Behind The Artworks: Shade - The Exploitation Tapes (2026)

The artwork for “The Exploitation Tapes” is designed first and foremost as an extension of the EP’s concept. Since the record is built like an anthology of B-movie segments, the cover needed to feel like it belonged to that same universe of pulp cinema. It acts as a doorway into the world these “films” come from. A lot of exploitation cinema revolved around bold imagery and iconic poster characters, often centered on a striking female lead. We wanted to play with that cliché consciously rather than reproduce it passively. The woman on the cover commands the frame. She stands there as someone who knows exactly what kind of cinema she’s about to walk into, and who enjoys it for what it is: camp, violence, absurdity, style, and attitude. She mirrors the EP itself: aware of the tropes, comfortable with them, and willing to lean into their theatricality. “The Exploitation Tapes” celebrates the unspoken joy of embracing the creative freedom that comes from not pretending to be respectable.

 

The shot was taken by photographer extraordinaire Joanna Ben Souissi.