TM - Deconstructing a Digipak.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

Genre

When looking at this digipak there are a few clues into which genre the band is in. The genre is evident through the back cover. There is a group of man hugging each other. After i had a closer look there is a man with no shirt in that is heavily tattooed with strange hair. This image alone tells me that this band is an alternative rock band which is clearly true after having listened to their songs. It is obvious that it is from this genre also because of the grain of voice. It is quite a deep voice with a gravelly undertone.

Media language

The front cover is a strange and twisted one. The water in the swimming pool has been switched with sky. This connotes that the band is not all they seem. This could be with there music or image. The band itself have have been successful in creating their own image of being different. This is evident in their songs and their videos.


The visual techniques in this digipak are quite simple but with a deep meaning. The back cover is just a picture of the band hugging in the middle of the shot. It is in black and white which for me is used because the image is all about the love of the band and music, and should not be confused with bright lights or strange colours.

The name of the album is Californication. the linguistic device for me refers to living in California and changing into the ways of California. Its a very American band, this is evident by the album title. I think it also refers to the American dream of being happy and successful.

The album cover is used to show that something isn't always as it looks. You have to look at this cover for a while until you truly understand. But even then there is still much more meaning behind the album cover. The intertextuality shows the meaning of uncertainty within the music. This gives the band a unique edge over other band because when you hear a song by the Red hot Chillies on the radio you know straight away who its by. This I feel is a unique selling point for the band and is represented through the digipak


Representation

The band is represented as a strong and together band. This is shown in the picture on the back of them all hugging. This shows their love for each other and love for the music. Another way they are represented is the fact they are unique. The Digipak is different to many others that i have seen. The photo on the front represents the band as different and thus making themselves a unique selling point.

Institution and Audience

I think the print will be consumed on a large scale because the band is very popular with a huge fan base surrounding them. This fan base will buy the album straight away and then consume the Digipak straight away. Therefore the overall aesthetically pleasing features of this digipack will help the audience to engage and consume easily.