The Royal Studio sidesteps electronic music clichés in MXGPU’s brand

When Moullinex and GPU Panic began merging their live sets, something beyond collaboration emerged – a unified performative entity that needed its own visual language. The Royal Studio, tasked with crafting the identity for this new alias MXGPU, found their anchor point not in conventional music branding territories, but in a geometric symbol born from the duo’s stage configuration itself. The triangular form at the identity's core isn’t decorative symbolism. During performances, the two artists position themselves face-to-face with vertical electronic racks in an enclosed area. A laser fixed above rotates at strobe speed, creating a triangular shape that encloses both performers from the audience’s perspective. “On the digital elements this shape is enforced by the usage of angular shapes and vertical tension that is spawned by the centre of both the composition or the central element of the logo,” João Castro, Founder of The Royal Studio, explains. “It is the unity and focal point for MXGPU as the origin.” This physical staging informed every subsequent design decision. The Royal Studio selected Extraset’s Klarheit family for its dual nature – geometric forms from the mid-70s meeting the structural precision of grotesk typography. “This allows for striking large-scale applications – perfect for strobing and light leaks – while maintaining precise, sharp and electric text that communicates with minimal hesitation,” Castro notes. The typeface needed to perform across wildly different contexts: vinyl sleeves, live performance visuals, streaming platforms, and audio-reactive formats that pulse with the music itself.