X̱wáýx̱way Album is a vinyl soundtrack album dedicated for Stanley Park located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
X̱wáýx̱way, rendered in English as Xway xway and Whoiwhoi, is a First Nations village site, located in what is now Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The village was home for many Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-waututh people, but after European colonization began in the Vancouver area, the inhabitants were forced to re-locate to nearby villages. The village was named for a mask ceremony; thus, the best translation of x̱wáýx̱way would be "masked dance performance".
With its long and rich history, Stanely Park is no stranger to being regarded as one of the best tourist attractions in Vancouver. However, Stanley Park is more than just a tourist attraction; it is a piece of living history that behold many transition phases of Vancouver since the beginning. Being preserved and taken care of very well, its presence indicates the respect and appreciation provided by Vancouver.
The nature within the park's soul is beyond verbal description and visual representation; hence, the idea of having a vinyl album is proposed to provide a more profound reflection of Stanley Park's resourceful and iconic status.
The vinyl album consists of six individual parts, which are all located in Stanley Park itself. These six themes include:
● Indigenous history, represented by Totem Poles;
● Woods, represented by woods;
● Waves, represented by Siwash Rock;
● Land, represented by Prospect Point;
● Wind, represented by Seawall;
● Modernization, represented by Lions Gate Bridge
Each of these separated themes tells a story from the past, which indicates different time eras to show the significant events and incidents that happened in the park, crafting the Stanley Park that we all know today.
In addition, the pieces of vinyl have soundtracks dedicated to individual themes to be recorded on or inspired by Stanley Park. The soundtracks aim to provide an experience as if audiences are in Stanley Park, enjoying the breeze of nature from the beautiful sceneries and natural environments.
The Stanley Park Vinyl Album is a tribute album to showcase the park's history and attractions. Rather than being a guidebook for tourists, the album serves as a collector's edition product.
The decision to use vinyl instead of modern CDs is to strengthen the presence of Stanley Park's long history. Furthermore, this also indicates that the contemporary rendition of Stanley Park is just a minor part of its long history.
The outcome is a vinyl album designed with a monochromatic retro theme, with the six unique themes bound together into one extensive collection. The album, by its looks, shall be a relatively exclusive and premium item produced in minimal numbers. My vision for this album is to be utilized during fundraising events, which will ultimately benefit the park by raising funds and awareness to preserve its precious natural elements.
The design aims to be something other than mass-produced at a low cost or convenience for bringing around. Instead, it serves as a vision of how a designer’s work can bring people together by understanding the irreplaceable value of mother nature, which brought us beautiful things that can be experienced through visual and hearing, as reflected by the vinyl in the album.
