Visuals in Electronic Dance Music: Exploring the Fusion of Art and Music
EDM's Multidimensional Evolution: How Visual Art Shapes the Music
It is in the 21st century that we are being able to experience Electronic Dance Music as if we are part of a Utopian Sci-Fi fantasy. This is all due to the constant technological advancements in the visual arts & animations, and it has integrated itself into the scene as part of the true EDM experience.
In the early days of electronic dance music, the emphasis was mostly on the music rather than the performance or the visuals of the music’s artwork. DJs would play in the dark with minimal visual effects, but the present industry has evolved into a multimedia force. Today, it is no longer enough to simply have great music; DJs must employ various visual arts to create an all-encompassing sensory experience. These elements, from album artwork to set visuals, help establish a DJ's brand and enhance their music. Through this, two art worlds merged and collaborated into one.
Anyma
An example of this is the concept behind the artist Anyma. This artist is considered an artistic project and ideal where the goal is to fuse both Sci-Fi generated animations in everyday life sets and festivals. Creating the visual effects part of their own artistic identity, aside from their music.
Tiesto
Another example is the new album Drive released on the 21st of April by Tiesto, where he recently published on his youtube channel the enhanced audio-visual effects of the entire album, creating a continuous DJ mix. Encompassing alongside the image of his new album and the logo.
DJ/Producers x Visual Artists…
ODESZA X Landis and Luke Tanaka
There are now a variety of names of talented visual artists that are helping define the brand of your favorite EDM acts, for example, the sibling duo Landis Tanaka and Luke Tanaka who used Cinema 4D and Octane to create the visuals of the duo ODESZA made up of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, and their album A moment apart. This duo has achieved remarkable success and has been a household name in the industry since 2012.Rezz x Luis Colindres
Another distinguished artist is Luis Colindres, you might know him through his spooky album covers of the DJ Rezz, also known as Isabelle Rezazadeh, who has a side from creating artworks for her albums, has created music videos and a 60-page comic book to accompany her album Mass Manipulation.Zeds Dead x Babekhul Studios
Lastly, we could not skip mentioning Zeds Dead. This Canadian duo has been producing music since 2007 and has since then skyrocketed to fame since their remix, Eyes On Fire. This masterpiece was generated by Babekuhl Studios, who since 2014 has helped the duo create their signature in the visual realm.
Babekuhl has provided them with illustrations, tour posters, vinyl art, cover art, set visuals, and an overall brand identity for the duo and their Deadbeats label.
Visual art has become an essential component of EDM performances, with DJs relying on visual artists to create an all-encompassing sensory experience. This fusion of visual and auditory elements is the key to a memorable performance.
Are you interested in knowing more about the behind-the-scenes of these insane visuals? Go check out the following video
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Written by Luna Mongrut