12 Inch Sleeves

As a DJ, Toni Rubio had always wondered if some records got played more just because they looked good. Rubio, now a graphic designer, has selected these hundreds of vinyl maxi-single sleeves--the covers for 12-inch remixed singles--to be reproduced in glossy color for further study and pure enjoyment. The artists range from Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, shown on the front of "The Message" carrying a boom box and wearing gold chains, to Depeche Mode and Moby, by way of scores of forgotten bands of the 80s whose one good-looking record is having an unexpected second moment in the spotlight. Work is paired for harmony in theme, font and composition, like Sylk 130's "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" and The Reason's "When the Funk Hits the Fan," which share a bull's-eye motif. Engelbert Humperdink and Simply Red's leading man, on the other hand, lounge in studio recliners. References to visual and musical trends of the late twentieth century--pop, minimalism, hardcore, hyperrealism, electronica--will speed readers on a journey through the recent past and replay, with pleasant nostalgia, the soundtrack for some classic audio moments.