February 9, 2010 | Video | by Casper Johansson |

The hypnotic video for Syntaks’ Blue Sunshine features fleeting glimpses of half-remembered imagery, both heavenly and apocalyptic, and vertiginous shifts in scale superimposed over its creators’ faces. The clip was directed by Syntaks’ own Jakob Skott and stars his musical collaborator and romantic partner, Anna Cecilia. [Read a Secret Playlist by Syntaks, where they write about the music that is inspiring them right now]

February 8, 2010 | Video | by Kira Heuer |

Remember how, as a kid, teachers created an atmosphere of FUN as the best way to learn? It was an inspired place for imagination and support. Hmmm, well it seems adults get the short end of the stick, playing only a game of ’serious’ and ‘responsibility’. So when I came across this video, it was interesting to see life’s playground had merged into the adult world. Yipeeee! Adults need to have some fun, too.

February 3, 2010 | Video | by Casper Johansson |

Parisian electro act, Make The Girl Dance, have just launched their second single, Kill Me, based around the question: ‘what would you do if you only had eight days to live? With $30,000 in their pockets, they sped their way through America, fulfilling fantasies. The result? A rock and roll road movie, trash and tender, subversive and romantic, poetic and dirty.

February 2, 2010 | Video | by Zolton |

You gotta love the 80s, especially now that we can look back on it with rose-tinted glasses. Which is what it takes to comprehend the saccharine sweet naivety behind this ad created to explain, and justify, the bizarre decision by then President Ronald Reagan to launch a missile defense system based in the heavens. Ah, yes, bliss is ignorance. Or something like that.

February 2, 2010 | Video | by Michelle Wilding |

Infinity is my favourite track off The XX’s debut self-titled album, so watching the song being performed live is a real treat. Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim’s girl-boy harmonies are as beautiful as their deep lyrics and poignant compositions.

January 29, 2010 | Video | by Gerry Mak |

I’ve never seen puppets, 2D, and 3D animation used so well in one piece as this third short of a series of three made by PSST Pass It On, a collaborative project by a collective of designers, directors, animators, and musicians.

January 28, 2010 | Video | by Zolton |

Radiohead held an online contest to remix their epic, cascading track Nude from In Rainbows, and this was one of the more creative entries.

January 27, 2010 | Video | by Gerry Mak |

I’ve been revisiting the films of Chicago-based animator Jim Trainor lately and hoping he’ll release something new soon. I first saw the above film, The Bats, when I was living in the Windy City almost ten years ago, and it hasn’t lost its charm. Trainor’s main theme is describing animal behaviors via dry narration, drawing out the discomfort humans feel when confronted with both the ugly and the beautiful realities of nature.

January 27, 2010 | Video | by Gerry Mak |

The battle over copyright laws rages on as the old music industry continues to crumble. Copyright Criminals is a thought-provoking documentary tackling the issue via the controversy of hip-hop and DJ culture. I wonder if the people suing sample artists have thought about the fact that DJs are the primary reason why vinyl is still a viable format, not to mention the fact that they are one of the groups of people still dedicated to buying physical copies of music.

January 26, 2010 | Video | by Zolton |

The mighty Langhorne Slim has an amazing new animated video, Be Set Free, which was directed by Sami Lill and tells the tale of a liberating escape from the everyday with the simple indulgence of one’s own imagination.

January 24, 2010 | Video | by Zolton |

Prior to directing The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Terry Gilliam had a colourful past as a member of the brilliant comedy troupe, Monte Python, for whom he created this lavish title sequence, which intros their seminal 1983 release, The Meaning Of Life.

January 23, 2010 | Video | by Zolton |

John Lennon denied this track was ever about LSD. Really? Well, ok. Whoever created the Yellow Submarine animation was certainly, ah, influenced by the pleasures of the time. Lennon instead claimed that the song was based around a painting his young son Julian did of his childhood friend, Lucy O’Donnell, who sadly died from lupus disease a few months back.

January 22, 2010 | Video | by Hunter Peroff |

You know how something can completely escape your notice until it’s pointed out to you – and suddenly it’s everywhere? It was like that with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros for me. There’s been a tremendous hum (a more chilled form of buzz) about them online from all corners that I’ve only just tapped into, but boy am I glad I did. In principle, it’s the ex-Ima Robot front man embracing love, happiness, and community in a 10-piece ensemble. In practice, it’s part Arcade Fire, part Devendra Banhart, part unique, and a hell of a lot of fun.

January 22, 2010 | Video | by Zolton |

So it’s an oldie, but damn, it’s still a goodie. And in these tough times, well, it’s kinda nice to laugh at someone else’s obsessions. If only for 6 minutes and 49 seconds.

January 21, 2010 | Video | by Gerry Mak |

This fun installation — a collaboration between YesYesNo, The Church, and Inside Out Productions — allowed passersby to manipulate an amplified image of their body movements projected in psychedelic patterns onto the Auckland Ferry Building.