Thomas Dolby - Gate To The Mind's Eye (Video & Audio)
I thought I'd share the VHS tape and soundtrack that was my introduction to electronic music.
Basically, in 1994 Thomas Dolby and a team of animators and musicians made this video called "Gate To The Mind's Eye", which was a sort of celebration of computer animation technology at the time and electronic music technology. The video deals with a corrupt futuristic society and a splinter rebel group which destroys the world in order to end the corruption and then traces the memory of mankind back from creation to the dream of a new, sustainable future.
When I first saw this at like 9 years old I was really impresssed, and it's one of the reasons I learned how to do 3D modeling and how I got into architecture for sure, but also one of the reasons I listen to what I listen to now. After this it was tangerine dream, jean michel jarre, etc.
The animation looks a bit dated given the technology now, but at the time it was incredible. Thomas Dolby made a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind's_Eye_(series)]Series[/url] of Mind's Eye videos like this, the first of which was made in 1990. The gate to the mind's eye, the third one, is from 1994. The second one "Beyond the mind's eye" features music from jan hammer, and the first one has a soundtrack by James Reynolds. I haven't managed to get ahold of these ones yet but I need to check them out.
Anyways, I compiled a series of short samples in the soundtrack order for you to listen to. In some cases there are two snippets from the same track. I don't think this is the best music ever made, but it's pretty great and combined with the video remains extremely impressive to me. My favorites were always NEO, The Ascent of Man, and Quantum Mechanic.
1 Armageddon
2 Planet Of Lost Souls
3 Big Bang Backwards
4 N.E.O.
5 The Ascent Of Man, Parts I-VI
6 Valley Of The Mind's Eye
7 Nuvogue
8 Quantum Mechanic
9 Moonbase
