Audio Reactive Visuals

Music visualisers are fairly commonplace from standalone players (like the classic WinAmp) to YouTube videos. I wanted to create a music video for a drum n’ bass track that went a step further by separating each layer of the music (bass/drums/vocals). This allowed for more personal freedom and a unique visual motif for each instrument.

The visuals were generated as a series of experiments in Processing, which analyzed the amplitude and animated graphics accordingly. The aim was to make each visual distinct and characteristic of the sound (like a sonar graphic for bass). The waveform in particular is used to distinguish the analogue and organic nature of the human voice. I utilised these outputs and arranged them in After Effects, matching them with the original track alongside some complementary visuals (the sea backdrop) aligning with the theme of the track (Sea of Tears). The result is a music visualiser/music video hybrid!