Chopin Residue Príomhfheidhm: Clúdach Albaim Cheoil by Mariusz Szypura

Chopin Residue Príomhfheidhm: Clúdach Albaim Cheoil by Mariusz Szypura is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Duais Umha A' Design Award in Dealbhadh Pacaidh Competition Category.

UmhaPacadh· 2026

Chopin Residue Príomhfheidhm: Clúdach Albaim Cheoil

by Mariusz Szypura

Client: Black Element Label

Duais Umha A' Design Award Winner in Pacadh Category

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Colors

The Design

About Chopin Residue Príomhfheidhm: Clúdach Albaim Cheoil

Téacs an Leabhair: Doiciméadaíonn an saothar ealaíne atá le feiceáil sna hinsí albaim sraith de phíosaí mórfhormáide a cruthaíodh ó dhramhaíl shnáithe a tháirgtear le linn an phróisis ghearrtha vinile deileadóireachta, an diúltach fisiceach den eitre. Caitheann an dearadh leis an bpacáistíocht mar shíneadh den cheol, ag aontú fuaime, ábhair, agus próisis in aon réad fisiceach amháin. Athléirmhíníonn an t-albam saothair Fryderyk Chopin le healaíontóirí a bhfuil baint acu le Portishead, Sonic Youth, Battles, Beck, David Bowie, agus Tortoise.

The Recognition

About the Duais Umha A' Design Award

Tha Chopin Residue Príomhfheidhm: Clúdach Albaim Cheoil air Duais Umha A' Design Award a bhuannachadh, aithneachadh gu math urramach a bheirear do dhealbhaidhean sònraichte a tha air an comharrachadh le cruthachalachd, innleachd agus geurchuis. Tha buannaichean Umha nan obraichean gu math sgileil agus gu sònraichte cruthachail a dhearbhas eòlas farsaing, mac-meanmna agus tapachd an luchd-dealbhaidh. Thathar an dùil gum bi Chopin Residue Príomhfheidhm: Clúdach Albaim Cheoil na nì air a bheil mòran meas, ion-mholta agus gràdhach, a tha gu sònraichte proifeiseanta agus ùr-ghnàthach. Tha an dealbhadh seo a bhuannaich Duais Umha A' Design Award a' cur nan cleachdaidhean as fheàrr ann an ealain, saidheans, dealbhadh agus teicneolas an gnìomh, agus tha e sàr-mhath airson an aire do mhion-fhiosrachadh. Bidh Chopin Residue Príomhfheidhm: Clúdach Albaim Cheoil a' sàsachadh fheumalachdan gu h-iongantach, a' suathadh ri miannan, a' tàladh faireachdainnean agus a' togail fiosrachd.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The cover of Chopin Residue is generated from the album’s core idea: residue as what remains after deconstruction. Created through the same lathe-cut process that produces the sound, the artwork uses vinyl waste as its visual material. Reinterpreting the music of Fryderyk Chopin with artists linked to projects such as Portishead, Sonic Youth, Battles, Beck, David Bowie, and Tortoise, the package becomes a physical extension of the composition, uniting sound, material, and process.
Dimensions & Packaging: Physical formats include: Vinyl LP sleeve approx. 315 x 315 x 5 mm; CD digipack approx. 142 x 125 x 10 mm; cassette case approx. 110 x 70 x 17 mm. All formats were designed as tactile objects, with dimensions following industry standards to emphasize material presence and consistency across editions.
Tags: residue concept, album packaging design, lathe-cut vinyl, material-driven design, experimental music artwork, process-based design, sound as material, physical music object
Production Technology: The design was developed through a process-based methodology, treating sound recording as a material practice. Vinyl shavings produced during the lathe-cut process were collected, preserved, and used to create physical artworks. These works were then photographed and translated into the album packaging. The production emphasized minimal intervention, tactile materials, and small-batch manufacturing, allowing process and material to define the visual language.
Design Challenge: The main challenge was translating an abstract musical concept into a physical object without illustration or decoration. Internally, this required rethinking historical album design and treating sound production as material practice. Externally, limitations included small-scale manufacturing, legal constraints of physical formats, and the unpredictability of lathe-cut processes. Balancing conceptual clarity with technical constraints required continuous testing and adaptation.
Research: Type of Research: practice-based artistic research.
Research Objectives: to translate musical deconstruction into physical form.
Methodology: sound recording treated as a material process.
Data & Tools: lathe-cut vinyl recording, material observation, photography.
Participants: the artist and collaborating musicians.
Results: vinyl residue became visual material.
Insights & Impact: the research links sound, object, and design, showing how production traces can shape meaning in music packaging and contemporary design.
Inspiration: The project was inspired by the idea of residue as a creative outcome - what remains after a process of reduction and transformation. The design emerged from research into lathe-cut vinyl as a physical recording method, treating sound production as material practice. The motivation was to translate an abstract musical concept into a tangible object, where recording, waste, and form become a unified design language.
Project Duration: The project was developed between 2023 and 2025. Music recording and vinyl cutting were carried out during this period, followed by the creation of the visual artworks and packaging design. The album and its physical editions were completed and released in November 2025, accompanied by exhibitions in NY and Osaka and presentations of the related artworks.
Operation Flow: The object is experienced by opening, holding, and listening. The package reveals the music while visually showing traces of how it was made. Images and materials guide the user from sound to its physical remains. Interaction is slow and tactile, encouraging attention and reflection. By connecting listening with touch and sight, the object creates a deeper, more memorable experience than a standard album cover.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Mariusz Szypura, 2025
Image Credits: Image #1: Photo by TAKT, Chopin Residue, 2025.
Image #2: Photo by TAKT, Chopin Residue, 2025.
Image #3: Photo by TAKT, Chopin Residue, 2025.
Image #4: Photo by TAKT, Chopin Residue, 2025.
Image #5: Photo by TAKT, Chopin Residue, 2025.

Video Credits: Concept, Direction, Music, and Visuals by Mariusz Szypura, 2025.