A band logo is perhaps the ultimate statement of intent. But for a Parisian act best known for their brash sound and pivotal role in the rise of nu rave and electronic dance music, an emblem more closely associated with religious iconography might not seem like the most obvious choice. Ask anyone about Justice, however, and the first thing they’ll likely mention, aside from the anthems, is the cross.

“I was trying to design something that could be very iconic and simple,” explains Bertrand de Langeron. Best known as So-Me, the creative director of Ed Banger Records, he conceived the first iteration of the cross logo in 2005. “I’d been toying with it since the first single, Waters of Nazareth,” he states. “We then took it a step further to create their own shape: something that could become their own cross. The cross is everyone’s cross, but a cross with an inclination would become theirs.”

Accompanied by a striking black and white line drawing of a church organ, So-Me’s design for the Waters of Nazareth sleeve saw the cross substituted for a ‘T’, slotting into the middle of what would become the band’s logo. The duo would quickly adopt the emblem as an integral part of their identity, adorning the cover of their 2007 debut album and serving as its wordless title. As the music changed direction, so too would the cross, morphing from a simple outline to its latest form: a transparent 3D casing that houses a macabre living entity.