I was first made aware of this DVD from a video clip on PBS. It is an excellent program, at least on the same par as the "Mind's Eye" computer animation series, with the usual technical advances in the art since "Mind's Eye" was produced.
The quality is excellent, both visually and aurally. I always thought that computer animation and music could be successfully integrated in some way, and "Animusic" is the successful result. Unlike other computer animation subjects, where the music drives or complements the action, in "Animusic," the music IS the action.
The viewer is transported to a futuristic concert where the musicians are complex, sophisticated computers and intelligent instruments, able to weave many intricate melodies and harmonies at once, playing instruments that are very futuristic -- laser-beam-controlled guitars, a four-handed drum kit, violins that seem to play themselves, string and metal harps played by flying balls, huge clockwork drum kits, high-voltage musical transformers, and other fantastic, out-of-this-world musical instruments of the sort that one might find only in a science fiction novel.
It is easy to see how one can be drawn into the different musical settings and be mesmerized by the music and the visual surroundings. In addition, this DVD has various "angles" available on each track that allow the viewer to watch a separate instrument as it is played or sits idle over the course of the selection.
This DVD is a very good starting point for those who have never before experienced computer animation firsthand. The producers have done a splendid job on "Animusic" by making the music literally come alive.
There are seven selections on this DVD: 1. Future Retro 2. Stick Figures 3. Aqua Harp 4. Drum Machine 5. Pipe Dream 6. Acoustic Curves 7. Harmonic Voltage
Each selection conveys a different mood, using unique instruments and realistic backgrounds. My personal favorites are 1, 5 and 7.
Kudos to Wayne Lytle!