Description:

This video is made by placing incense in front of a speaker. Because the smoke particles are very light, they easily conform to the patterned pressure waves of music, but there are so many variables which effect the outcome that each time is never quite the same. After stumbling upon this beautiful phenomenon several years ago I have spent a great deal of time working on ways to make the smoke most expressive, and how to best photograph and film it. I have always wanted to make an official music video with it.

What you see is at once a truly analog visualization of the song while also being completely unique and crafted. While editing, there are so many ways to effect the smoke, and though my favorite always continues to be the single, original stream, I have also found that duplicating and mirroring the smoke accentuates certain elements of its expressiveness.

Every song naturally creates different smoke flows and formations, and patterns can even be found between genres, but the moment I found out about this contest I knew that Dust Bowl III would be perfect song for it. With the beautifully crafted sonic space and diverse array of well separated tones, Other Lives' music makes for both subtle and driving smoke. I encourage you to watch this video more than once in a row, as there will be more and increasing connections you mind can make between what it sees and hears. Especially visible in this video is the relationship between the mid and high tones, as is apparent in the fluctuations from the left to the right of the screen.

I am very fortunate to be able to apply my incense method to this song, as Dust Bowl III was the song that introduced me to the band, and has always remained my favorite. I hope to share this beautiful phenomenon of musical incense with wider audiences. I believe that this way of looking at music can help not to 'reinterpret' or 'represent' a song to viewers, but to transcend its sonic nature by providing a faithful visual counterpart which can only serve to help us find a deeper meaning for it in our own way.