D&AD editor X & XL recordings:

fat of the land OSsystem (2022)

This project was in response to a D&AD brief set by Editor X + XL Recordings, in which the aim of the project is to create a website that celebrates and promotes an older album in a renewed context, to help it become relevant to a new audience. I chose The Fat of the Land by The Prodigy, released in 1997. The Prodigy’s live presence enhanced their music, which is vital when comparing the social and historical context between then and now. A concert in 1997 would be drastically different to one in 2022. So, how do you connect this album with a new audience in an exciting way? 90s trends in all aspects have been cycling back around for the past few years. 90s nostalgia seems to be universal in TV, fashion, music, and design.

This project uses the aesthetics of 90s design to connect this album with the target audience of young adults between 16-21 who weren’t around when the album first came out. They’re into music and visual culture, as well as keeping up with trends on social media. The website is based loosely on the 1997 Mac OS 8 System in terms of graphics and type. The ‘start up’ screen features a pixelated crab

that pinches its claws while it loads, accompanied by Prodigy lyrics. The website loads up to a simple desktop-style homescreen. You can change the background and ‘clean up’ your desktop. The ‘apps’ on the website are the Walkman – a music player for the album, FatTV – a media player for reimagined music videos, and a Poster Maker – to make your own Prodigy poster. The Walkman can be played/paused and skipped through as the CD spins. The media player proposes the idea of reimagined music videos, using archival footage of the band and England in 1997. This is intended to bring the target audience into the historical context, to comprehend in a way that’s visually exciting. The Poster Maker is aimed at the target audience’s love for visual culture, the opportunity to interact and be creative without spending any money/time on software. The user has the option to choose a background and mix and match graphics. Without limit to how many the user can make, the option to save their poster to the website’s desktop while listening to the album while they create, it gives the user a reason to stick around.

NOTE: this video contains flashing images.

Snippet example of FatTV - video player for Fat of the Land album, including a window with all the tracks, ability to pick and choose what video to watch, reimagined music videos for album using archival footage and some animation.

Opens to home screen, desktop style with graphic background and apps to click on. User has the ability to customise their homescreen by changing wallpaper and can also drag files to the trash to delete them.

Walkman music player with functional buttons, spinning CD disc, the user can listen to the album freely while browsing the rest of the website and skip tracks.

The Poster Maker is a free creative tool, with a variety of Prodigy graphics for user to make their own poster and share/print. The user has the a bility to choose different colour backgrounds for A4 canvas and add in different graphics by drag and drop. Pressing bottom left save buttons gives the user the option to save or print their original poster.