Italian Psychedelic/Stoner Rock quartet, Desert Collider, is releasing its debut album "Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity" on March 6 through Small Stone Records. The cover illustration (which portraits an alien world reminiscent of Dune's Arrakis) was created by Francesca Santini. In the following interviews, the band's guitarist/vocalist, Federico Costanzo, shares important details about this vision.
Please, tell us about the origins and development of the cover concept.
Federico Costanzo: The artwork of the album went through several iterations, as we wanted it to truly represent the band and the themes developed throughout the record and its cosmic narrative. The first inspiration came from the band name itself. We envisioned a particle accelerator as a living, active entity, which led to the idea of the mechanical worm collider, a picture both liminal and transformative. Building on this, the artwork idea revolved around a lone voyager stranded on a deserted planet, facing the unknown and confronting the very core of his existence. Francesca (Santini) brought this concept to life. In the artwork, the stranded voyager faces a mountain from which the giant mechanical worm-collider arises, pointing toward the sky and embodying the unknown and inner struggle of the voyager, while its connection to the collider reflects transformation and self-discovery. Together, the voyager and the collider capture the album themes of isolation, exploration, and the inner journey.
How did Francesca Santini become involved in the project?
Federico Costanzo: Francesca is an old-time friend. She is a professional illustrator and an avid listener of heavy music. Moreover, we have a great cultural connection so from the very beginning we knew she was the right person to pursue this kind of goal and the right person to put fruitful discussions on the table when it comes to finding the best fitting solution for the artwork. Having similar foundations, it was easy and pleasant to collaborate.
What techniques/mediums Santini used to create this artwork?
Federico Costanzo: She develops her visual work through both analog and digital workflows. She usually performs her sketches either on paper (e.g. pigment inks) or directly on Procreate using digital interfaces. For the album artwork, we had a long conversation in front of a beer and a table full of sketches. From this foundation she developed the final visuals (characters, landscapes, color palettes, elements) using Adobe Photoshop. Her process spans the full visual pipeline, from ideation and illustration to composition and final production She is a 360-degree artist.
The album is available for pre-order at https://smallstone.bandcamp.com/album/generation-ship-endless-drift-through-infinity
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