Psychedelic Music Videos 2014

Earlier this month, Submarine Channel screened some of our all-time favorite contemporary psychedelic music videos at the mind-blowingly brilliant Psych Lab Eindhoven. Through all the black-lights, performances by some of the world’s best psychedelic rock bands and trippy visuals, we felt suitably inspired to update our previous Top 5 Psychedelic Music Videos. Consider it our humble ode to the new-found interest in psychedelicvisuals in music videos, as filmmakers, designers and animators continue to reinvent the psychedelic visual language for the 21st century, where the emphasis is much more on tech tool explosions, creative mash-ups, and fractal code frenzies than on the mind-altering trips of yesteryear. Nuff said. All that’s left now is to watch these five videos, tune in, turn on, and… then share this with your friends on Facebook.

Need more? Watch over 100 psychedelic music videos in our 2Pause special collection.

1. Atoms for Peace – Before Your Very Eyes (dir: Andrew Thomas Huang)

Breathtaking visuals created using specially-written programs were used to capture director’s Andrew Thomas Huang’s innovative vision in the first of our music videos to be featured in our second Top 5 Psychedelic Music Videos. Throw in a mindblowing use of colors and a psychedelic vibe perfectly fitting Atoms for Peace’s track and you’re left with a spectacular and memorable promo. Definitely one of 2013’s finest!

2. Metronomy – I’m Aquarius (dir: Edouard Salier)

Although not so trippy in terms of editing and movements, this music video directed by Edouard Salier is nothing short of psychedelic when it comes to cosmical construction and design. The result is an out-of-space journey as kaleidoscopic and out-there as anything those magic mushrooms could provide.

3. Mouse On Mars – Cream Theme (dir: Zeitguised)

A 100% old-school, true-to-the-Psychedelic Rule Book but spectacular nonetheless promo directed by Zeitguised, the third music video on our list is a real feast for any hardcore fans of the genre. It even comes with the ultimate psychedelic cherry on top (a warning to not watch the video if you suffer from photosensitive epilepsy!) Presuming you don’t of course; prepare yourself for one hell of a ride!

4. Max Cooper and Tom Hodge – Fragments of Self (dir: Nick Cobby)

A black and white psychedelic music video seems as difficult to achieve as cooking a tasty meal without salt and pepper. We don’t know what type of chef director Nick Cobby is, but he’s definitely proven himself worthy of a mention with this psychotic monochromal promo for Max Cooper and Tom Hodge.

5. We Are Shining – Wheel (dir: Carl Addy)

For the final music vide of our list, it’s time for an areal of psychedelic techniques skillfully mastered by Mill+ director  Carl Addy in this music video for We Are Shining. Telling the story of a primitive man and his encounters with modern tribalism, fashion, music, sex and booze, the “Wheel” is also an ode to montage and to creating consciousness-expanding visuals out of a multitude of very different styles and sources.

So what’s your verdict? Are these vids worthy of “Eyeballs Will Bleed” title?

If you need a bigger dose to satisfy your thirst of psychedelic vids, don’t forget to check our special 2Pause dedicated section and subscribe to our Vimeo New Psychedelica channel!

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