February 8th, 2010
Ephemera
Australian Seven Inches—

The 7″ single is one of the great casualties of the digital revolution. Despite the fact that vinyl has recently made a comeback in retail markets, the 7″ has become largely forgotten, outside of collector circles and bedroom labels.

Recently I came across a box of assorted singles, and pulled out these Australian made releases. Noteworthy entries are Mushroom stickers from both the 70′s and 80′s, Glenn Wheatley‘s evolving Kookaburras and some remnants from Midnight Oil’s own Powderworks label. It’s interesting to see the highly detailed, illustrated designs of the 70′s give way to the more stylized and geometric designs of the 80′s.

There are also a few items from the ever changing face of Australia’s oldest independent record label, Festival (1952 – 2005). Festival found early success after embracing unwholesome rock n’ roll artists like Johnny O’Keefe and Col Joye, and then saw continued success through shrewd business alliances and the continued adoption of new musical styles. To learn more about the label, check out the great archive of information on Festival over at the Powerhouse Museum site.

I find it interesting that there’s such a strong emphasis on the record labels themselves. Label logos and corporate graphics dominate the sleeves and stickers, with the bands and their music taking a back seat, often only making an appearance in micro-point form. “Australian made” icons and info-graphics are also proudly on display, and a primary feature of almost all the designs.

I have as yet been unable to discover the names of any of the designers behind these, so if anyone is able to illuminate me please do so in the comments.

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