LEGO builder Adnan Lotia is a self-described Rumpelstiltskin who “converts music into LEGO.” Specifically, he takes classic album covers that we have spent hours zoning out to as our favorite songs play and somehow breathes new life into them as truly inspired 28 x 28 mosaics. Squint your eyes and they look like the real thing! Take this recreation of Aerosmith’s 2001 album “Just Push Play” featuring the fembot artwork of Hajime Sorayama (don’t image search him if you are at work). The dazzling chrome of the original is achieved with the most subtle combination of blues. Eagle-eyed viewers will note the edge of the dress features the brand new yellow 3 x 3 macaroni tile that I have only seen in 43202: The Madrigal House.

What I love so much about his work is that he could have just done a lazy pixel to 1×1 round-tile conversion like in the Beatles mosaics. Instead, he uses unique parts to do this amazing optical mixing trick that totally destroys my brain. Look closely at each mosaic and you will see they are full of tiny visual puns: the orange bars that somehow reproduce neon on a Dave Matthews Band cover, the 2×3 plant leaf that turns into Prince’s chest hair, the blur logo that looks like it has always been represented in LEGO tiles.