Before there was the GIF, people got their fix of short form animation from something called a phenakistoscope, a circular device invented in 1832 that created the illusion of a moving picture. Thanks to artist and designer Drew Tetz, the phenakistoscope is making a comeback in moving media entertainment. In the new music video for Los Angeles beat junkie Daedelus' "Special Re:Quest," Tetz creates a montage a trippy visuals with his own set of custom phenakistoscopes.
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Screencap by the author
The phenakistoscopes in "Special Re:Quest" were produced through engraved wooden discs that Tetz fashioned to look like vinyl records on Daedelus’s turntables. When the records start spinning, multiple analog animations come alive on the surface of each disc, displaying things like a keyboardist playing a chord or a break dancer doing the splits.The playful yet mesmerizing graphics are played in synchrony with the song’s drum and bass tracks, creating an interesting visual supplement to the psychedelic tune. In addition to the video, the "Special Re:Quest" project includes a PDF of phenakistoscopes that you can print out and play for yourself.
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