Given its distinctive “block” shape and consistent ambition towards a sort of aesthetic/cultural comprehensiveness, that the magazine K48 is so named seems appropriate – K48 was Apple’s top secret internal designation for the iPad. Like the iPad, K48 is a production subjected to rigorous physical specifications, but no Apple product could exceedthe level of intensely meticulous design work that goes into every issue. Covered with foil stamping and shipped in an individually numbered slipcase, K48 is fairly extravagant compared with any more prominent publication. There are even die cut pages and a rigid CD slip sleeve for an epic compilation album:

Ayshay – Jemsheed
Teengirl Fantasy – Cheaters
Work Tvk – Phntm Pwr
Brenmar – Paper Running
Blondes – Rude Boy
Nguzunguzu – _X_
Realness – Fade Shade
Unsolved Mysteries – Blood
Escandalo – Nocturning
Light Asylum – 12 Horsemen
Mirror Mirror – Nau Sau Ser Bil
Prayer Town – Super Predator (Live)
House of Ladosha – Witches of Bushwick
Salem – Las House Onna Lef
Ayshay – Shaytan

It’s hardly a surprise to see that a successful publication in contemporary print publishing will have gone to some effort to make a truly multimedia project or that a New York arts magazine would have a gallery opening to mark the publication of each issue, but K48 is clearly something special. Among other pieces, editor Scott Hug’s pet rabbit is interviewed, there’s a great gchat interview with Marc Jason, and I even found a single white feather tucked between two pages midway. Buy it here.

Issue 8 in it’s individually numbered slipcase.

Back page interior – the compilation album’s cover features editor Scott Hug’s bunny “Batty Hugs aka Tears in Rain,” who is compellingly interviewed by Laurtney in this most recent issue of K48.