Superfunk

Granite started life as custom lettering for volumes 1 and 2 of Superfunk, part of the series of the … album in the world, ever! compilations. Being a funk album, it had an (Black) American focus, which we wanted to show in its packaging. To reflect funk music’s sense of edgy cool the cover photography implied 70s Black Power protest imagery. The custom drawn lettering similarly implied the Lou Dorfsman and Herb Lubalin-derived advertising typography of the era — bold, impactful, headline-graphic and tightly set. Chunky slab serifs felt appropriately newsy-retro, the thin hairlines gave the type a use-big headline emphasis, the geometry and grid structure of its drawing gave it a 90s zeitgeisty modular modernity.

Between the first and second albums the typeface was redrawn and its shape rounded for the version to be released. Note differences in particular in the ‘a’ and ‘g’ characters.