The Priest of the Now, Peter Saville, drawn by Adam Villacin“Yes, the typography is a constant tilt at perfection; the placing of objects within a frame is supernatural and that sense of colour... But you need to talk to Peter to understand why Renaissance Popes would have employed him and never counted the cost. He is an analyst of culture and his own life that has no peer.‘- Anthony H. Wilson, co-founder, Factory Records, for Creative Review, 2003Mail Peter Saville Studio x@y.comThu, Feb 5, 12:24 PMDear Sam,I’m writing upon behalf of Peter. Apologies for the delay we’re very busy.Over several years working with Peter the only thing I have heard playing during the week is ancient choral music, Peter refers to it as ‘ambient gravitas’.I suggest you select from any of the following enclosed in the PDF.Warmest regards, Tom.Playlist: (Apple / Spotify)Indeed, when I am down or despondent, I’m just as likely to reach for a song as I am the audio of a Peter Saville interview, of which there are plenty. All circling the same general theories, but each contains a little turn of phrase or unique plummage.I saw a young couple yesterday, and one of them was wearing a Closer tee. For as reproduced and meme’d as the work of Peter Saville is, it remains as indelible, acid-free, and totemic as the moment it was born.This is the story of a Herb that didn’t happen (see my KLF, James Lavelle, and Insane Clown Posse ones). I attempted, on and off, for a couple of years to reach Peter, but I sort of knew it wouldn’t happen in full; yet one has to try. So we don’t have a true handmade playlist, but at least we now know what echoes through the hallowed work chambers. We can breathe the same air.Ambient Gravitas aka the power of the black turtleneck, photo by Wolfgang StahrSaville’s gift to design and to art as a whole is the tangible proof of the word “zeitgeist,” like that Jennings photo of lighting. He has said that finding that word filled him with a kind of relief, that his concern