When you first walk into a music store, what is the first thing you see? What’s sticks out from the collage of artwork? Below is a collection of album covers we think stand out from the bunch with it’s brilliant use of minimalism.

The xx – xx (2009)

xx is the first studio album by English indie rock band The xx. Produced by the group themselves, it was originally released by Young Turks Records on August 17, 2009 in the United Kingdom and was released on October 20 in North America.

Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works (2007)

Ire Works is the fourth album by American mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan. The seemingly meaningless coloured blocks found in the cover booklet can be deciphered with either the input box at or the coloured blocks on the back cover, which are arranged as the alphabet. Once deciphered, the code reveals a message, including a number of well known quotes by eminent individuals such as Arthur C. Clarke, Henry Thoreau and Richard Dawkins.

Beck – The Information (2006)

The Information is the tenth (and seventh major-label) studio album by American alternative rock musician Beck, released in October 2006 on Interscope Records. The album was issued with a blank sleeve and booklet and one of four different sheets of stickers for fans to make their own album art. Beck explained to Wired magazine he wanted no two copies of the CD cover to be the same: “The artwork is going to be customizable. The idea is to provide something that calls for interactivity.” However, because the album art concept was seen as a gimmick to bolster retail sales, The Information was deemed ineligible to enter the UK Albums Chart.

See the full list of minimal album overs over at mmminimal.