Rakamakafon
In 2025, three relatively young professionals opened Sofia’s first vinyl pressing plant since the closing of Balkanton in the 90s.
They called it Rakamakafon – inspired by the widely misheard lyrics of the Finnish smash hit “Freestyler” by Bomfunk MC’s – “rock the microphone”.
Now that they had a catchy name, they needed an overall visual identity to go in tune with the brand itself – a modern twist on an old-school craft.
The concept
How do you make something as precise and technical as a vinyl pressing plant feel modern, distinctive and true to its roots?
The brief was to bring together three things: the precision of the process, the visual language of Bulgarian graphic design from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and the heritage of vinyl itself. The challenge was to reference all three without turning the identity into a retro revival.
Pressed between the past and the future, we came up with a visual identity that feels current, yet embossed in tradition.
The execution
We didn’t go for a vintage look, even though the product naturally carries such an association. Instead, we took elements from industrial design and the Bulgarian graphic school and reduced them to something clean and current – a logo and identity inspired by the rhythm of the process.
The logo is a record caught between two presses, above and below: a memorable symbol where on Side A you have the tradition of vinyl-making, and on Side B – its new history.
This concept gave the identity a meaningful foundation that could be translated across different formats and materials through a consistent visual language – print materials, website development and design, printing dies, business cards, keychains, and much more.
The result proves what’s possible when a clear client vision and a strong creative direction are truly in sync.