This is a review of DVDs related to visual music acquired and viewed between 2000 and 2009.

1. DVD viewings 2000-2005

Everything Everything (2000), directed by Tomato, music by Underworld [DVD] UK: Junior Boys Own

• British multimedia pioneers Tomato direct this DVD (also DVD-ROM). It is mainly composed of Underworld live performances, with live visuals by Tomato. It also contains numerous extras, such as the complete Tomato visuals for the shows. I had previously seen Underworld live (without visuals) at Rocks Club, Gaia, Portugal in 1996.

Man with a Movie Camera, 2003 edition (1929), directed by Dziga Vertov, music by Cinematic Orchestra  [DVD] UK: Ninja Tune

• Cinematic Orchestra were commissioned by Porto – European Capital of Culture 2001 to recreate the score to Dziga’s Vertov 1929 classic, Man with a Movie Camera. The movie uses a number of innovative and experimental techniques, and aimed to create a new language of cinema “on the basis of its complete separation from the language of theatre and literature”. In many ways, it is a predecessor of today’s fast-paced language of commercials, music videos and VJing. Although I didn’t see the live Man With a Movie Camera performance in Porto, I saw the band play most of the material shortly after in Lisbon (Lux club).

The Dead Texan (2004), directed by The Dead Texan [DVD] USA: Kranky

• The Dead Texan’s eponymous debut from 2004 is a CD/DVD with music and visuals by Adam Wiltzie and Christina Vantzis. The visuals are based on illustration and collage, apparently treated in Flash, creating a very unique atmosphere in articulation with the ambient music. I first saw The Dead Texan’s live audio-visual show at ZDB gallery, Lisbon, in 2005.

Motion Blur (2005), edited by onedotzero [DVD] UK: Laurence King

• A compilation of music videos and experimental sound-related motion graphics by UK collective onedotzero. The DVD is packaged together with a 240 page book, both focusing in over 20 artists. In 2005, I had the chance to see a onedotzero showcase at Kiasma Theatre, Helsinki.

2. DVD viewings 2006-2007

The following DVDs were bought or obtained from the directors during my presence at several festivals in 2007: Optronica, WRO, VJ Factory, and Videofestival Bochum.

Selected Video Works 2001-2006 (2006), directed by Scott Pagano [DVD-R] USA

• I first saw Scott Pagano’s work at his performance at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, during Optronica 2007. He uses high resolution photography, contrasting technology / architecture with nature, and using complex masks, to create a very original visual language.

Ten Films (2006), directed by Oskar Fischinger [DVD] USA: Center for Visual Music

• This DVD is an excellent compilation by the Center for Visual Music of Fischinger’s abstract visual music animations, dating back to the 1920′s. The DVD was obtained after the talk at Optronica by the Center for Visual Music’s Cindy Keefer.

Worlds in Flux (2007), directed by Semiconductor [DVD] UK: FatCat Records

• Semiconductor use programming to create virtual universes that react to music. These universes take surprising shapes, and are populated by humanoid characters, birds, micro-organisms and inter-planetary systems. I first saw their work at Optronica 2007, in a IMAX screen – the most impressive show at the festival, in my opinion.

Living Stereo (2006), directed by Brian Mackern [DVD-R] Uruguay

• In Living Stereo, Brian Mackern combines geometrical interactive objects and images sampled from cinema classics to manipulate sound loops. The end result is extremely elegant and evocative. His performance at WRO 2007 festival awarded him a honorary mention of the jury.

Catalogue (2006), directed by Pink Twins [DVD] Finland: Pink Twins Media

• Pink Twins performed at VJ Factory 2007 event in Tallinn, combining highly saturated abstract graphics, heavily processed images and very distorted sound to achieve an intense experience. Their universe was captured into DVD, spanning their work since 2001.

Path to Abstraction (2007), directed by Quayola [DVD-R] Italy

• Davide Quayola presented at Videofestival Bochum 2007 his latest work, a set of very cohesive minimal graphics reacting to techno tracks. All the videos share a black background and move along the vertical axis.

Aviorama (2007), directed by MFO [DVD-R] Germany

• MFO presented at Videofestival Bochum 2007 their Aviorama project, as a 3 screen projection. It uses footage of airports and related imagery to convey a poetic and dreamy atmosphere. Their demo DVD focuses on Aviorama, and includes the 3 projections, reduced in size to fit one screen.