Gourmet Recordings was a Chicago record label launched in the early 2000s by DJ and producer Mazi. Being a foodie and wanting to release music that was of a higher caliber than that of other house music labels of the time, he chose Gourmet as the label’s name and objective. I created the initial identity with this in mind, using visual cues from cooking periodicals and restaurants.

Once it had become successful, Mazi wanted to further elevate the label’s visuals by creating individual sleeves and labels for each subsequent release. Focusing on the “handcrafted” aspect of the music and the distinct personalities of the artists, the main typography was hand-lettered, while each release was given a unique color that accompanied an image chosen by the musicians. The resulting identity made the records easy to identify when displayed in record shops.