Julian House Interview

 1. What first got you interested in graphic design?

I think what probably triggered my interest in graphic design was being surrounded by records and comics which I loved the look of. I wouldn't have seen it as graphic design but from there comes my interest in what I'd say was applied or commercial art. I think its the 'pulp' end of things which still informs me today, as much as classic design.. Strange old vinyl LPs, paperback books, found ephemera..

 2. Did you have any formal training?

I studied graphic design at first Newport (Gwent) collage of art and thenCentral St Martins in London.

 3. Who do you think has had an influence on your work?

I could list particular designers, from Vaughn Oliver and Peter Saville whose work I grew up with, to Paul Rand, Saul Bass, Bruno Munari. Also there are the polish film poster designers like Jan Molodozenic, Jan Lenica Waldemar Swierzy.. Then I'd say a lot of designers of obscure record and book covers whose names I don't know.. And then there are Max Ernst, Jan Svankmejer, William Burroughs, Bryon Gysin, Archigram, IT magazine, Tadanoori Yokoo, Bernard Lodge, Hannah Hoch, Neo Rausch, HP Lovecraft, GuidoCrepax, Lewis Carroll, Eduardo Paolozzi.................

 4. How did you become involved in designing record covers?

It seemed like the natural place for me to be.. I started doing covers for Broadcast, who are friends with whom I went to college, and then Stereolab and from there I began work at Intro..

 5. Have you ever been in a band?

Briefly, I dropped out because they were atrocious

 6. Can you tell us about your Ghost Box Project?

I was making music together with my friend from Wales, Jim Jupp. We realised that the best way to put our stuff out was to start a label.. There was such a richness to the references we both shared, not just musical.. It made sense that we could put releases out which had this complete world attached to them.. A set of things united by a design identity, fragments of real or imagined books, collections of images, films, links... Something people can become lost in and want to be a part of..

 7. Can you tell us about the Department of Pscyhological Navigation?

An Intro project for the V&A, which had some Ghost Box connections. It was for an interactive evening about creativity.. We liked the idea of giving people a surreal and spurious test of their creative powers.. In the style of a Government body from a lost parallel England.. Half paternalistic, benign socialism, half occult theory. We made a booklet that people had to fill in after watching a public information film, which had Ghost Box music..

 8. How would you describe your style?

I don't like the idea of style.. There are mark making processes which I return to because I like the world they put you in, eg collage. But overall I think its about a way of seeing things.. And a flexible approach to both image making and typography combined, rather than just making pictures and plonking type on top

 9. How did you get involved with Primal Scream?

They were fans of the blood and fire sleeves that Intro had done

 10. Did the band have much input into the covers?

Yes, the bands always have an input. The process begins with talking to the band about what they like visually, where the records is coming from.. Quite free discussions that will involve film, politics, pop culture.. Not just design.. Then I make some things and we talk about whats working and it progresses from there.

 11. Have you got any rock 'n' roll tales for us to print?

Not really, I'm not very rock and roll.. After doing record covers I go home to my pipe and slippers

 12. How did it come about to lose the vowels?

It was a reference to military stenciling but it worked well with Prml Scrm. Also got us round the contentious use of the word Swastka in the first single. It got a lot of coverage in the press though, a rare example of sleeve deign informing headlines in the NME.

 13. What projects are you currently working on?

New album for Martina Topley-Bird, which is great. Just made some short public information films for Live Earth.... Ongoing Ghost Box work, hopefully some short film.. And due to be collaborating musically with Broadcast on their new album

 14. Whose work excites you most at the present time?

Always like Kim Hiorthys stuff, Yokoland, Bibliotheque.. I tend to be looking at old stuff most of the time...

For more information on Julian House - www.intro-uk.com