Sum Over Histories – Visualising music

30 Apr

In 2019, I began collaborating with Sum Over Histories, a record label based in Berlin. Together, we produced more than 20 data-driven album covers.

I started with a list of songs produced by the artist, and each cover was based on one of those songs. I listened to the songs at different times throughout the day to get a sense of which resonated most with me. Once we selected the most fitting track, we moved on to the visualization process. For each album, we used a circular shape as the central motif. This was inspired by two things: the elements found in architecture (such as stained glass windows, domes, and arches) and a tribute to Vassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky was not only a great painter but also a talented musician. In his work, he used shapes, colours, and lines to show the connection between music and painting.