Animusic 2

As I wrote in my glowing review of the first Animusic (VL-9/04), “new age meets electronica meets jazz fusion meets computer animation in this eye-popping collection of ear candy.” Compiling eight new CGI music videos from amazingly talented creator/composer Wayne Lytle, featuring bizarre hybrid instruments serving up toe-tapping instrumental fare, standouts here include the percussion-heavy “Starship Groove,” featuring a jammin' robotic band; the lovely “Resonant Chamber,” played on a six-necked guitar by what look like disembodied mechanical crab legs; the mind-bogglingly intricate sequel “Pipe Dream 2” (pipes spit out an array of balls that fall on a wide variety of surfaces to create mesmerizing synthesizer harmonies), and “Cathedral Pictures,” the only non-original piece of music, drawn from Mussorgsky's “Pictures at an Exhibition”—all presented with precise note for note integration between the music and the visuals. Featuring both room-encompassing Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo sound, this “special edition” DVD also includes a handful of extras: the choice of widescreen or full screen, director's commentary, multiple camera angles, split screen viewing, behind-the-scenes set construction shorts (time-lapse recreations of each virtual set), and stills. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)