterior - in a single, continuous piece created during one focused session in December 2023.
This project exemplifies my approach to design translation: transforming conceptual discussions and musical elements into cohesive visual language, while preserving the spontaneity and energy of the original medium.