Pictured tunes

A music album can get picked up based on its artwork, and the converse holds true as well. Thankfully, Tapa knows how to work the former.

THE sight of a man ablaze shaking hands with another was all it took for Mustaffa Ahmad Hidzir to realise what his life-long vocation was going to be. Not many people get to turn a hobby into an occupation (that they enjoy) but when he first gazed at the cover art for Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, Tapa (as he is known) knew exactly what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

Mustaffa Ahmad: ‘Because of a lack of appreciation for our work, designers are underpaid.’

“I totally freaked out when I first saw that cover ... I mean, I had always been a fan of 60s and 70s rock music, and the artwork that went with many of these LPs, but Storm Thorgerson’s cover for Wish You Were Here was something else,” enthuses the amiable 53-year-old.

Graphic designer, filmmaker and tennis fiend, Briton Thorgerson is responsible for some of the most recognised album sleeve artwork, his masterpieces stretching back from Pink Floyd’s early days right down to more recent acts like Muse and Audioslave.

Tapa is also a fan of another proponent of classic 1970s LP artwork, Roger Dean, who’s painted pieces have adorned many progressive rock artists’ album sleeves like Yes, Gentle Giant, Atomic Rooster and Greenslade, among others.

“Album covers that I like are ones that I feel have a philosophy behind them, and not just something that’s visually impressive,” explains the Taiping, Perak native, who lists Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother and A Momentary Lapse of Reason as favourites.

Naturally, Tapa’s interest in the arts came from his love of the subject in school. “Seeing my interest in the arts, it was my art teacher who suggested I work towards studying in ITM (Institut Teknologi Mara).”

The son of an accountant and home-maker, Tapa decided to test the waters with his talent. This was a daunting prospect as there was barely a handguide available on the subject, but picking up enough courage, Tapa was ready to take on the world when he was drafted into EMI’s art department in 1979.

“I advised EMI to start an arts department and somehow managed to convince Wahab Yusoff (who headed the Artist and Repertoire division for the Malay department then) and Raymond Hon (then the marketing director) into executing the plan. People have considered me a pioneer of sorts, but for me, it’s just nice to see how the industry has grown since,” offers the former King Edward VII school student.

It was around this time that he had his earliest taste of success when he designed rock band Carefree’s debut album cover Carefree I ... and later, even its sophomore effort Carefree II.

Tapa grabbed the baton and ran with it, finding himself in the driving seat of album cover design for Malaysia’s brightest talents. “I’ve designed album covers for Sudirman, Search, Ramli Sarip, Sheila Majid and many more,” reveals the freelancer.

Even if the industry has improved somewhat recently, generally, the trade of album artwork receives minimal appreciation. “Because of a lack of appreciation for our work, designers are underpaid.”

That hasn’t deterred Tapa one bit and he sings praises of the late Sudirman Hj Arshad, Noor Kumalasari, Amy of Search and Ramli Sarip as artistes who take a keen understanding on the subject of album artwork.

“Abang Ramli, Amy, the late Sudirman ... they are all people who are easy to work with and understand their product and what it signifies to them and their audience,” says Tapa.

Album artwork is very much a labour of love for those who indulge in it, and Tapa echoes this sentiment. The music contained within an album plays a part in influencing his concepts. “There are no hard and fast rules about this. Basically, I extract the essence of the music and the artiste and put that into the artwork.”

His penchant for album artwork lies more in stylistic photographs. “I am really into concept photos ... and again, Storm Thorgerson does it for me.”

With a record player spinning an old Sudirman record in his office during this interview, it’s a given where Tapa’s heart lies in terms of his appreciation for software formats, but for him, this goes beyond sonic arguments.

“I like LPs especially because the record sleeves are large and provide more surface area to work with. Having said that though, even with the limitations of CD, fine details can still be included. Ultimately, it all depends on the concept of the artwork,” he professes, saying that be it LP or CD, artwork is designed according to the given specifications.

The advent of technology has allowed album art designers to fiddle with the million possibilities provided by some of the most sophisticated software available. But Tapa insists there is always one fundamental to adhere to.

“Photography is still photography. Back in those days, you just worked with the picture, but now you can use something like Photoshop. The bottom line though is, the idea needs to come first, and that’s something you conceptualise in your mind,” advises the classic rock fan.

Tapa’s most recent pursuit has been to release a coffee table book documenting all his works over the years. “I have been going to colleges to give lectures on art and people always ask me for a portfolio. It’s just dawned on me that if I don’t catalogue my work, then who will?”

The book, a hefty piece of work titled 12 x 2, has already been drafted and Tapa is currently looking for sponsors to help publish it.

“The book will highlight my works and in the process, reveal the different kinds of photography out there, fashion sense of different periods in time, design and typography,” he states proudly, explaining that the title is inspired by the dimensions of a regular 12-inch LP cover.

Tapa’s collection of his own works is far from complete and he would like to get in touch with people who might possess some of his pieces. “If anyone has any of my works, please contact me,” he humbly requests.

• He can be reached at [e-mail].