Dead Oceans

Dead Oceans

00:36

The visual evolution

Dead Oceans

Two silhouetted people stand in a dimly lit room with a desk, laptop, and wall covered in photos, notes, and clippings

play video

Two silhouetted people stand in a dimly lit room with a desk, laptop, and wall covered in photos, notes, and clippings

People mingling at an indoor event, with several attendees standing and talking in a warmly lit venue

For this indie record label, a logo is more than a few pixels on a screen. It defines an entire identity.

Project name

The visual evolution

Collaborators

Secretly Group

FISK

Category

Music

Links

Dead Oceans website

FISK website

Products used

Dropbox

Record label Dead Oceans, home to artists like Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, and Phoebe Bridges, knew it was time for a rebrand. After 18 years, the logo that once represented them no longer fit. Inspired by a shower curtain, it had been built for a much smaller label. They turned to design agency FISK for a bold reimagining.

People mingling at an indoor event, with several attendees standing and talking in a warmly lit venue

Two people stand behind a DJ booth with turntables and a mixer

“Record labels are built on their heritage, but the trick is finding success by looking forward.” —Miles Johnson, Secretly Group

00:36

The visual evolution

Dead Oceans

play video

FISK designed new wordmarks, merch patterns, and roster-defining graphics that fit who Dead Oceans had become and where they were going.

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Throughout the project, teams working between Portland, OR, New York, and London used Dropbox to fuel cross-timezone handoffs between label and agency, keeping files and feedback creatively aligned and focused throughout the process.

Wall installation with large black text reading “DEAD OCEANS LIFE IS PEOPLE,” with “2007” and “2025” near the bottom and a small spotlight on the floor casting light upward

Two people stand behind a DJ booth

Event DSCF9692.jpg

Poster with a white background and large dark text reading “LIFE IS PEOPLE.”

Event DSCF9490.jpg

Event DSCF9972.jpg

White tote bag hanging on a clothing rack, printed with a coral abstract figure and the text “Dead Oceans / December 09, 2025.”

Event DSCF9475.jpg

Large wall poster made of six colorful panels arranged in two rows of three, each labeled “DEAD OCEANS”

Event DSCF9474.jpg

Black background with large white text at the top reading “DEAD OCEANS.”

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