The Creators Project, By Sami Emory — Nov 14 2014

Artist Nigel Stanford has been known to dabble in timescapes and solar echoes, but his latest music video, Cymatics: Science Vs. Music, seamlessly blends science with sound. Reminiscent of the fluid “aqua dance party” of director Susi Sie’s cymatic Glitch Mob video, Stanford’s video is at once a dance-worthy performance and a scientific magic show.

Under the direction of Sahir Daud, the video features Stanford and other musicians flooding a darkened studio with digitally enhanced sound waves, bewitching all movable matter in its wake. With the touch of his keyboard, sand on a Chladni Plate springs to life, dancing with the symmetric precision of natural geometry. Across the room, a pool of ferrofluid pulses and morphs, reacting to each note and pause of Stanford’s song. The clash of his drums makes liquid writhe in midair, snakily rebelling against the pull of gravity in favor of a steady beat. As the track progresses, the scenes of cymatic demonstration increase until Stanford’s shocking, Tesla Coil-induced finale. Oh, and did we mention that the song itself emerged after all the footage was taken? On his behind-the-scenes page, Stanford admits, “The most unusual part of making Cymatics was the fact that the music was written after the video was filmed.”