Phrase — the anatomy of a record cover
Aussie rapper Phrase’s new album, Clockwork, is out now and features collaborations with a number of local musical luminaries, including Kram, Bliss N Eso, Wendy Matthews, Daniel Merriweather, and Jackson Jackson. The theme of the album revolves around the idea of change and challenge in a world of routine, rules, and the treadmill of life. And this is reflected in the album artwork with the booklet consisting of a narrative, using photos of Phrase in his business attire, but with a slightly sinister side. We asked him to give us the inside story on how the album artwork was put together: ‘When I had first finished the record, I wasn’t sure what I wanted for cover art but I knew I wanted something special and unique. I was walking down Smith Street in Collingwood, Melbourne, one afternoon and noticed an amazing photo in the window of a gallery, I was drawn in by this shot and went in to check out the exhibition. I was totally blown away and remember thinking that this was the photographer I needed to do my artwork’.












