3 cover stories in our archive
Behind the Covers' archive includes 3 album covers documented under the "urban" design theme, spanning the 1970s, 2000s. These covers sit within the electronic, alternative, indie, rock, soul, funk, r&b tradition and feature work by Burial, Interpol, Curtis Mayfield. Each entry below includes the cover artwork, the designers and photographers behind it, and a short story about the visual choices that defined the release.
A blurry, ghostly photograph of a hooded figure barely visible in darkness — like surveillance footage or a half-remembered dream. At release, the artist's identity was unknown, making the faceless cover a literal representation of musical anonymity.
The stark black and white photograph of a solitary figure in an empty hallway perfectly captured the alienation and urban loneliness at the heart of Interpol's debut. Shot with deliberate grain and shadow, it became an instant template for indie rock minimalism.
Curtis Mayfield's blaxploitation soundtrack cover became as iconic as the film itself, featuring stark typography and street-level imagery that perfectly captured the gritty urban world of early 1970s cinema.