Cerysmatic.Factory

Praxis XL - Factory and Haçienda Postcards

2019-12-09T07:00:00.000+00:00

Stuck for ideas for Christmas presents for the Factory obsessive in your family? Why not treat them to a pack of ten postcards featuring reproductions of flyers and posters designed by Trevor Johnson for Factory and the Haçienda. The set is available for the princely sum of five pounds direct from the-modernist.org on the occasion of the Praxis XL exhibition which runs in Manchester until 23 December 2019.

And then there's the Praxis XL badge set.

See also: The Praxis XL Exhibition Review

Matthew Robertson in conversation at The Modernist Society

2019-12-06T18:24:00.002+00:00

Matthew Robertson, the author of the Fac 461 Factory Records - The Complete Graphic Album will be in conversation with Pete Mitchell at The Modernist Society in Manchester on Wednesday 18 December 2019 from 18:30 to 20:00. This event follows on from the sell-out Trevor and Craig Johnson event set up to coincide with the Praxis XL exhibition which runs until 23 December 2019.

Factory fans will know that Matthew’s book painstakingly researched and beautifully illustrated book covers much of Factory's design output and serves as an essential guide. Many of the images in the Praxis exhibition were courtesy of Matthew and he is sure to have many insights into Factory's catalogue. Copies of the book will available in the shop and Matthew will be available to sign them for you.

Book now via the-modernist.org [-->]

The Modernist Society
58 Port Street
Manchester

See also: The Praxis XL Exhibition Review

Scream City 5 - additional material

2019-11-21T07:00:00.000+00:00

Scream City 5 was published in 2010 about 2 years after issue 4 and after just shorter than that in preparation time. The graphic design of the cover spanned just about the entire development period. It was pretty clear from the outset that this would be "The International Edition" and that some form of map would feature.

In the end it featured Buckminter Fuller's Dymaxion projection in a wraparound full-bleed design but not before a brief dalliance with vintage Ordnance Survey.

Let the full, epic story commence!

Scream City 5 - additional material

Factory 40th Anniversary T-Shirt out now via Vinyl Revival

2019-11-18T21:20:00.001+00:00

The Factory Records 40th Anniversary t-shirt by original Factory Records designers Trevor and Craig Johnson is available to buy now via vinylrevivalmcr.com [->] and in-store at the Vinyl Revival shop on Hilton Street in the Northern Quarter of Manchester.

Joy Division @ Colston Hall, 1979 - Jacknife Heritage Poster

2019-11-14T08:48:00.003+00:00

To commemorate their 150th anniversary, Colston Hall in Bristol partnered with Jacknife Print Studio to create a series of gig posters of iconic performances, including one for Joy Division on 4 November 1979.

This is essentially sold out via jacknifeprints.com but it would seem they have one left which is "unnumbered but signed display print with slight denting and very small mark".

See also: joydiv.org

Scream City 4 - additional material

2019-11-08T07:00:00.001+00:00

Scream City 4 - The FAC-2 issue - had a consistent graphic identity the whole way through and there was one golden rule - no colour. That rule was adhered to without fail except for one small dash of orange on the centrespread.

After a brief dalliance with a Situationist International graphic, the front cover concept was tied directly to the FAC-2 interview with Vini Reilly and the SC4.1 CD of 'Cup a Soup Romance' by The Durutti Column. Vini Reilly provided three photos by Rachel McFarlane, his then girlfriend, with the best of these being selected. The original photo features Vini in a brightly coloured top holding his beloved Les Paul guitar. It seemed such a shame to drain the colour but rules are rules...

Scream City 4 additional material

Those Use Hearing Protection posters in full

2019-11-06T07:00:00.000+00:00

The winners of the recent poster design competition run in conjunction with the Use Hearing Protection: FAC 1 - 50 / 40 exhibition at Chelsea Space were announced at an event at the gallery on 24 October 2019.

Chloe Wang won a copy of Use Hearing Protection - Factory Records 1978-1979 for her minimal design shown above. Chloe was presented with her prize by exhibition co-curator Mat Bancroft. Special mentions go out to Steven Fenwick, Fliss Horrocks, Edith Owen and Macy Ward for making the Top Five.

The 5 designs were all printed, framed and exhibited on the outside wall of Chelsea Space.

View this post on Instagram

Congratulations to the makers of the selected designs of our poster design competition, inspired by ‘Use Hearing Protection: FAC 1 - 50 / 40’! And a huge THANK YOU to all those who have submitted beautiful, inspiring designs. We’ll share the entries on our website www.chelseaspace.org - in the meantime these are details from the five selected posters, which will be on display at Chelsea College of Arts for a few more weeks. In order, designs by Fliss Horrocks, Steven Fenwick, Macy Ward, Chloe Wang, Edith Owen. #factoryrecords #posterdesign #usehearingprotection @factorycomms @chelseaual @warnermusicuk

A post shared by Chelsea Space (@chelseaspace) on Oct 25, 2019 at 5:41am PDT

More info (including all designs submitted): chelseaspace.org

Scream City 3 - additional material

2019-11-05T07:00:00.000+00:00

Scream City 3 saw the graphic design identity concept veer off from that established in the first two years. A slightly longer gap between issues perhaps contributed to this fresh approach. It also got a bit fruity...

In 2005 I had visited Lyon, France to participate in the Nuits Sonores festival with Tony Wilson and Matt Carroll of Central Station Design. It was at this festival that I had conducted my interview with AHW (with occasional interjections from Matt). It was also her that I met Lyon resident and photographer Richard Bellia who took a photo of Tony and me alongside his more regular pictorial duties for the event organisers.

On my return to England, I met Richard and his friend Push at Push's house in Brentford near Griffin Park and that's where the Cock and Balls Story begins...

Read on: Scream City 3 - additional material

Praxis - A Factory Anniversary Exhibition

2019-11-02T07:00:00.000+00:00

"In 1978 the unlikely pairing of a jobbing actor and a Cambridge graduate-cum-TV presenter founded a record label in Manchester. Alan Erasmus and Tony Wilson released their first record on Factory Records in 1979 and during the period up until its demise in 1992 made a huge impact, not only on music but on popular culture and design."

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Factory's first release, The Modernist presents an exhibition, PRAXIS XL, showcasing the legacy of Factory Records.

Curated and designed by stalwart of Factory's design team - Trevor Johnson, alongside brother Craig - the exhibition will feature selected output from 40 of the label's most interesting and sometimes esoteric projects.

Praxis - A Factory Anniversary Exhibition starts on Saturday 9 November 2019 at the Modernist Society [->] at 58 Port Street, Manchester M2 2EQ.

Opening hours: 11:00 - 17:00 daily

Scream City 1 - additional material

2019-10-31T07:00:00.000+00:00

The Scream City digital archive comprising issues one to five is now fully live.

Now it's time for the additional material that either inspired the graphic design or else was a concept but didn't quite make it to final publication.

Scream City 1 started life in late 2005 but the graphic design direction was inspired by a Christmas find of a childhood toy puzzle from the early Seventies.

Use Hearing Protection Factory Records 1978-1979 review

2019-10-30T07:00:00.001+00:00

Where do you start?

It's big? 15" x 15" x 5" is a little oversized for the average shelf.

It's quite expensive? Yes, but with some justification.

It has limited appeal? Maybe, but those who are invested will love it.

It's breathtaking.

When this box was first announced in August, I had no hesitation in ordering it. Whilst costing more than I would normally spend (I thought the deluxe version of 'Movement' a little on the high side) the contents, the book, the music, the posters, the CD and DVD promised a treasure trove of riches most could only dream of owning, despite being copies.

It's worth noting on this point that where things are facsimiles, they are to the highest degree, for example, FAC-2 is in a proper heat sealed sleeve rather than a card or paper one. FAC 6 is in a replica black-on-black thermographic braille sleeve. Clearly no expense has been spared in the production of this box celebrating greatest of all record labels.

Opening the high quality box very carefully the first thing you see is the 12x12" 60-page paperback book. With new text by the curator, James Nice, and some rare full-size photographs mixed with quotes from various sources, this focuses on the content of the box and reprints an original 1979 article by the future filmmaker and screenwriter Mary Harron. My initial intention was to have a quick skim through the book before moving on to the contents of the box, but found myself being drawn in and studying it in detail for a long time.

Nestled between the book and the first couple of pieces of vinyl are the 3 posters and other paper-based artefacts (FAC 1, FAC 3, FAC 4, FAC 7 and FAC 8).

The posters I've not opened out yet and, to be honest, I'm a little scared of doing so as I don't want to damage them at all as I am contemplating having them framed. The stationery is interesting, especially the copy of the 'History of Factory' double-sided piece of A4 originally typed up by Tony Wilson. When it comes to Linder Sterling's Factory Egg Timer print it's something of a curio. Indeed it's probably something that will get passed over during the first examination by most people, but it's essential as not only is it one of the first 10 items with a Factory catalogue number, it's so off the wall you can't imagine any other record company encouraging the idea of such a thing… which in itself is what makes Factory so special.

Moving on to the vinyl, as mentioned these are facsimiles of the originals. A Factory Sample, All Night Party, Electricity, Unknown Pleasures and the previously unreleased 3-track 12" by Tiller Boys. Other than the Joy Division album (the 2015 master), all of the other tracks have freshly been remastered at Abbey Road this year from the original tapes.

I must confess, that when listening to 'A Factory Sample' I realised what a bad 'fan' I am. Other than the Joy Division and Cabaret Voltaire tracks I'd never actually heard the other tracks on the debut EP, never having owned it before. Whilst I was listening to the first disc I looked at what was in the charts on 24 December 1978 when it was released… Boney M were No 1 with 'Mary's Boy Child' in the singles and the 'Grease Soundtrack Album' was holding off all pretenders in the album chart. Those Martin Hannett-produced tracks sound light years away from what was in the mainstream at the time, as would the Cabs. Curiously the 3 tracks by John Dowie don't sound that dissimilar from something the likes of the Barron Knights may have performed, who had a single in the Top 5 at the time.

I'm not sure how the bonus Tiller Boys 12-inch would have been received if it had been released as originally planned. It's interesting to hear, but to my ears is basically a set of instrumental jams, and not something that would have necessarily been comparable to the opening salvo of ACR, OMD and Joy Division, although again, the fact that this was considered is typical of the label.

Hidden under the seven-inchers are the final treasures in the box, the first of which is the rarely seen and recently remastered 'No City Fun'. Accompanied by 3 Joy Division tracks, the film is almost exclusively filmed on the 42 bus route through Withington to Manchester City Centre. For me this was fascinating as it took me back to my youth, as it was about a journey I vaguely remember making as a 9-year-old complete with orange double-decker buses and Piccadilly Radio 261.

The final item contains 2 CDs worth of an interview / conversation with the aforementioned Mary Harron. This comprises ninety minutes of conversation between Mary, Tony, Rob Gretton and the members of Joy Division whilst eating out in Manchester. I had an idea this would be interesting, but I didn't realise HOW interesting. The conversation covers everything from the birth of punk and the Sex Pistols in Manchester to the formation of Joy Division and Factory. There’s all this and Tony Wilson really pushing a new Mexican restaurant (which probably would have been one of the first) in Manchester City Centre and explaining what a taco is to those listening.

Unlike myself and the Factory Sample, I imagine anyone reading this, or thinking of buying the box will have heard or own the contents of the box. They may also have seen much of the printed material in books or behind glass at exhibitions.

The box is a gorgeous artefact, lovingly curated and a truly a sum of its parts. For me personally, it's an audio/visual time capsule of a period which I missed out on by around 10 years and it offered me an opportunity to immerse myself in the late 1970s Manchester. Incidentally I am currently reading Gareth Ashton's brilliant 'Manchester: It Never Rains’ book which covers this period via eye witness accounts and adds additional context from outside of the Factory bubble.

Yes, this is expensive, but I'd say worth it as it's a quality item, which has been made to the highest possible specifications and overseen by those that have been keeping the Factory legacy alive.

Saying it's the perfect tribute for the 40th Anniversary of Factory, and to the memory of Messrs Curtis, Hannett, Gretton and Wilson, or a celebration of Saville and those who remain doesn't seem enough, but that's exactly what it is.

- Iain Key for Cerysmatic Factory

Two aesthetics at odds

2019-10-25T17:28:00.002+01:00

Jon Savage and Mat Bancroft visit the archive of Tony Wilson at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester and, in Episode 1 of the Artefacts & Discussion series, talk flyers (including Stepping Out), press releases, shareholders' analyses and sandpaper.

See also: Back in the Cellar

The Periodic Table of Factory Records

2019-10-16T05:11:00.000+01:00

The Scream City digital archive presents an excellent opportunity to revisit a printed paper fanzine published during the period 2006-2010.

Scream City 2 is coming soon (#coding) but meanwhile eagle-eyed readers may have wondered "what happened to the centrespread of Scream City 1, you know the Periodic Table of Factory Records?".

Well, this was reworked a few years ago on factoryrecords.org and now, after a bit of css tweaking for mobile devices, is being relaunched again.

I'm not promising that it's perfect but please enjoy.

Selling the 40th Anniversary

2019-10-10T08:00:00.000+01:00

The Use Hearing Protection FAC 1-50/40 exhibition at Chelsea Space in London runs until 26 October 2019. As well as displaying, to all intents and purposes, the complete rundown of all the Fac numbers from 1 to 50, this exhibition presents the first opportunity to buy official Factory records merchandise (to any real degree) since the heyday of Factory Records itself. The Use Hearing Protection - Factory Records 1978-1979 box set itself is released on 11 October 2019 but the price tag on that rolls in at a hefty 180 GBP. Here we present a quick run-through of the slightly more affordable merchandising options, most of which are only available at the exhibition itself (as of the publication date of this article).

First up we have individual Factory Records postcards priced at £2.00 each. These come in Fac 47 anvil logo (black-on-white and white-on-black variants), Fact 45 'Always Now', Fact 10 'Unknown Pleasures' (white-on-black and black-on-white variants) and Fac 33 'Ceremony' (green sleeve).

Next (all at £5.00) we have the Factory badge set (5 button badges in various designs including worded 'Factory' and anvil), Factory pencil, Factory key ring and the Use Hearing Protection poster (which seems especially good value).

At £10.00 we have the Unknown Pleasures and Always Now tea towels. My mind starts slightly thinking of Joy Division Oven Gloves at this point but these do seem to be a constant in the photos of hauls made by people who I know who have visited the exhibition so someone in the marketing department deserves a big pat on the back for having the guts to see this one through to manufacturing and selling! Also at £10.00 there's Factory A6 paper pad and the Factory tape (eschewing the original silver-on-green of Fac 136 for on-message yellow-on-black). If A6 isn't big enough for you then there's an A5 paper pad at £15.00. Both pads seem a tad pricey but the grey design is attractive.

Finally there's a series of t-shirts in various designs starting at £15.00 for the kids' yellow Use Hearing Protection one (which looks great but, even though I've lost a lot of weight, won't fit me) and £25.00 for the adult t-shirts - Use Hearing Protection white, the amusing 'Printed on poor quality vinyl' stamp white t-shirt and the rather snazzy 'Unknown Pleasures' with text in the correct size in white-on-black.

Bonus items also on sale include Matt Robertson's Fac 461 'Factory Records - The Complete Graphic Album' book and the 40th anniversary vinyl edition of Fact 10 'Unknown Pleasures'.

Happy shopping!

Let's hope that after the exhibition finishes the range of items available to buy online is extended.

The full price list is as follows:

FACTORY RECORDS PRICES
Hearing Protection White T-shirt*	£25.00
Hearing Protection Yellow kids T-shirt*	£15.00
Unknown Pleasures Text Black T-shirt*	£25.00
Stamp White T-shirt*	£25.00
Factory Postcard	£2.00
Factory A5 Pad	£15.00
Factory A6 Pad	£10.00
UP Tea Towel	£10.00
Section 25 Tea Towel	£10.00
Badge Set	£5.00
Factory Tape	£10.00
Factory Pencil	£5.00
Factory Pin Badge	£5.00
Factory Key Ring	£5.00
Factory Records Book	£25.00
Unknown Pleasures Vinyl	£20.00
UHP Poster	£5.00

* - available to buy online

Fac 27 Sex Machine alternative sleeve - full story and pics

2019-10-09T07:00:00.000+01:00

My favourite item in the Use Hearing Protection FAC 1-50/40 exhibition is the Fac 27 'Sex Machine alternative sleeve' artwork. It has always intrigued me as to what this actually was (and, indeed, whether or not it actually existed as opposed to just being a concept). During the 'Back in the Cellar' archive project (2009-2019) I uncovered a sketched out drawing which to my mind could have been the "alternative sleeve" - see above.

However, it always seemed a bit too jovial or jocular for a Crawling Chaos sleeve. Now that the true source has been identified (Chapter 13, page 59 of 'La Baronne Steel' by Jim) it seems reasonable to assume that the sketch (probably by AHW) was done as a rather loose interpretation before the final, less-pornographic, sleeve for Fac 17 'Sex Machine' was decided upon (see last image).

Exhibition caption

La Baronne Steel
By Jim

The alternate cover concept for Crawling Chaos's Sex Machine was a Peter Saville design using an image from the book La Baronne Steel (The Baroness Steel) by illustrator Jim. First published by les humanoides asscolés in Belgium in 1976 the book features numerous illustrations by Jim throughout. The image Saville had marked as the potential cover image was on page 59 highlighting Chapter 13.

Note: there is no mention of Rob Gretton who is generally credited on this Fac number in this caption - more information needed.

Fac 17 'Sex Machine' final sleeve

Use Hearing Protection Poster Design Event

2019-10-08T16:30:00.000+01:00

To coincide with the Use Hearing Protection FAC 1-50/40 exhibition which runs until 26 October 2019, hosts Chelsea Space are running a poster design competition. Visitors to the exhibition are invited to submit poster designs inspired by the First 50 Fac numbers.

5 designs will be selected to be exhibited on the exterior wall of Chelsea Space. Winning designs to be announced and exhibited on Thursday 24 October.

The original exhibition poster was designed by Howard Wakefield. Entrants are invited to design a poster that is 16 cm high by 12 cm wide.

Submissions must be received by Chelsea Space by Monday 20 October 2019.

All submissions must include name and email address.

By submitting an entry to this competition you agree for your name and the image of your design to be used by Chelsea Space for marketing purposes.

Wim Crouwel 1928-2019

2019-09-20T23:01:00.000+01:00

The highly influential graphic designer/typographer Wim Crouwel died on 19 September at the age of 90. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

Whilst Wim did not directly work with or for Factory Records, his 'New Alphabet' typeface was famously used by Peter Saville on the cover of Joy Division's Facd 250 Substance 1977-1980. Crouwel commented on this in 2011 in the catalogue of the 'Wim Crouwel: A Graphic Odyssey' exhibition at the Design Museum in London, as part of an interview with exhibition curator Tony Brook:

"I discovered this at the end of the 1990s, and I was flattered that people had used it. I have seen it in pop magazines - mostly as headlines, and sometimes made a little more readable. They always made it by hand and didn't always follow my strict rules and guidelines. Suddenly, at the end of the 1990s, there was interest in this thing that had been developed 25 years before. That was also the time The Foundry came to me and asked if they could digitize my typefaces for their series of experimental typefaces by people like Jan Tschichold. I was greatly flattered. I immediately gave them permission, and I worked on the project with David Quay from The Foundry."

Crouwel also worked with the 8vo design collective and commented on this too in the same interview:

"I was invited by 8vo to do an article on lower-case typography for their magazine, Octavo. By doing this I got to know the three of them - Hamish Muir, Mark Holt and Simon Johnston - and I was impressed by their work. Hamish and Simon had trained in Basel and there was a strong influence from Swiss design, but different from what the Swiss did. I was impressed by their work, and also by the work, and also by the magazine, the layout of the Octavo magazine."

From a personal point of view, Crouwel's typography has always seemed indelibly Factoryesque, and, when it was time for a website redesign some time in the distant past, I chose to put the new masthead in his Vormgevers typeface which was also used on the cover of Fact 290 'Electronic'.

Rest in peace Wim.

Praxis XL - A Factory Anniversary Exhibition

2019-09-16T22:09:00.002+01:00

Hot on the heels of Use Hearing Protection FAC 1-50 / 40, The Modernist Society in Manchester presents a brand new exhibition, with 40 examples of Factory's design output celebrating the cultural legacy of Factory Records.

Trevor Johnson, who was responsible for many great Factory record sleeves, both with Johnson/Panas and independently, has curated and designed the exhibition with his brother Craig, also a key member of the Johnson Panas team at the time. Johnson Panas also designed much of the Fac 51 The Haçienda and Fac 201 Dry visual identities.

A unique brand has been created for the exhibition: PRAXIS XL. This is a reference to the philosophy expounded by Anthony Wilson (and The Modernist Society) that praxis was "Doing something because you have the urge to do it, inventing the reasons later."

The exhibition will run until 23 December 2019. More details when we have them.

The Modernist
58 Port Street
Manchester M1 2EQ

See also; modernist-society.org [->]

Meanwhile, those who wish to remind themselves of AHW's praxis theories should reacquaint themselves with Channel 4's 'New Order Play at Home' documentary from 1984 (see below).

Fac 15 Zoo Meets Factory Half-way

2019-09-13T06:00:00.000+01:00

ZOO MEETS FACTORY HALF-WAY
LEIGH POP FESTIVAL OPEN AIR
BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY
AUGUST 27th ALL DAY FIRST BAND 1.00 pm
£2

~~FACTORY~~ ZOO RECORDS and ~~ZOO~~ FACTORY RECORDS BRING YOU
THE FLESH THAT BROUGHT YOU THE VINYL

LORI AND THE CHAMELEONS JOY DIVISION ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN THE DISTRACTIONS
ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK
THE TEARDROP EXPLODES ELTI-FITS X-O-DUS
CRAWLING CHAOS A CERTAIN RATIO

USE YOUR WITS OR USE THE BUS NO 26 from Manchester Victoria : NO 39 from Liverpool

Festival site - Plank Lane, Leigh, Lancs

--

Handwritten rough (presumably by AHW) for the eventual Fac 15 poster for the Zoo Meets Factory Half-Way event (aka The Leigh Pop Festival). Tony Wilson designed this poster "after Peter Saville".

This translated into the eventual white-on-black poster / black-on-white draft flyer (which in this version contains a repeat of the "bring you the flesh..." line:

The reverse of the handwritten layout features the outline running order for the event:

1.00 Elti Fits
2.00 Crawling Chaos
3.00 Exodus
4.00 A Certain Ratio
5.00 Echo + Bunnymen
6.00 Distractions
7.00 OMITD
8.00 Teardrop
9.00 Joy Division

Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids

2019-09-09T19:45:00.000+01:00

The Factory Too era saw a new selection of graphic designers ushered in to work with the small but perfectly formed roster of artists assembled by Tony Wilson. Ed Templeton, the artist, photographer and professional skateboarder was a key element of this phase, working not only with Hopper but also on wider label-spanning projects like the Fac 2.24 1996 Christmas card.

However, it didn't stop there. One one of my many visits to the AHW Archives at the Science and Industry Museum I uncovered a selection of captioned photographs by Ed including the following pair - "WHEN WE WERE KIDS ..." and "TIME WAS GIGANTIC" (in that order). Roll on October 1998 and The Durutti Column's new album Facd 2.31 'Time Was Gigantic... When We Were Kids' is released on compact disc and the rest is history. A dexterous swapping of the sequence and the moving of an ellipsis and there you have your brand new album title.