They're creating living, breathing organisms that evolve right before your eyes. Techno and rock-based music is at the heart of the movement. Glenn Miller's big band swing won't provoke the same vibrant, swirling vis shows as the latest tune by electronica artist Moby. But the vis movement is also a rebellion against disjointed MTV-like videos often used to augment aural treats. I saw videos playing on large screens in clubs, but it was unpleasant because while the DJ was playing a non-stop jam, we were looking at video clips of other songs.
New visualizations can live in the rhythm of our music, responding to velocity and spectrum.
Visualization themes vary widely. Iridescent, fiery circular shapes dominate Climax. Holiday Dancer features a buxom animated figure. Punkie weaves a black cross through smoky, surrealistic starbursts. Visualizations are available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux, although selections are much larger for Windows-based computers.