”Max is a visual programming language for music and multimedia developed and maintained by San Francisco-based software company Cycling ‘74. During its 20-year history, it has been widely used by composers, performers, software designers, researchers, and artists for creating innovative recordings, performances, and installations.”
BRDG is an audio/visual project of +MUS, an electronic music label that arose from the Tokyo Max Users Group, a grassroots network of artists and geeks whose aim is to share techniques, disseminate information and hold events centered around Max/MSP/Jitter.
This, the fourth/latest release of BRDG is a collaboration between the Kobe based electronica producer hazcauch and VJ/Max-aficionado vokoi. Videos like these can easily devolve into filter overload where tasteful restraint is cast aside in favor of displaying as many ‘cool fx’ as possible. vokoi avoids this trap by letting the emotional cues in the music dictate the intensity so when it’s dialed back (at 1:17, for instance) it primes the pump for the transition to four-on-the-floor (at 1:50) and the eventual return of the break beats (2:22).
So yeah, get those headphones out, crank the volume and get this loaded full-screen. Enjoy!
[ [BRDG004] hazcauch × vokoi ]
posted by respondcreate on Oct. 17, 2011 in Videos | tags: brdg, colorful, electronic music, hazcauch, hd, japan, jitter, max, msp, music video, plusmus, trippy, vokoi
I’ve always wanted to travel to Japan. From my perspective as a westerner it seems as if going there would the closest I could get to visiting another planet without first having to leave this one. I can remember being in middle school during the early 90s and setting an alarm on Friday night so I wouldn’t forget to wake up and watch the Saturday Anime block on the Sci Fi network. Those mornings were formative for me: I’d be up before the sun, slack-jawed-and-in-awe in front of the tee-vee as my brain booted itself into consciousness on such audio/visual feasts as Record of the Lodoss War, Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Vampire Hunter D.
“Where did this come from? Who made this?”
The attached film by Alex Lee starts to answer those questions by stringing together a succession of fleeting moments that provide insight into this unique, vibrant place. The speed of the film will quickly shift from fast to slow and back again, pulling your focus into attention on a face, a movement or a landscape for a quick instant before moving on to find another, driving home the point that there’s plenty more to see. Alex’s choice for a backing track couldn’t have been more perfect; what better way to evoke another world then a collaboration between Flying Lotus and Thom Yorke?
This one’s a winner so gratitude is due to Aubrey for sending this one our way: it was a treat…thanks, Aubrey!
[ TOKYO SLO-MODE ]
posted by respondcreate on Oct. 13, 2011 in Videos | tags: alex lee, colorful, contemplative, flying lotus, hd, japan, slow motion, thom yorke, tokyo, travel
“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)
posted by respondcreate on Oct. 11, 2011 in Videos | tags: abstract, animation, hd, mandala, mathematics, max hattler, psychedelic, sound, trippy, wormhole
“As part of the M1 motorway upgrade scheme the Highways Agency (Yorkshire and Humber) closed the A1, North Yorkshire between Junction 60 (near Darlington) and Junction 49 (Dishforth). Saturday 9 April - Sunday 10 April 2011”
Time lapse has a way of distorting reality that can sometimes provide new perspectives beyond the obvious ‘this is what things would look like if everything moved faster.’ For one, I never noticed how construction equipment looks a lot like insects. Another: human beings have come a long way. If it was possible to significantly increase the time lapse interval (from seconds to centuries) we could witness first hand the insane reality that we’ve gone from nomadic hunter-gatherers to bridge-builders(/destroyers) to iPhone designers in just a handful of millennia. Whoa.
James Miller (the chap who created this) made the right call for the soundtrack; Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà‘s I. Relaxed Groove is anything but, tumbling along with a frentic, exacting precision that’s a fitting compliment to what’s happening in frame.
A big thanks to Ian Bertolacci who suggested we check it out. Cheers!
[ A Bridge Too Far ]
posted by respondcreate on Oct. 09, 2011 in Videos | tags: construction equipment, evolution, hd, james miller, night, technology, time lapse
The attention to detail is what makes this stop-motion animated short by Olivier Trudeau so fantastic. The inclusion of subtleties like swirling, hanging dust motes or a quick cutaway to an in-the-sand foot pivot plus some tight foley work make it a treat for the eyes and ears. This one’s a keeper. Full screen and headphones are mandatory. Enjoy!
[ Ninja ]
posted by respondcreate on Oct. 07, 2011 in Videos | tags: animation, hd, ninja, olivier trudeau, stop motion, violence
“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
I spent a fair bit of time mulling over the title of this post. It’s like, maybe you’re already a fan, right? In the end I figured you wouldn’t mind as, if you do watch the show, you probably fucking love it and want other people to watch it, too.
(Quick aside: I’m not being paid to write about Community; I honestly and truly love it.)
I’ve run the numbers and, if you’re a fan of this site I’m fairly certain Community is squarely up your alley. I mentioned the show during the holidays last year – they created a pitch-perfect Rankin/Bass style Claymation episode – and, now that Season 3 is underway, I figured it was worth bringing up again. This is television that is worth your time, it’s a breath of non-derivative fresh air. There’s a creative feedback loop going on between all the involved parties (writers/cast/art-direction/design) that continually produces triple-distilled doses of potent, grain-alcohol-strength intoxicating entertainment. Community routinely delivers something that has (sadly) become a rarity: episodes that hold-up in the vacuum of the half-hour time slot while simultaneously advancing season-spanning, complex, satisfying and believable narratives. Plus, it’s often wonderfully bizarre in unique, unexpected ways so when Thursday night rolls around I’m often giddy wondering what’s going to happen next at Greendale. The attached is a great example of that.
I tend to be an annoying tee-vee purist who will tell you that it ruins the watching experience to start a new series with anything other than Episode 1, Season 1. And, hey, if you’ve got access to the discs/streams then by all means go ahead and have at it. But, if you don’t, no worries: turn down the lights and click play, you won’t be disappointed.
[ Geography of Global Conflict ]
posted by respondcreate on Oct. 01, 2011 in Videos | tags: bizarre, colorful, community, dan harmon, hd, nbc, politics, trippy, tv, united nations
”Sam and Ze‘s idea was to bring people from different worlds together through their shared inspiration and love of music. Thus N.A.S.A. was born, with unlikely collaborations like Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Karen O, and Fatlip on one track, George Clinton and Chali 2na on another, as well as Tom Waits and Kool Keith on yet another.”
One of our regular readers, Tate, wrote in and suggested we check out N.A.S.A., a Gorillaz-esque collaborative music project founded by Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon that spans coasts and continents – hence N.A.S.A (North America South America – involving loads of talented folks. The attached video taps the talent of legendary MC Kool Keith (whose releases as Dr. Octagon are personal favorites of mine) and Tom Waits whose gravelly tones compliment the rhymes and beats rather well. Oh, and video is dope too!
The team at Fluorescent Hill did a fantastic job with the creative direction/visuals, especially Mark Lomond, Johanne Ste-Marie and Jacques Khouri whose animation talents shine. Full screen and headphones are a must for this one. Strap in, mellow out and enjoy! Thanks for the heads-up, Tate! Cheers!
[ N.A.S.A. "Spacious Thoughts" (feat. Tom Waits & Kool Keith) ]
posted by respondcreate on Sep. 30, 2011 in Videos | tags: animation, colorful, fluorescent hill, hd, hip-hop, kool keith, music video, n.a.s.a., tom waits, trippy
It’s hard to explicate what it is about synthesizers that elicits an instinctual positive response from the music approval synapses of my brain. With all this recent deadmau5, dubstep and ‘electro’ business as of late I sometimes have to remind myself that people used to hate this shit. It’s worth noting that I never liked electronic music simply because ‘they’ hated it; I liked it because I liked it. But why? I dunno. I think part of it has to do with the lack of vocals – I’m partial to constructing my own personal narratives when the headphones are on – or maybe it was because these sounds were often found alongside subject matter about technology, a subject I’ve always been enamored with. But that’s not entirely it either. There’s something about synthesizers that transports me to somewhere else which, it turns out, is a place I’m constantly trying to get to. In that regard Com Truise fits the bill. Ghostly International describes him as the ‘master of the transporting synth odyssey’. They’re his label so we can forgive the hyperbole but still, the description is apt.
The video itself, like the tune, is decidedly retro and seasoned throughout with numerous stylistic nods to the early 80s but don’t dismiss the 10lb Pictures created visuals as merely a lazy grab for nostalgia. There’s a tasteful restraint at work here that has brought me back for additional viewings. The flavors are ‘right’; it works. Grab your headphones, click full screen and above all else: enjoy!
posted by respondcreate on Sep. 28, 2011 in Videos | tags: 10lb pictures, animation, com truise, contemplative, electronic music, ghostly international, hd, music video, retro, wormhole
Aramaki Koji used the glitched-out synth-heavy breakbeats of Kamome Sano as a template to stitch these fantastic abstract, tightly animated visuals to. They sync up beautifully; it’s a treat to take in. Headphones are necessary for this one, friends…enjoy!
[ WAVE REFLECTION ]
posted by respondcreate on Sep. 26, 2011 in Videos | tags: abstract, animation, aramaki koji, colorful, electronic music, hd, kamome sano