The 7″ vinyl single turns sixty at the end of this month, and on the cusp of its anniversary we are ecstatic to update you on our book project currently in the works here at Soundscreen Design, Touchable Sound: Twenty Years of 7″ Record Design. Touchable Sound will focus on 20 years of 7″ packaging, art and design from approximately 1986-2006. We want to highlight the most outstanding, interesting, and exceptional 7″ releases of the independent and underground music communities. The book will be from a design perspective: we’ll include a variety of unique packaging techniques including a plethora of painstakingly hand done detail. The role of DIY modes of production, economics, distribution and consumerism, the role the record played as status within the community, and the simple brilliance of the design are all narratives Touchable Sound will explore through editorial contributions and visual imagery.

Head over to the Guardian (UK) music blog to learn more about the survival of the 7″ vinyl and its resurgent popularity.

A special thank you to all the people who submitted records for consideration. We’re hoping to have Touchable Sound: Twenty Years of 7″ Record Design out by late-Fall, stay tuned for updates.