ERT- Deconstruction of advert

How is the genre of the artist/ track present?

You can see from first glance at the poster that it is a drum and bass genre. The extreme use of detail, colour and patterns connotes a busy atmosphere, which is just like the mood created through listening to that particular style of music. It conforms with the conventions of this genre which include more patterns than people, involves colour, some sort of centre piece image as well as it looking quite technological, all of these are present within this advert. The colour scheme could represent the atmosphere at a club, with the darkness and the light in the centre could represent the stage, which is where this genre is most likely to be heard.

What visual techniques are used? How is meaning generated through these techniques?

There are no iconic signs of the band or any type of character associated with the band or the genre of music, for example band members, fans or dancers. The only images present are patterns and symbols, which I think well represents the genre of music, which is a very instrumental genre with minimal lyrics and creates a dance atmosphere, suitable for a club. The centre image slightly ressembles a record which links well to music, as there is other iconic sign on the poster that shows that it is for a musical group. Although there is a lack of iconic signs on the poster it is not plain and still links well and shows the conventions of the genre. The pattern that runs through out the poster best represents the abstract content of the music. Also all of the patterns look as if they are going towards the record in the centre, this connoting a popularity of their music.

What linguistic devices have been used?

The artist name is in big bold letters making it the point of focus on the poster. The album name "in silico", meaning from a computer, is still in large letters with "New album out now" written underneath. The way it is positioned in relation to the main focus attracts your attention to read on. The text is in large white capital letters, making it stand out well on the darker background and draw in attention. The same font is used for many of their other posters and album covers also, making it recognisable to a regular audience. At the bottom of the poster there is text about the songs included and a website to visit advertising certain merchandise they sell. Although it is not positioned or coloured and sized in a way that draws in all attention straight away, when looking at the poster it is visable. The sole reason of the poster is to advertise the band, therefore the artist name is necessary to see first with the rest being an extra for people to see if they are initially interested.

Is there any intertextuality/ references to popular culture?

It ressembles another world and seems very technological, on this basis the iconic and linguistic signs remind me of the film The Matrix. Although it may not be very similar I believe it could have been an influence for the cover as it follows the same conventions such as a centre image with surrounding patterns. The film is very much about the idea of another world and the power of technology. This could be a message that Pendulum would like to portray, that their music is an escape from real life and is heavily influenced through technology. Also the lack of personal photographs and images is shown throughout both posters, making a clear connection.




How is the artist represented?

The artist has a sense of secrecy, as there are no images of the artist on the poster, however the genre of the music is very visible as shown in the above paragraph. There are no clues or siloettes either, this making it unapparent to a new audience member of whether there are multiple band members or their gender. This could be found intreging and therefore lead to more research in the artist, which is the overall aim of the poster.

How might this print be consumed?

I think it is most likely to be viewed ambiently as there is nothing on the poster which leads you to look closer as everything is displayed clearly. However, I think it is a successful advertisment as nothing is given away leading to more interest and research from a potential audience member.