5 Animated Music Videos That Will Trip You Out
As it turns out, you amazing readers liked being ‘impressed by music videos’ as much as I liked hunting them down. Fortunately for all of us, there is a boundless wealth of content down the internet rabbit hole. Here’s another collection of animated videos that could rival a Lewis Carrol fever dream.
1. When I Was Done Dying” by Dan Deacon
Even in an industry as creative as music, it is often difficult to see a project take a significant risk and stray very far from the mainstream. Dan Deacon takes those risks as part of his overbearing style, from his unconventional sources of sound-making to his whimsical take on electronic music. It stands to reason, then, that this Adult Swim partnered music video would be just as risky and unconventional. The vibrancy of sound and consistent trance-like beat hold the video together as nine different animators interpret the lyrics and mood of the song.
2. “Sandman” by The Kleenrz
Making live action and 2D work together is no small feat, but this video for “Sandman” pulls it off. The artists responsible, Opertura, use the face of The Kleenrz’s frontman as a backdrop for their friendly but unsettling animation. Soft forms and approachable character design give you a sense of security, but the textures and color palette make you question that security. It’s this juxtaposition that mirrors the primary theme of this track.
3. “Japanese Boy” by Takeshi Nakatsuka
While the other entries on this list employ traditional animation practices, this video from Hironori Sugie is an exercise in 3D rendering and motion graphics. There is too much visual stimulation to possibly process, but it is still truly a sight to see. Complicated forms popping in and out of existence to the beat and immensely detailed figures feverishly dancing along perfectly embody the erratic and heavily syncopated composition from Nakatsuka.
4. "Evoking Spirits" by Kingdom Crumbs
It’s common in animation (especially in low-budget animation) for artists to reuse sections in order to save time and money. If you notice it, it usually comes across as less dynamic or even lazy. Israeli artist Ori Toor, however, turns this technique into an intentional style choice that makes a single image a part of a collective ocean-scape. This video is proof that repetition done masterfully is just as compelling as hyper detail.
5. "Source" by Fever the Ghost
The last song on this list comes from the imaginative mind of Felix Colgrave. This bizarre story follows an old man and a dragon, as well as a pair of mysterious masked creatures, on a journey across space and time to throw the raddest dance party in the universe. From secret underground temples and sentient mountains erupting with energy to disco ball moons and ancient desert gods, this video has plenty of rich imagery to get your imagination going. Because in the end, aren’t we all masked creatures trying to leave it all out on the dancefloor?