Partitura 001

This is a generative visualization that translates music into a visually-expressive form. I like how it reads like sheet music with “notes” moving across the page from left to right, with different geometries used to represent various instruments as they get added — the large spheres and spark-like forms for the different sounds of the synthesizer. There is a certain playful spontaneity with the form that is balanced by the precise rhythm of the beat. When it starts, the soft notes of the keyboard are conveyed with long DNA-like strands. As the piece continues, the smooth forms of the strands evolve into harsher geometric shapes, which was a little jarring. This visualization was created using software called Partitura; the site mentions that artists like Wassilly Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Oscar Fischinger and Norman McLaren inspired the software’s capabilities. Partitura also allows for elements like shadows and lighting effects, creating an almost-photorealistic effect.

The Formula

This generative form is a Mandelbulb, a 3D version of the Mandelbrot fractal. It was made with OpenGL Shading Language that uses the graphics processor to ray trace the fractal’s mathematical surface. The result are images that reveal even finer details upon closer inspection. The camera positions in the video makes it appear that we’re viewing corals on the ocean floor while swimming through crystal-clear water; the fractal details are stunningly sharp. The lighting is well done, and there are some nice visual effects that are timed to the background music. Some of the formations later in the video, coupled with the dark music, seemed a bit grotesque and disturbing, yet beautiful at the same time.