It's already February so it's definitely time for our first record sleeve round up of 2011. First up is this illustrated sleeve for Sanso Xtro's new album, Fountain Fountain Joyous Mountain, just out on Digtalis Industries.

Limited copies of the album were pressed on brightly coloured transparent vinyl...

"It was all completely hand drawn with rotring pens," explains illustrator Fergal Brennan of the album's artwork. "The front cover image is taken from the music video I made for Melissa's [Sanso Xtro's real name] Hello Night Crow track. Although she's not credited, Melissa should really be down as co-art director for the album's artwork."

Brennan's video for Hello Night Crow is great, so here it is:

Sanso-Xtro - Hello Night Crow from Fergal Brennan on Vimeo.

Hello Night Crow credits:

Directed by Fergal Brennan
Stop-motion photography: Jeannie O'Brien & Fergal Brennan
3D Animation, camera tracking, compositing, audio-sync programming & drawn animation : Fergal Brennan
Rotoscoping: Malika Whitaker
Inbetweening: Synth Eastwood
Additional Photography: Melissa Agate

This is the artwork for the latest 12" release on International Feel: The Goddess by Bubble Club. Design by Phantom.

I love the lunar quality of the surface captured in the photograph on the cover of Nicolas Jaar's album, Space Is Only Noise, released via Circus Company. The photo is actually of the artist himself, aged 6 months old, and was taken by hs father, artist Alfredo Jaar, in Berlin as the wall came down.

Another wonderfully eye-catching sleeve for Grinderman, this time for new single Palaces of Montezuma - out on March 14. Design: Tom Hingston Studio. Illustration: Ilinca Höepfner

And last but not least, the new Hercules & Love affair album is an engraved marble affair. I can't work out whether or not the artwork was engraved for real on marble and photographed, or merely mocked up. Either way, it's really pleasing. And the limited double gatefold vinyl release carries the artwork really well. Art direction: Marcelo Burlon. Artwork: Murdoch. Label: Moshi Moshi Records