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Harry BennettStudio René Bieder’s five-century-inspired, super sharp serif Spyk is both Hulk and Bruce Banner
Berlin-based type designer René Bieder is continuing his promise to release a new typeface on a monthly basis; welcoming the third into the world following the launches of Kreol and Multima. Switching up the genre once again, Spyk is a comprehensive serif family that is as striking as it is spiky. Discussing Spyk in the context of its predecessors, Bieder tells us, “I didn’t feel like I was working in any genre when I designed it,” instead opting to jump between and across multiple. “It’s a bit of this and that, but somehow too modern to have a historical reference,” he continues, “it’s just hard to grasp; that’s why it doesn’t want to be compared,” drawing on five centuries of typographic legacy, history and tradition.
Despite its genre defiance, Spyk is a meticulous workhorse of a typeface, channelling a wild and slender manner and form across its display and text versions. “They’re actually two different fonts,” Bieder remarks, noting fundamental differences in the stroke width and pronounced ink traps. “The elegance of the display version gives way to an almost brutal muscularity,” he details, “a bit like Bruce Banner and Hulk,” wanting to create a typeface capable of both states; reserved and outlandish.
As per Studio René Bieder’s previous releases, Spyk features a playful collaboration with Berlin neighbour and branding agency Lit Create, who designed a multi-layered poster that comes free with every complete family licence. Starring both Spyk’s display and text styles, the poster proudly champions the phrase ‘don’t fuck with me cactus,’ layered with a friendly ghost-like rendering set in special glow-in-the-dark varnish. If you’d like one once your order is placed, please email your receipt and contact details to [email protected].
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