Solipsist

For the past few weeks I’ve been moving all my stuff from one place to another and, just days ago, finally procured internet in my new home. I still had access to the hive-mind via my phone but the lack of a physical keyboard and suitably sized screen during my leisure hours made keeping the site up-to-date a bit difficult. I’m kind of paranoid about not making all of you happy. I want to make you happy – no, I need to, desperately so. This is a fools errand I know, but there are forces at play beyond my control.  The imperative to continually deliver fresh internets to you all is so ground into my psyche that any choice my consciousness might have had in the matter has long since desiccated into a dusty, shriveled husk that bares no resemblance to its former autonomy.

My obsession lies not in collecting hits, likes or followers but in generating a more difficult to quantify resource: genuine affection. I want you to like coming here. I want you to be pleased to see I have updated. I want you to come back. Why? I dunno. If I did the preceding paragraphs wouldn’t be descriptions of my damage but an excerpt from my manifesto and, since I don’t have one of those, it’s best if we press on.

Unless I’m missing something I think my motivations are, at their core, fairly simple: finding something that is awesome is, in fact, awesome. And sharing that awesome thing with others, sans any ulterior, self-serving motive is even awesomer. I like awesome. I crave it. I need that shit, man. Ergo, this website.

Wait, what the fuck are we talking about? Oh yeah.

So I come back from my little hiatus and see a whole bunch of great suggestions. It appears you guys like awesome shit, too! And you like the awesomer act of sharing it with others. This is nothing new to me but I like being reminded of it all the same. It just feels good. Genuinely good. You know, that super-warm feeling that inexplicably rises through your chest but evaporates the moment it’s consciously acknowledged? That.

It was brief and moving and authentic and great so thanks, bros and bro-ettes.

The suggestion bin was packed with it’s usual random succotash of trippy ephemera but there were seven suggestions for one video in particular and, as I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, it’s the one attached to the top of this post.

Holy shit, it’s so good. It’s like a narration-less David Attenborough style documentary that looks as if it was filmed on the same planet that Wanderlust is from.

In creating SOLIPSIST, Andrew Huang struck a near-perfect balance between two approaches that are often at-odds: the nearly-impossible-to-duplicate-otherwise tactility of shot footage with the absolute-control wacked-out-ness that computer generated imagery affords. I think you’d agree that he’s straddled this fickle, narrow fence with a deftness that must make other directors jealous. Or, in the parlance of today’s youth, Mr. Huang’s got his swag on.

The making-of for this one is can’t-miss-fascinating so, once you’re done watching the film, make sure you give it a watch.

Massive thanks are due to Cosmo, Sarah, Hess, Diego Martintereso, zak standel, Sam Lillard and Garrett for making sure I didn’t miss this one. Word.

If you’ve got anything you’d like me to see, fill out this little form and share the love.

One more thing! If you haven’t seen Wanderlust yet, I recommend you do that next. Cheers!

[ SOLIPSIST ]

posted by respondcreate on Mar. 12, 2012 in Videos  |  tags: andrew huang, bizarre, colorful, hd, mind bending, nature, psychedelic, spiritual, trippy

In The Middle

I first watched this last night on my laptop and was instantly smitten. My initial assessment was that it was akin to looking through the windshield during a drive-thru car wash within What Dreams May Come. It’s an orgy of sloshing, intermingled color that’s constantly changing costume from a myriad wardrobe of morphing textures.  Anyways, after watching it on the laptop I was curious to see what it would be like on the big screen, so I hooked it up to my HDTV and took a seat on a comfy chair about fifteen feet away.

Whoa man.

I highly recommend you do the same and, if you don’t have a large screen available, just take a few giant steps back from whatever device your watching this on; it’s not so much about the size of the screen but your distance from it that’s important. When you do a whole host of imagery will present itself: people, landscapes, things; all fleeting but instantly recognizable. It functions similarly to Chuck Close‘s post-seizure paintings: up close they appear as a grid of imprecise, crudely rendered orbs and splotches while, at a distance, a psychedelic proportional face starts coming into view.

The attached was created by Morgan Beringer as part of a two-video set (the other one is equally hypnotizing and abstract so don’t hesitate to give it a watch) for Matthew Dear‘s recent release on Ghostly International, a label I whole-heartedly recommend you keep an eye on. Their track-record of top-quality releases (with videos to match) is a clear indicator that what they’re doing over there is special. Have you seen Brokendate? Also from Ghostly, also rad.

If you’re diggin’ this then be sure to check out Amalgamation, too.

[ Matthew Dear - "In The Middle (I Met You There) [ft. Jonny Pierce of The Drums]" ]

posted by respondcreate on Jan. 25, 2012 in Videos  |  tags: abstract, colorful, ghostly international, hd, matthew dear, mind bending, morgan beringer, music video, psychedelic, trippy

The Doldrums

Cheers to R.E. for sending us this fun, zone-out-retro-eye-candy music video created by Plastic Horse to promote Paul White‘s latest album, Rapping With Paul White. You can download The Doldrums as well as a few other choice cuts from the aforementioned release for free by clicking here or, if you’re willing to part with $9, the entire 26 tracks from either bandcamp or iChoons. Enjoy!

[ Paul White - The Doldrums [Animated Video] ]

posted by respondcreate on Jan. 19, 2012 in Videos  |  tags: animation, colorful, electronic music, eye candy, hand drawn, hd, music video, paul white, plastic horse, psychedelic, retro, trippy

Change

“How will I ever change, if I am willing to just stay the same?
And if I make a change when will it feel like I’m not just the same?”

Yes, please. Mellow dub grooves of CHLLNGR? Check. Operatic psychedelia-laced abstract sci-fi fantasy visuals (as directed by Chad Turner and Ryan Todd) that leave a pleasing 2001-esque aftertaste on one’s spiritual palette? Check. Turn down the lights, load the bits full screen, turn up the volume and get comfortable; I watched this three times in rapid succession and odds are you might, too.

Special mentions are due to Mike Rodriguez, Efrain Luna and Laura Southard who, along with Chad, did a fantastic job on the animation: top-flight work, y’all.

[ CHLLNGR - Change ]

posted by respondcreate on Dec. 27, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: animation, chad turner, chill, chllngr, colorful, dub, hd, mellow, music video, psychedelic, ryan todd, science fiction, space, trippy

Optimist

Michael Chichi, the man at the chewy center of Synaptic Stimuli, made this psychedelic kaleidoscope remix of Optimist, a film by Brian Thomson that was shot at Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple‘s annual Festival of Colors. It’s three-and-a-half minutes of floating mellow vibes buoyed by the ambient, dreamy sounds of Tycho. Enjoy the colors, y’all.

Click here to continue the chill.

[ Optimist (Collidescopic redux/remix) ]

posted by respondcreate on Dec. 06, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: chill, colorful, hd, holi, kaleidoscope, mellow, psychedelic, trippy, tycho

Machu Picchu Post

Clement Crocq, Margaux Duran-Rival and Nicolas Novali – three former students of Supinfocom Arles – cooked up this little gem as their final graduation project. Do yourself a favor: ensure 1080p is selected and wait patiently until a generous amount of bits load into your random access memory before clicking play; it’d be a shame to get interrupted once shit starts trippin’ balls. I’ll leave it to that…don’t want to spoil the surprise. Enjoy!

Click here to see other fantastic animated shorts by Supinfocom students previously posted on The Tripatorium™.

[ Machu Picchu Post ]

posted by respondcreate on Nov. 09, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: animation, clement crocq, colorful, flying, french, hd, inca, margaux duran-rival, nicolas novali, psychedelic, spiritual, supinfocom, tribal, trippy

The sculpture of AJ Fosik

“Working three-dimensionally has just always been more satisfying; I’ve always had the urge to build…I find, for me, it’s easier to express my ideas building things; actually making something.”

AJ Fosik creates fantastic, intricately detailed sculptures from wood, paint and nails. There’s not much more to say beyond that; his work speaks for itself. There’s two fantastic videos on the ‘tubes about AJ you should check out:
The first shows him at work – from the initial sketches to the final coat of paint – on the bust that adorns the cover of Mastodon‘s The Hunter. The second, an interview done by kwalitymedia, has AJ describing his motivations, inspirations and overall creative process.

A big thanks to lolo for writing in and introducing us to Mr. Fosik…cheers!

[ AJ Fosik ]

posted by respondcreate on Nov. 04, 2011 in Pictures  |  tags: art, bizarre, colorful, nature, psychedelic, sculpture, trippy

Sync

“The film is based on the idea that there is an underlying unchanging synchronisation at the centre of everything; a sync that was decided at the very beginning of time. Everything follows from it, everything is ruled by it: all time, all physics, all life. And all animation.” –Max Hattler

WARNING: There’s some serious flickering up ons so if you’re prone to seizures or don’t like flashing stuff I’d recommend not clicking play.

Come, let’s all join hands and get lost in the wormhole together: prepare yourself for nine minutes of some truly zone-out psychedelia courtesy of the talented Max Hattler. Full screen, headphones and a dark, quiet room are essential for a proper viewing; I don’t think the aforementioned will be enough to truly replicate seeing Sync as an installation, but you should try your best to emulate the ambiance.

Click here to read more about Sync and be sure to send some positive cosmic vibes towards Sam Lillard who submitted this to our electron harvesting array less than 24 hours after Max originally posted it to his Vimeo account.

Moar Max Hattler on The Tripatorium™: 1923 (Heaven)

[ Sync (by Max Hattler) ]

posted by respondcreate on Oct. 11, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: abstract, animation, hd, mandala, mathematics, max hattler, psychedelic, sound, trippy, wormhole

Brothersport

“I know it sucks that daddy’s dumb
But try to think of what you want;
You got to open up your,
open up your, open up your throat.”

Animal Collective tunes have a frenetic, driving, psychedelic energy to them that, more often than not, obscures all but a few snippets of the lyrics. I get the impression that there’s lots they’re trying to say at once and things get a bit jumbled in the delivery. This isn’t a bad thing though, sometimes a little bit of manic adds to the proceedings.

That being said, those four lines I shared at the top of the post cut right through the noise and deliver all the meaning you need. Sure, you could read the full lyrics to get the entire meat of the narrative, but the above verse summarizes it perfectly. For better or worse us humans have evolved to be perpetually dissatisfied with the culture that we’re born into. We want to change it, alter it, rework what we say and how we say it. But changing takes courage and mustering the courage to find your voice is some hard, torturous shit. The (currently) second highest rated comment on this video’s YouTube page is from ChrisKo692 who said, ‘they should show this shit on Nick JR’

True.

Jack Kubizne (with help from Chris Beegle) directed the visuals with Skaught Newcomb and Joseph Pollack contributing the excellent alien/creature animations. Lots of other talented folks were involved in pulling this music video together so hit up the info box here to get a full credit listing.

A big thanks goes to Sam Lillard, one of our most prolific contributors, who sent this in for our perusal. Cheers, Sam!

One more thing: if you’re a fan of Animal Collective definitely don’t miss the excellent video Ori Toor did for Lion in a Coma. It’s pretty rad.

[ Animal Collective - Brothersport ]

posted by respondcreate on Oct. 04, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: animal collective, animation, colorful, domino records, hd, jack kubizne, music video, psychedelic, trippy, wormhole

Sight

“The concept for this spot came to us in a dream and we’re still not sure what it all means.”

Hermes wrote in to let us know about a video ilovedust created as part of MTV’s recent worldwide rebranding campaign. It’s a quick, colorful psychedelic dive down the wormhole (with some fantastic sound design from WEVIE) that we whole-heartedly approve of. If you’re into this sort of thing then be sure to check out another MTV spot they created, Adrenaline Rush, that they recently posted to their Vimeo page. Enjoy!

Thanks, Hermes!

[ MTV Sight ]

posted by respondcreate on Aug. 15, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: animation, bizarre, colorful, hd, ilovedust, mtv, psychedelic, tribal, trippy, wormhole

Valleys of Neptune

This video has been out for a while now – over a year actually, which is basically forever in internet time – but we didn’t know about it ‘til Missy Shedlock suggested it to us back in May. We instantly loved it but refrained from posting cause, well, we couldn’t. Sure, it existed and all but never in a state that fulfilled the two core tenets of The Tripatorium™ simple, stringent posting policy:
1. Always search for an HD version of a video and, if found, post that one.
2. Any video that is posted must be watchable on the site.

The video Melissa sent in was in gorgeous 1080p HD but, because it was posted by VEVO (curses!), it had embedding disabled. Which is so inexplicably strange to me. They understand that I want to advertise their content for free, right? That I want to spread the word about the recently-released Jimi Hendrix album comprised of completely new material without expectation of payment of any kind? And they wonder why their precious ‘industry’ continues to hemorrhage money. It should also be noted that we found it on Vimeo but it was in standard-def (bummer).

Anyways, the video is so fucking great that I got fed up with waiting for someone else to rip and upload it that I did it myself with the handy-dandy Easy YouTube Video Downloader. I’m confident Jimi would be pleased with the bang-up, psychedelic, kaleidoscopic and colorful treatment String Theory employed to pull it all together. I also like to think Mr. Hendrix would be a fan of our humble little website if he were still around today so do yourself a favor and wait to watch this one until you’ve got enough time set aside to let the 1080p load full-screen and access to a nice sound system/pair of headphones that will enable you to give your maximum attention to the sonic stylings of a true master. Enjoy!

Thanks for sending this one in, Missy! Our sincerest apologies for not getting it up on the site sooner.

[ Jimi Hendrix - Valleys Of Neptune ]

posted by respondcreate on Jul. 20, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: colorful, fractals, jimi hendrix, kaleidoscope, music video, psychedelic, space, string theory, trippy, vevo sucks

Last Known Surroundings

Ptarmak (direction), Sissy Emmons (illustration) and David Hobizal (animation) teamed up to create this abstract, mysterious and psychedelic music video for the Austin-based post-rock outfit Explosions in the Sky. Good stuff, friends.

A big thanks goes to Niko for bringing it to our attention.

[ Explosions in the Sky - Last Known Surroundings Official Music Video in HD ]

posted by respondcreate on Jun. 27, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: abstract, animation, bizarre, david hobizal, explosions in the sky, hd, music video, psychedelic, ptarmak, sissy emmons, trippy

The Beatles

Advertisements, by their very nature, are usually pretty awful. The primary function of a commercial is not to entertain but rather to coerce; to compel the viewer to do something they otherwise might not want to. I went back and forth about whether or not to post this but decided in the end, hey, what the fuck, right? I mean, there’s a giant escalator that delivers the goddamn Beatles to a huge pair of eyes keeping watch over a fire-ringed rainbow waterfall that’s hovering above a towering blue marching elephant. This is exactly the type of stuff this site was created to showcase in the first place.

I like living in a society where goods are created and sold – I’m no idealistic separatist by any means – and if those products include marketing budgets for moving pictures I’d rather see that money go to production houses like Passion Pictures, especially if it means they have the resources to keep creating inventive and original stuff like this.

A big thanks goes to Arian for sending this one in. Cheers!

[ BEATLES Rock Band ]

posted by respondcreate on Jun. 27, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: animation, commercial, passion pictures, psychedelic, the beatles, trippy

Moonbeam Rider

More Steve Smith, more Slugabed, more Ninja Tune. All good things, friends. Ensure HD is on, click full screen, don the headphones and bask in the ever-shifting strangeness.

[ Slugabed-Moonbeam Rider ]

posted by respondcreate on Jun. 23, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: animation, bizarre, datamosh, electronic music, music video, ninja tune, pixelate, psychedelic, slugabed, space, steven smith, trippy

Fata Morgana 0.9

Don Whitaker, the mind behind Squircle Zoom, just completed another fractal video backed with a tune by Eskmo, one of the many fine artists from Ninja Tune. Serving suggestion: full screen + headphones. Enjoy!

[ Fata Morgana 0.9 ]

posted by respondcreate on Jun. 22, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: animation, don whitaker, eskmo, fractals, hd, ninja tune, psychedelic, trippy

Kaleido-Lapse

Colorful time lapse photography + Björk + Ratatat * Kaleidoscopic filtering = Some trippy business. Full-screen this bitch and bask in the vibes, friends.

Well done, RebootYourComputer, well done.

[ Kaleido-Lapse (Wanderlust -Björk (Ratatat Remix)) ]

posted by respondcreate on Jun. 06, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: amusement park, bjork, colorful, electronic music, hd, kaleidoscope, music video, psychedelic, ratatat, rebootyourcomputer, time lapse, trippy

Vismic Rhythm

Y’all remember Steven Smith, right? (hint-hint) He was kind enough to write in and tell us about one of his other psychedelic-funky-fresh videos (this one’s set to some Flying Lotus) that’s conveniently embedded above. Why not check it out? If they haven’t already Tim & Eric should consider hiring Steve cause he’s got a firm grasp on bringing the bizarre. Oh and it looks like he’s into this datamoshing thing, too! Nice!

Steve: we love your stuff – thanks for writing in! Cheers!

Previously: Geekdown

[ Vismic Rhythm ]

posted by respondcreate on Jun. 02, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: bizarre, colorful, datamosh, flying lotus, hd, music video, noise, pixelate, psychedelic, steven smith, trippy

Peace On The Rise

“We can sit around this fire and let our spirits ride on out; watch it as a flame gets higher. I can see it in your eyes, whispers on the rise.”

Hey, guess what? I have some fantastic news!. Chad VanGaalen just posted another music video for a tune he released on Sub Pop and it’s exactly what you’d expect: chill, psychedelic and über-trippy. Enjoy!

Patrick Smith, we are forever in your debt for passing it along...cheers!

[ Chad VanGallen - Peace On The Rise ]

posted by respondcreate on May. 24, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: animation, bizarre, chad vangaalen, chill, colorful, hd, music video, nature, psychedelic, sub pop, trippy

Lion in a Coma

We’re absolutely loving Ori Toor‘s final illustration project from the Shenkar School of Engineering and Design. He describes it as a ‘stream of consciousness animation’ that was pieced together frame-by-frame in flash sans any script or prior planning. It’s just marvelous, fluid and über-trippy. Full screen and headphones are a must folks. Tunes by Animal Collective.

A big thanks goes to Aaron Smith for another great submission. Cheers!

[ Animal Collective - "Lion in a Coma" ]

posted by respondcreate on May. 12, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: abstract, animal collective, animation, bizarre, colorful, graphic, hd, music video, ori toor, psychedelic, shenkar, trippy

Metal Spiderwebs

Some hand-drawn animated psychedelia courtesy of Chad VanGaalen (remember that rad video he put together for J. Mascis?) for his futuristic organic alter-ego Black Mold. Good stuff, folks!

A big thanks to J. Sherm for the heads-up!

[ Black Mold: Metal Spiderwebs ]

posted by respondcreate on May. 09, 2011 in Videos  |  tags: animation, bizarre, black mold, chad vangaalen, colorful, hand drawn, music video, psychedelic, trippy