The third outing in the Desert Island Stitch series is New Order’s “Low-Life,” originally released in 1985. This is definitely one of my favorite New Order albums, tonally its all over the place, in the the best way. From the pop jangle of “The Perfect Kiss” to the kick ass aggression of “Sunrise,” it runs the gambit. And of course the layered gorgeousness of “Elegia,” a tribute to the late Joy Division band mate Ian Curtis.

The cover itself was a departure for designer Peter Saville. It was graphically simple, containing no secret language of coded color shapes. It also marked the first time the band themselves appeared on their album. In an interview with the Guardian, Peter said that “the unexpected thing to do was a photo of New Order.” In an even more unexpected turn, the image on the cover is drummer Stephen Morris, whose photograph was “stronger” than singer Bernard Sumners.

For the piece, I debated on whether or not to include the text, as the packaging of the original pressing was a semi-transparent sleeve that the had the text printed on it. Ultimately I decided to stitch it in, and I’m glad that I did.

The piece took a bit longer than anticipated to complete, but I am really pleased with the result!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

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