Okay, so Thom Yorke's chubby really has nothing to do with this story, unless of course you want to picture it while reading this story. Actually, I encourage you to do just that. I DEMAND IT.
I'll give you a second...
Picturing it? Good. VERY good.
Alright, now for the other "meat" of the story: Stanley Donwood, frequent artist for Radiohead (and whose real name is Dan Rickwood), has started his own label, Six Inch Records. The idea is to release only three albums on CDs housed in a unique handmade package. Only 333 copies of each release will be made, and then the label is, as they say in America and other English-speaking countries, DONE. (FYI: Donwood was drunk when he decided to start it.)
Here's Donwood's explanation of the packaging:
Six Inch Records are released in compact disc format. However, as we believe that compact discs are too small, we package our releases by hand into sleeves that are six inches square. This is done using a design process that we believe to be unique, a process that we made up as we went along. First, we cut beermat board into 6" x 6" squares. Then we cut a hole into the beermat board the size of a compact disc. The CD is then pressed into the hole. We then letterpress the details of the release onto 'printaboard', the stuff used by cereal-box manufacturers, using moveable lead type and woodblock type. The printaboard is then scored and cut into shape. We then fold, glue and stick the sleeves together. Following this, the CD/beermat board square is carefully inserted into the completed sleeve. The entire caboodle is then placed within a letterpress printed envelope, just in case.All mechanised operations - printing, cutting and scoring are carried out using a 1965 Heidelberg platen press. Everything else is done by hand.
Obviously, Six Inch Records is an "art project" and not a label proper. It's also not-for-profit. Which means, you should help support it.
