Sound producer SKYTOPIA, also a member of KOMONO LAKE and Coldhot, and graphic designer Ikuho Tamura have released their fourth collaborative single, “FLUTERRA.” Based on UK garage and trap beats, this work—whose title combines a word for flute with a coined term meaning earth—was completed through the parallel production of both the music and the visuals. Its simple vector art, composed of limited areas of color, expresses a dynamic yet fanciful ecosystem.

tamanaramen - Gate Like living underwater, like swimming through memories.

This work involved many new approaches in both music and visuals, but by communicating closely with Haruyoshi, we were able to create something satisfying. (?) To create the animation, we first needed reference material for the instruments, so we started by making 3D models in Blender. The drawings were done in monochrome, and in the final stage we applied a correction called a gradient map so that they would end up in two colors. The instruments while being played are animated by compositing in 3D models. The storyboard was a collaborative effort, and it was fun to come up with so many interesting directing ideas. (Haruyoshi Nagae)