Lealani, Fantastic Planet
Experimental electronic artist Lealani's vibrant debut album cover
Fantastic Planet is the debut album from experimental electronic artist Lealani. It released on January 18th, 2019 and later re-released with a 15th track, "I'm Not Perfect". The album features elements of hip-hop, synth and art pop in one experimental electronic album. Throughout the 53 minute LP, Lealani showcases beautifully distorted vocals and minimal synth patches with classic drum machine beats. I personally love this album, it's one of my personal music production references and the first album I wanted to showcase. My favorite track is I'm Not Perfect.
The album art is credited to Sicaim, who I can't seem to find any information about. On the cover, a feminine human figure with a colorful dress wearing a white mask, shaped somewhat like the head of a bird, stands against a red background. The eyes of the mask are flowers, and the figure also holds a yellow vase of flowers. More flower imagery is showcased by their colorful dress of red, yellow and green, while their legs are covered by white fishnet leggings with beads. A shadow is cast behind the figure onto the red background, and the rest of the cover is empty.
This cover matches well to the experimental music on the album. It's strange and mixes the natural (human vocals — human figure), with the unnatural/inhuman (drum machine & synths — mask). It's almost from another world, something imagined, based on our reality but not exactly, like the bird mask. The red background is harsh and bright, with the figure alone in the center, focusing the viewer on the figure. Red is the perfect color for the background—the synth patches are so red. They're minimal and distorted, but not overpowering. Just fun.
The simple composition of the cover also matches the simple arrangment and musical composition on the album, letting the elements that exist perform maximally, without distraction.
I'm very happy to have discovered this album (thank you to Aesop Rock), it's such an incredible world. If I did take psychedelic drugs, I imagine this would be an incredible experience to listen while taking them (but I don't).
