The clever duo of Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen are known for crafting a beautiful electronic pop number that will surely bring a smile to your face and a spark to your dancing shoes. But the multi-talented musicians have also made a name by constructing gorgeous album packaging, complete with eye-pleasing psychedelic graphics ranging from die-cut puzzles to faux leather finishing. The monetary factor and elbow grease involved in presenting their music with a stunning visual additive is quite the challenge for Lemon Jelly, but they wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's crippingly expensive," says Franglen. "It's madness, but we can't stop ourselves." The desire for complicated packaging started with their first release, the Bath EP, where they decided to silk-screen and hand glue each sleeve themselves. "It took us an hour to assemble three, and they looked rubbish, but when we saw the first one in the shop, it was such a buzz. Every aspect of that release was my work and Fred's work, from the very starting concept to the final bit where we handed it over to a guy who takes it to the shop. And we've retained that degree of fanatical control all the way through our career."
The London, England pair have raised the artistic bar once again with their new album 64-'95, which also has a DVD counterpart that presents the entire record as a collage of gorgeous animation. The budget for their gift-wrapping is enough to put most indie bands into bankruptcy, but Lemon Jelly aren't in it for the cash. "We're still trying to keep that buzz going," Franglen says. "I even remember that first EP smelling fantastic. If you can create a beautiful smell as well? My god, that's fantastic! If we could do scratch and sniff covers, we would."
"It's crippingly expensive," says Franglen. "It's madness, but we can't stop ourselves." The desire for complicated packaging started with their first release, the Bath EP, where they decided to silk-screen and hand glue each sleeve themselves. "It took us an hour to assemble three, and they looked rubbish, but when we saw the first one in the shop, it was such a buzz. Every aspect of that release was my work and Fred's work, from the very starting concept to the final bit where we handed it over to a guy who takes it to the shop. And we've retained that degree of fanatical control all the way through our career."
The London, England pair have raised the artistic bar once again with their new album 64-'95, which also has a DVD counterpart that presents the entire record as a collage of gorgeous animation. The budget for their gift-wrapping is enough to put most indie bands into bankruptcy, but Lemon Jelly aren't in it for the cash. "We're still trying to keep that buzz going," Franglen says. "I even remember that first EP smelling fantastic. If you can create a beautiful smell as well? My god, that's fantastic! If we could do scratch and sniff covers, we would."
