KILL SCREEN

Let me begin with high praise.

I love this photograph of a human being breathing synthetically underwater, taken by (we can only assume) another human being breathing synthetically underwater (but in different fashion).  Carles cries himself to sleep wishing he could zeitgeist like that.

The claustrophobia of the darkening peripheral edges.  The rising bubbles, signifying the finite oxygen supply.  The getting-warmer sun burning the back of the oblivious, pleasure-seeking snorkeler.  The knowing, Self-Contained Underwater photographer documenting the occasion, while furthering his retreat from the convenience of a traditional lifestyle.

How many points do you have to accumulate on your credit card before you can get a free Caribbean sunburn?  How many blogs do you have to bookmark before you get Caisson’s disease?

Other aspects of the packaging I admire.  The groovy (I couldn’t think of a better adjective) track listing font.  The insert promo card offering “Audio Goodies”.  Which, importantly, are two MPP songs apparently recorded live in Los Angeles on September 18, 2007.  That’s impressive time-traveling, relative to the January 6, 2009, studio release date (digital version), for everybody keeping score at home.  Performing consensus 2009 album of the year material live two calendar years prior.  I’d be really impressed – and somebody please fact-check me here – if the purple-ish photo on the flip side of the promo card is a live shot of that same ’07 LA show.  I wouldn’t bet against it.

my scanner sucks

OK, so all of the above is my circuitous way of saying I dig the artwork associated with the album.

But here’s my beef.  I really can’t get down with the Arigato Pak.  The purple and green pattern certainly is distinctive.  But structurally, the origami-style packaging is annoying.  The insert flap slows me down and it encourages wear and tear.  I treat my CDs like fine china and I don’t even listen to this disc disproportionately more than other notable recent albums.  And yet it’s already pretty beaten up.  The lack of a proper spine with album information (and accompanying depth) makes it easier to misplace.  And, perhaps my biggest gripe, it doesn’t have a proper divet thingy to rest the disc upon.

This presents two issues.  Without the media tray, as they say in the trade, the CD becomes an insignificant document that goes in a folder.  I like it when my CDs levitate.  This seems a trivial point; perhaps it is.  After all, vinyl similarly gets slipped into a sleeve.  However, I have to say, design-wise – the media tray is one of the distinguishing features of the traditional compact disc jewel case.  Fewer finger-print smudges.  Quicker DJ in / out handling.  Greater actual CD visibility.

Why am I obsessing about this?  Because in order to charge people good money for mixtape CDs in 2010, premium packaging will be imperative.