Take An Interactive Ride Inside Vince McKelvie’s Generative New Video

September 22, 2014, 4:30pm

Last week, LA-based new media artist and webGL wizard Vince McKelvie teamed up with Chicago-based visual artist and designer Chuck Anderson to launch Electrical Pulse, an experimental, interactive video experience that accompanies a thumping techno track by producer Juno Akasawa.

By using his expertise in creative coding and real-time interactivity, McKelvie integrates stunning, color-saturated graphics of geometric forms and grids (with trippy lighting courtesy of Anderson) that grow and evolve generatively, all on your web browser. Furthermore, the viewer can play with the viewing angles and generate full-colored shapes that fill the virtual space with a retro-futuristic/cyberpunk aesthetic.

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“The visuals were inspired mostly by the music,” says McKelvie, and “the flow of the piece” became obvious once he started experimenting with the graphics and music linearly. He used three.js and dancer.js to create the generative animation, and blender for the 3D-modeling, while the experimentation, assembly, and sound-synchronization took longest to perfect.

As for the style, McKelvie explains, “There are some references to retro technology, but I use that style mostly because it renders quickly, it’s easy to implement, and has a nice aesthetic. The rock [graphic in] the piece was nice, too, because I could use its pieces as props or as a whole throughout the whole experience.”

“I was a fan of Juno Akasawa’s music for a long time and wanted to do visuals for one of his songs for a long time but we didn’t have the time or money,” McKelvie exlained. “I used [this project[ as an excuse to explore shaders in three.js (the landscape, the twisted sphere, all the post effects).” Check out Electrical Pulse here.

For more of Vince McKelvie’s web-based awesomeness, visit his website.