XYZ Type Specimens

Series of re-imaged album covers pairing fonts from XYZ Type‘s library with musical instruments that share similar features.
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The rubab is an instrument widely popular in Afghanistan, Baloch, Sindh, and Kashmiri regions. It is carved out of a single piece of wood and all of its parts are contained within the width of its body.⁠ ⁠ Ustad Mohammad Omar was an Afghan Rubab virtuoso. He also played the Sarod and the Dutar and was Director of the National Orchestra of Radio Afghanistan.⁠ ⁠ Fonts in use: Ballast + Aglet Sans⁠
The shells and top in a tabla are held together by thick rawhide straps, that gives it a chiselled outer shape. The tension between these straps helps with tuning and the quality of the reverb the tabla produces.⁠ ⁠ Ustad Zakir Hussain is an Indian tabla virtuoso, composer, and percussionist. He popularised tabla internationally and has collaborated with many artists including Ustad Mohammad Omar in 1974.⁠ ⁠ Fonts in use: Cedar + Cortado⁠ ⁠
The Njarka, an instrument native to Mali, is a geometrically simple instrument with a bright sound—its roundness is contrasted by straight lines. Elevator is an upcoming geometric sans from XYZ with dramatic curves.⁠ ⁠ Ali Farka Touré was a renowned Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist. He is considered a pioneer of African desert blues.⁠ ⁠ Fonts in use: Elevator + Study⁠ ⁠
A saxophone’s length neatly accommodates bends in the tube in the way that Ballast accommodates its ball terminals. Ballast’s playful quality packed with a punch lends itself well to both the sax and Fela’s music.⁠ ⁠ Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He pioneered Afrobeat—a genre that combines elements from a number of West African musical styles.⁠ ⁠ Fonts in use: Ballast + Export⁠
The Morchang (or Morsing) is a mouth instrument popular in Rajasthan and south Indian Carnatic music in India and in Sindh, Pakistan. It has a reed (usually made of metal or bamboo) attached to a chiselled metal frame. The frame is held against the player’s teeth or lips, using the jaw as a resonator for the reed to vibrate sound into. ⁠ ⁠ The Barmer Boys are a Rajasthani folk musical trio from India. It is run by Mangey Khan (on vocals, harmonium), Rais Khan (morchang, bhapang, khartaal, beat-boxing) & Tarif Khan (dholak). ⁠ ⁠ Font in use: Cedar⁠

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