Monstercat enVISION - Behind the scenes

Visual art holds an important place in Monstercat culture

To comprehend the role of visual art and, subsequently, apparel to Monstercat, you first have to understand that Monstercat functions as much more than a record label. Thanks to our growing community, the Monstercat brand has evolved just as quickly as our artist roster over the years. While we always seek to introduce the world to the most incredible raw talent in the electronic music scene, our motto is ‘empowering a creative and passionate community through innovation.’

Monstercat is all about encouraging creatives; that includes content creators and visual artists as well as musicians. We are committed to supporting the creative community and being a resource for all who seek to bring more vibrance to their world.

Enter Monstercat enVISION

Quality visual art is deeply ingrained into Monstercat culture. Monstercat enVISION sets this statement in stone—or cloth!

“The enVISION program is our first foray into empowering creatives beyond the music industry,” says Tristan Gonsalves, Monstercat’s Head of Apparel. “We collaborate with artists from around the world to create limited edition apparel collections that are the perfect blend of Monstercat and the individual artist’s aesthetic for our community. The whole idea is about empowering creatives and really clarifying what that means to us. It was an easy segue to consider visual arts because so much of music is driven with a visual arts element to it.”

“Visual art is extremely important to the Monstercat brand,” Tristan continues. “We have a huge team of talented graphic designers and animators that are constantly creating custom art every day. Visual art at Monstercat, like music, is an expression of who we are, what we do, and what it means to be part of our Monstercat community. From apparel graphics to compilation artwork, all of that gives the music a lot more depth.” 

“I think it’s important that we always remember how music exists in today’s world. Throughout history, there’s always been a symbiotic relationship between music and art, and the two work together to create a mood that can really impact the emotions of a group. If you’ve ever been to a concert, it’s the visuals as well as the sound that really brings you in. As a music label, we feel empowered to provide visual artists with a creative outlet to showcase their unique take on Monstercat graphics, and it’s our hope that we inspire a new generation of visual artists within our community every time we showcase the work of our enVISION artists.”

Every enVISION artist brings something different to the table

The designers that appear in the Monstercat enVISION lineup are visual artists who display the same kind of passion for their craft that we see in our music producers. They are unequivocally dedicated to their creative ambitions and their work is impressive through and through. These artists have an unimaginable amount of potential and have reached a point where their talents have become renowned in the visual art community.

“There’s an element of excitement when it comes to these artists. When we see their work it makes us pause and think about where their talents could take them if given an opportunity to shine. It goes beyond having a knack for creative visual expression. We truly believe that they, along with their designs, have a chance to succeed on every level, and Monstercat enVISION is how we’ve decided to take action. 

We’ve been handpicking a lot of these artists,” continues Tristan. “What we’re looking for is artists that have a unique style, diversity in their creative outlets, and an appreciation for music. There’s an expectation now in the level of complexity and quality of the designs that Monstercat is able to put out. Monstercat enVISION artists are given quite a bit of freedom when it comes to their designs for the apparel. It’s going to be something unique and custom, so there aren’t many boundaries or restrictions when it comes to what we’re looking for.

Designers are excellent problem-solvers. Presenting them with an issue or a point of view and asking them to depict that visually is the key to what we’re asking for. ” 

This month’s featured artist is Ali Bruce!

The latest artist to feature on the enVISION project is none other than Vancouver-based tattoo artist Ali Bruce. Her style blends the inky black creativity of her tattoo designs with a mischievous and playful vibe. It’s both adventurous and unique.

“Ali Bruce is quite a prominent figure within Vancouver,” Tristan remarks. “She is a tattooist and muralist. We first took note of her just by hearing about her after we saw her murals pop up in many different places. Then we started digging into who she was and then we realized she was also a tattooist.” 

“She’s known for quite playful designs, which we found was quite interesting when you consider the fact that they’re going to be tattoos. To find someone that’s able to handle that playfulness that a lot of our fans love about Monstercat but mix it with something that is so different and memorable, we loved the juxtaposition between the seriousness of tattooing and her playful designs.”

Make sure to check out Ali Bruce’s designs on the Monstercat Shop!

The artists that feature on the enVISION project are all on the road to widescale recognition. We are thrilled to help them along on their journey, as well as introduce the Monstercat community to their talents. We hoping that these artists can inspire others within our community to go out and create as well.