Sonic Afterworld cover art: a figure lit in a spectrum of red, yellow, green and blue against a dusk horizon
eastward

Playable audiovisual studies

sonic afterworld

four studies

Put on headphones, press play, and start moving the controls. There is no correct way to experience these studies.

Four small instruments, made in response to the music. Each one listens differently: some follow the slow swell of a chord, others catch every kick and shimmer.

Nothing to install, and the audio is included in each one. Every study can also listen to a mic or line-in, so you can play it live.

  1. Open ↗
    01Upgraded

    sonic afterworld

    Circles

    Thin rings travelling through darkness. Each ring listens to its own part of the spectrum, and the waveform shapes its edges.

    What’s new — The rings now catch every kick and snare, and a drop in the track sends them surging forward.

    Try — Push Spikes and Ripples ↔ dents together, then hold B through a build and let go on the drop.

    Spaceplay / pauseNnext sceneRreverseBbuildDdropHhide controls
    Open instrument
  2. Open ↗
    02Upgraded

    navigate

    Chromatic Veils

    Translucent veils of sunset colour that breathe with the melody, then roll like an ocean when you let them.

    What’s new — The two Veils studies are now one, with deeper, bolder colour. Turn Colour right up and the veils fan out across the whole spectrum.

    Try — Slide Calm ↔ waves from still crests to rolling waves, and sweep Palette from sunset into violet and teal.

    Spaceplay / pauseNnext sceneRreverseBbuildDdropHhide controls
    Open instrument
  3. Open ↗
    03Upgraded

    bush lily

    Chromatic Forms

    Bold mid-century forms, printed like riso on textured stock. Bass swells them, mids sway them, highs set them spinning.

    What’s new — Smooth sweeps that follow the song’s swell, with pops on every hit, plus a Paper texture control.

    Try — Slide Paper stock from black to riso paper, then raise Sweeps ↔ pops for big pops on every hit.

    Spaceplay / pauseNnext sceneRreverseBbuildDdropHhide controls
    Open instrument
  4. Open ↗
    04Upgraded

    land far away

    Vector Memory

    Spirographs, harmonographs and guilloché rosettes drawn in luminous CRT phosphor, after the early days of computer graphics.

    What’s new — Listens through the same engine as the rest, so each drop lands cleanly as a new scene.

    Try — Press N for a new scene, or untick Drops change the scene to hold a single form.

    Spaceplay / pauseNnext sceneRreverseBbuildDdropHhide controls
    Open instrument

Browser

Open in Chrome for the smoothest motion. Safari works too.

Listening

Headphones or good speakers. Press Play inside each study to start its track, or Live input to use a mic or line-in.

Viewing

Press F for fullscreen and H to hide the controls. To make a video, press C (or ● Record video) to start and again to stop: a clean 1080p clip with the music lands in Downloads.

Experimenting

Every control is live, and double-clicking one resets it. You can load or drag your own audio into any study.