Nick Azinas is currently the EU Product Manager at SharpTone Records and Director of PFTP Promotions. Nick also tours as a light designer and as Sabaton’s Tour PR Manager.

Previously, Nick was the Promotions Manager at Nuclear Blast Records for a number of years. He has a background in jazz, having studied it in Paris and experienced it even closer in New Orleans during his studies there, and metal/rock music which he grew up with during his childhood.

Our recent chat with Nick discusses his favourite campaigns and talks about the overlaps between visual creativity and music.

I’m currently working on a mini-EP by Loathe and new music by a new band on SharpTone called Profiler. I'm also assisting on the new We Came As Romans record and a few more projects which are still under wraps.

I'M LOVING

Creatively at the moment, I’m loving the LUX: New Wave of Contemporary Art exhibition at 180 Studios in London.

I love everything that takes art and gives it a modern twist. Finding different angles and using new technology to bring them to life, is something that I truly find fascinating.

FAVOURITE VIDEO

My all-time favourite music video is Lazarus by David Bowie.

I've always been a fan of Bowie and his way of perceiving and creating art. This final piece for me is what art is all about. It's powerful, bold and honest. The photography in it is great and the ever-changing perspective fits the song and its theme perfectly.

BEST ARTWORK

I’ve always loved the album art for Lateralus by Tool.

There is something about that album as a whole piece of art that speaks to me. Good artwork is artwork that tells you what the music is about, without even listening to it and Lateralus certainly does that.

RECENT CAMPAIGN

The most recent campaign I’ve enjoyed working on has been Holding Absence’s The Greatest Mistake of My Life.

Holding Absence are a band that I've worked with since their very beginning and seeing them grow and establish themselves in the music scene is something that I love to see.

Working with them on their sophomore album The Greatest Mistake of My Life was a great experience. The band presented us with an album full of opportunities and imagery that gave us creative room to explore, both in order to create some stunning digital assets along with their photographer Bethan Miller, as well as some great physical products.

COLLAB

The most recent brand collab that caught my eye was Francis the train guy and his collab with Gucci and North Face.

A great example of what passion and being unique can do. His smile throughout the ad is worth more than all the marketing money in the world.

CREATIVE VIDEO

For me the most creative and original music video of the past year is Don Broco’s Manchester Super Reds No.1 Fan.

Don Broco have always had weird and wonderful videos. MSRN1F is a great addition to their arsenal of original and creative videos, which introduces the Amazing Things David Beckham character to the plot of the campaign.

LOGO LOVE

I wish I’d designed the artist logo for The Rolling Stones.

It’s an iconic piece of art that is unmistakably unique. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind when they see it; that is the Stones’ logo. A good logo is one that is instantly recognisable and leaves no doubt as to what brand it represents.

GO FOLLOW

The one artist you should follow on Instagram is Rob Halford. Not only he is a heavy metal legend, he has a fierce collection of cat t-shirts too!

ICONIC

The most iconic music photograph is Dexter Gordon shot by Herman Leonard.

A local rock bar where I grew up used it on one of their promotional t-shirts, which my cousin had bought. That t-shirt was eventually passed down to me which is when I first saw the photograph.

There is something mysterious about Dexter in it, which the smoke and saxophone enhance to a great degree. It's one of those photos where you find yourself getting lost in it very easily.