Clean Feed, wrong but strong for 15 years
15 years Clean Feed Records, 5 years Ljubljana Jazz Series
1. June – 26. July 2016
The partnership between Clean Feed Records and the Jazz Festival Ljubljana dates back to 2011, when the label’s first artists were programmed by the Festival and a new collection, named Ljubljana Jazz Series, was premiered in the Clean Feed catalogue, revealing outside its borders some of the most important Slovenian musicians, such as Kaja Draksler, Cene Resnik, Igor Lumpert and Dre Hocevar, besides the work of a very special big band, EMJO.
This cooperation between a festival taking place in Slovenia and a record company from Portugal, two countries positioned at the opposite ends of the European continent, is not strange when we consider the mindset of both enterprises. The Jazz Festival Ljubljana and Clean Feed follow the same philosophy: they think and act globally, managing to export the best music being created in the two nations while bringing music from the rest of the world into their territories.
This year, Clean Feed is celebrating its 15th anniversary, with 400 titles released, a distribution circuit comprising 13 countries and the unexpected, yet very deserved, achievement of being acknowledged by specialised publications like All About Jazz New York and New York City Jazz Record, along with organisations like the Jazz Journalists Association, as the best international jazz record company since 2007 and 2008, respectively.
The quality of the recorded music of a fair share of the biggest names working in jazz, along with always new provocative approaches emerging in the four corners of the planet, is the cause of that success, yet this music would remain unheard without a good marketing strategy and a solid image for each product. In this aspect, the graphic design of the CDs and vinyl records Clean Feed release is crucial.
This exhibition displays some of that cover art, more than once distinguished by international prizes. These are works by Rui Garrido, the designer of the first 100 releases, and Travassos, responsible for the last 300 titles published and who is also their illustrator.
Enjoy and feel invited to do your own thing: together, we’ll be able to fill the world with music and art, making it ever better.
Rui Eduardo Paes
Bio Travassos
Travassos was born Jorge Trindade in 1972 in Barreiro, on the outskirts of Lisbon, and spent his childhood travelling from city to city between Portugal and Spain. He graduated in Design and has a postgraduate certificate in Sustainable Design from Aveiro University.
During his studies, he worked in the Jazz section of the megastore of Valentim de Carvalho de Aveiro, he programmed the “projecto 70&Set” evenings of the Cultural and Congress Centre of Aveiro, while in 2001 he founded the 1st Aveiro Jazz Festival. After finishing his studies, he spent a year in Barcelona working at the CDN – Competitive Design Network international agency.
Returning to Portugal, Travassos became part of Trem Azul and, since then, has shown full devotion to the company. In the past few years, he has focused on cover artwork and so far produced around 300 covers for Clean Feed.
Parallel to this, he is the founder and director of the Rescaldo and Muco Music Festivals. He is also responsible for Clean Feed’s sub-label Shhpuma.
The Portuguese book label Chilli con Carne will soon be publishing a book containing his work.
The exhibition has been organised with the cooperation of Clean Feed Records, Cankarjev dom and NLB Gallery Avla and forms part of the accompanying programme of the 57th Ljubljana Jazz Festival.
NLB GALLERY AVLA
Trg republike 2, SI-1520 Ljubljana