The Artist Behind Major Lazer’s Peace-Promoting Alter Ego To...

http://bit.ly/1Kh7NUL


http://bit.ly/1Kh7NUM


http://bit.ly/1Kh7NUN


http://bit.ly/1Kh7NUO


http://bit.ly/1Kh7OYS

The Artist Behind Major Lazer’s Peace-Promoting Alter Ego

To see more of Ferry’s work with Major Lazer, check out @ferry_gouw on Instagram. For more music stories, head to @music.

The way Ferry Gouw (@ferry_gouw) tells it, he was destined to create the alter ego of electronic group Major Lazer. Ferry, an illustrator based in London, was meeting a friend at the XL Recordings studio when he bumped into Major Lazer co-founder Diplo at the exact moment the DJ was seeking a creative vision for his latest project. “I [couldn’t] really imagine anyone else getting the job,” Ferry says. “Their whole brief was this Rasta commando from the ‘80s, and it referenced all these ‘80s cartoons and Marvel comics … Everything that I grew up with.” Ferry mocked up three album covers in 48 hours, and the rest is history: “The design, the logo, the colors — everything about it has pretty much stayed the same since.”

Ferry has a hunch that his muscled, sunglasses-clad creation resonates with fans in large part because he is such an unexpected hero. “This character that has a permanent gun on his arm is not promoting violence,” he says. “They have this cool looking guy fighting evil and promoting peace. It’s such a generic message, but it’s such a strong message to put out that I think it appeals to so many people.” From the get-go, social media was a key component of how the group connected with fans. Ferry — who now oversees the visual approach to album covers, posters, lyric videos and live shows — quickly carved out a full-time gig tailoring Major Lazer artwork for each platform. “Every single thing that we were doing needed a visual.”

Sometimes, Ferry feels like he’s flying by the seat of his pants. His first ever animated video, “Hold the Line,” was essentially a flipbook (he scanned his sketches from tracing paper). And yet, it was ultimately nominated as a breakthrough video in the 2009 VMAs. Major Lazer’s wildly popular third album, Peace Is the Mission, is the product of a true multimedia collaboration. “It was a way to connect back to the culture that Major Lazer came from — Jamaica, reggae, that kind of vibe,” Ferry says. “Within this one character we explored this musical and artistic world.” With success comes more work, but Ferry isn’t one to complain. “I never realized ‘Lean On’ would have been this super global hit … But as soon as it hit one billion views [on YouTube], suddenly we needed to do all new content celebrating that and promoting that. So I think it’s fun. My job is to come up with all these new ways to communicate with the fans and celebrate it together.”

According to Ferry, expanding the world of Major Lazer is a juggling act. He’s constantly volleying around ideas with the group via text messages and creative brainstorming sessions. So, what’s it like to be part of Diplo’s inner circle? Not as exciting as you might think, and far from the action-packed reputation of the group’s animated frontman. “It’s never like the DJ James Bond, tons of half-naked women at a party. Every time I see [Diplo], he’s hunched over a computer working.”

—Instagram @music

by via Instagram Blog