Chopin Residue 音樂專輯封面 by Mariusz Szypura

Chopin Residue 音樂專輯封面 by Mariusz Szypura is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award 銅獎 in 包裝設計 Competition Category.

銅包裝· 2026

Chopin Residue 音樂專輯封面

by Mariusz Szypura

Client: Black Element Label

A' Design Award 銅獎 Winner in 包裝 Category

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Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #179587

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Chopin Residue 音樂專輯封面

專輯內頁所收錄嘅藝術作品，記錄咗一系列大尺幅創作，呢啲作品係用車床切割黑膠唱片過程中所產生嘅線狀廢料製成，即係坑紋嘅實體負形。呢個設計將包裝視為音樂嘅延伸，將聲音、物料同工序融合喺單一件實體之中。呢張專輯重新詮釋咗弗里德里克·蕭邦嘅作品，並由與Portishead、Sonic Youth、Battles、Beck、David Bowie同Tortoise相關嘅藝術家共同演繹。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 銅獎

Chopin Residue 音樂專輯封面是 A' Design Award 銅獎得主，這是授予以創造力、獨創性和敏銳見長的傑出設計的極具聲望的認可。銅獎得主是技藝嫻熟、創意驚人的作品，印證了其設計師豐富的經驗、想像力與機智。預計Chopin Residue 音樂專輯封面將成為一件備受推崇、令人欽佩且被珍愛的物品，兼具顯著的專業性與創新性。這件贏得 A' Design Award 銅獎的設計融入藝術、科學、設計和技術領域的最佳實踐，並因注重細節而出類拔萃。Chopin Residue 音樂專輯封面出色地滿足需求，觸動渴望，迷住情感，並吸引好奇心。

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.