Our Shame - Modern Problem
Album artwork and design for 'Modern Problems', a debut album by An indie pop, Folktronica duo "our Shame" from Taiwan.
The album's theme is centered on exploring emotions and experiences in the "internet age". Most of the songs deal with social commentary on the impact of modern digital technology on human relationships. For example the featured song "PDF" which tells story about a break-up letter which was written in PDF file and upload to the cloud.
The visual and artistic elements of the album are heavily influenced by 80’s and 90’s lo-fi Pixel Art, which evokes themes of technology, electronics, and nostalgia. The use of UI elements of early operating systems, such as Windows 1.0 and Mac OS 1.0, creates animmersive visual experience. At a closer look, The retro interfaces are filled with modern day elements, easter eggs and references to the songs lyrics.
The cover features a "Sad Mac" , utilizing it as a symbol for the anxieties, hesitations, and confusion of the our Internet Age. The lyrics themselves are presented in the form of an hard-to-navigate computer window, mirroring the constant influx of information in the modern world. The CD envelope takes the form of a 3.5" floppy disk. In fact, A limited edition of the album is also included a actual 3.5" HD floppy disk (1.44 MB) containing audio files of the band's demo recording.
凹與山 Our Shame - Modern Problem
一套撫慰心靈的Error軟體
視覺定調來自樂風電氣民謠 Folktronica 及 Retrowave 的定位，以及兩位創作者從事的科技業背景，音樂結合大量的冷冽數位與溫暖類比，專輯概念述說人們身處「Modern」之下的萬種情感：Corporate Ladder(職涯升遷的生命消磨)、Claire(戀情與事業的抉擇)、Modern Problem(模糊關係的感受)、Nick(與自己的相處)、親愛的(人生中消逝的事物)、葬禮播放清單(交心的兩人了解對方的所有問題)、Ghost Worker(科技巨頭背後大量廉價勞工)、Hotel 22（矽谷高昂的居處成本)、Office Blues(社畜心聲)、PDF(將戀情回憶備份在雲端的當代行為)⋯⋯等，反思數位科技與人際關係的作品。
專輯視覺至整體美術，使用與科技、電子、Retro呼應的像素藝術(Pixel Art)為基底，致敬當今科技巨頭的發明，改變人們生活進而奔向「Modern」的初代 Windows 1.0、Mac OS 1.0 作業系統 UI 視覺，延展連貫的視覺宇宙，可愛的背後裝載滿滿的當代訊息，如同一套重新出售的科技古文物。
封套: 封面致敬舊世代電腦作業系統錯誤的 Sad Mac 警示 Icon，如同通訊世代的Emoji用途，慘綠哭泣流淚的電腦Icon詮釋了專輯主題《Modern Problem》12首歌曲的各種焦慮、徬徨、迷茫、錯誤、遺失、消逝的種種感受，封底呼應封面則是一大幅的電腦Crash螢幕。封套盒採取軟體包裝的純機能盒形式，印刷製作採平版後再網版二工序模擬實際電腦烤漆質感。 歌詞本: 滿滿憂鬱的藍色軟體說明書，封面炸彈同樣致敬了曾經的系統 Error 的錯誤警示，歌詞設計以難以呼吸的滿載作業視窗鋪陳，如同每日身處「Modern」之下無法逃避的海量訊息，填滿經書般的超長尺度說明書，在藍色的憂鬱中湧出源源不絕的訊息焦慮、層層堆疊永無止境。
光碟包裝: 致敬早已退出大主流市場的軟碟設備(Floppy Disk)
光碟圓標: 彷彿燒錄光碟般的文字設計，反應當代的一切皆可快速代替與拋棄。
限量版3.5磁碟片: 儲存凹與山創作碎片的Lo-fi音檔
