Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The future of music and animation blended together!, February 3, 2002
This day and age, it's very difficult for something related to music to be unique. If you've heard one song, you're bound to hear something like it again. The same principle applies to animation; big-budget blockbusters loaded with special effects are becoming boring and tiring. But "Animusic" outshines all of this bloated blandness by giving us a completely new and unique experience unlikely to be found anywhere else.Essentially, "Animusic" consists of seven music videos that, back to back, run for 33 minutes. Sounds boring, doesn't it? But it isn't. Though it is a little short, the presentation of the "Animusic" videos more than make up for it. Each music video is a computer-generated movie in which instruments play music. Interested yet? Then hear this: each and every instrument plays each and every note precisely and exactly. That's right. It's obviously easy to make perform the same illusion and do a sloppy job of it, but "Animusic" goes through great lengths to create a visual and musical masterpiece of sight and sound that is, to say the least, perfect. Visually, "Animusic" rivals a lot of today's Hollywood blockbusters. Each video on the album is unique with different kinds of instruments to play the music. For example, "Aqua Harp" uses a harp combined with chimes, chellos, and pan flutes, "Future Retro" utilizes robot hand-played electric guitars and drums, and "Harmonic Voltage" plays using electronic lasers. The variety found here is so amazing it's difficult not to find something to like. And, as mentioned earlier, each instrument plays each note heard. Musically, it's phenomenal. Each song accompanies each set of instruments perfectly. All music is played using MIDI sounds, but they sound so crisp and lifelike it's magical. And again, it's difficult not to find favorites. Extras-wise, there's quite a bit here to find (if you have the DVD). Each video can be played indepedently, as a whole, or as a whole in a loop. There's also the option of listening to the entire thing with commentary by Wayne Lytle, the creator of "Animusic", who explains how "Animusic" was created and other things like that. A viewer can also watch a single video using a "Solo Cam", which focuses on a single instrument of the piece. Finally, a viewer can see galleries of early constructs of each video. With all that said, is "Animusic" worth it? Answer: without a doubt, yes. For someone not to like this video album, he either has to be cranky or very limited on taste. Anyone who sees "Animusic" will be captivated by it, and some people will even want to see it again right afterwards. Despite its unfortunate length of 33 minutes, the lasting appeal will more than make up for it. I can only hope that "Animusic" will get the attention and respect it deserves and that Wayne Lytle will impress us again with another video album.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Animazing!!, December 8, 2001
A quick piece of advice -- buy two. Otherwise the one you buy will never be home because you will loan it to everyone you know. This is simply amazing.It's a video album. The music drives the whole affair, and the computer generated graphics depict instruments from simple drums to lasers, plasma tubes, three-necked guitars, and things I can't even describe in words. The instruments play what you hear. It is a truly amazing spectacle that captivated me and my two boys, ages 15 and 8. We sat speechless through the first view/hearing. Both boys have watched it repeatedly since. This is the wavecrest of the future of multi-media. It's the "Dark Side of the Moon" to audiophiles, and the early "Synergy" efforts to computer music types, and the "Fantasia" of the modern world, all rolled into one. Don't be put off by the 33 minute length. It's a short VHS, but worth every penny. In addition to the seven diverse tracks, the DVD version carries solo camera angle footage and still shots, and an incredibly accessible commentary from the director with tons of technical info on production methods, instrument construction, and something about "algo-rhythms." Check it out.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Animusic leaves me in awe, December 9, 2001
The moment my Animusic VHS tape arrived in the mail, I popped it into the VCR to watch it.I was already familiar with Animusic's Wayne Lytle's work, from a short I had seen entitled "More Bells and Whistles", created in 1990. So I had a basic idea of what to expect. The video started with "Future Retro", a very nice piece, in which mechanical instruments play the music. The creativity in the instruments was stunning, with a guitar that had 3 ends, a flute-thing, and more. The drums were played by moving arms holding drumsticks. The composition was incredible, and the perfectly-timed animation made the piece come alive; it seemed as though the animated instruments were actually playing the song. Next up was "Stick Figures", in which the instruments play themselves with their arms. A very interesting concept, I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. Then came "Aqua Harp", in which a unique harp stands in a pool of water, under a starry night sky. The harp is actually four instruments: the harp-strings, tubular bells, air-flute-thing, and strings. The song was soft and slow, and matched the scene very well. This piece was incredible. Next was "Drum Machine", where the instruments are played by sticks attached to gears, which rotate to hit the drums. It was impeccably well-done, where even the gears attached to the other gears turn, and at a different speed. If you've ever wondered if a machine full of gears can create music, this will answer your question. Next was "Pipe Dream". This piece takes it's concept from one of the original instruments in the first production, "More Bells and Whistles", in which balls would shoot out of a central machine and hit the correct note exactly on time. Pipe Dream extends this, with every instrument being played by small metal balls shooting out of pipes, hitting the instument, and then re-entering a pipe. The timing was incredible, and seeing thousands of balls all creating music was an awe-inspiring sight. This animation was probably the most interesting. Then came "Acoustic Curves", which is probably one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have heard. The instruments are all arranged in a circular shape, (thus the name), and they play together with incredible timing. It all adds up to make a very exciting piece. Last but not least, "Harmonios Voltage" sizzles up my TV with it's slow and futuristic music. Lasers, plasma, and switches all come together to make this piece come alive. An excellent piece to end the video. I would recommend this video for anyone who enjoys any kind of music, it's totally awe-inspiring. I've watched it 3 times already and there is always something new to be seen. This video truly is a 5-star production!
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