Darkzy
Creating a defiant street-style logo
Intro
Darkzy, the production alias of Elliot Fisher, emerged as a prominent figure in the U.K.'s dynamic bassline scene during the late 2010s. With roots deeply embedded in his hometown's electronic music culture, Fisher’s journey into music production began after immersing himself in DJ EJ's EJucation mix series, delving into the works of bassline pioneers like TS7 and Swifta Beater. As dubstep swept across the U.K., Fisher honed his craft, drawing inspiration from the genre's bass-heavy stylings championed by artists such as Bar9 and Benga. Returning to his bassline roots in 2014, Darkzy swiftly made waves with his debut single "Dark Nights," solidifying his status with the infectious anthems "Gun Fingerz" and "Glock Riddim." However, it was his remix of Drake's "One Dance" that propelled Darkzy to national acclaim, garnering millions of streams and firmly establishing him within the fabric of U.K. urban culture.
Challenge
The client approached us to design a visual identity that reflects Darkzy's growing prominence, especially with the recent success of "One Dance," which had amassed 5.7 million plays. Our mission was to transform Darkzy's existing logo into a completely custom and signature symbol that could serve as the cornerstone of his brand moving forward.
Key Ideas & Insights
Graffiti-Inspired Design
We wanted to create a logo with a graffiti-style aesthetic to reflect Darkzy’s reputation for being known on the streets as well as bringing his high-energy and in-your-face demeanour to the design.
Dynamic and Defiant Appearance
To give the identity a darker, more rebellious appearance as well as incorporating the fun and characterful side of Darkzy. To enhance this we also produced a sprayed version which can be used when suitable to give that grungier look.
Incorporating the original custom face graffiti symbol
We added a custom face symbol in the letter “z”, inspired by the original logo's little face motif and to add personality and versatility to the brand identity. It also added another dimension to the brand identity by being able to use it as a standalone or alongside the wordmark.
