By now I’m sure you’re well aware of my deep respect for high-end visual and sound design. Among the inspirational friends I consider to be emerging masters in these complementary storytelling fields are sound designer Gavin Little of echolab and director Marco Vinicio, aka Kultnation. In the recent past, these gentlemen (heralding respectively from Dublin, Ireland, and Mexico City, Mexico) have collaborated often, and I hope you’ll agree that the results are quite spectacular. To experience their latest works, please visit www.vimeo.com/echolab and www.vimeo.com/kultnation.

To Gavin and Vinny — thank you for the inspirations, and please keep up the great work.

Following the success of several recent live performance projection mapping feats, design-focused, Chicago-based production studio Leviathan partnered once again with its frequent collaborator VJ Vello Virkhaus and V Squared Labs… this time for platinum selling, Grammy nominated recording artist Drake’s sold out OVO Festival, which took place in Toronto in early August. The stage’s structural set consisted of gigantic columns with retractable scrims, upon which a barrage of animated type, colorful patterns and ambient effects were projected. To highlight performances by musical guest Stevie Wonder, the team utilized a Kinect sensor to capture a surreal point-cloud avatar of the artist, which was projected live on the set for more than 16,000 fans in attendance.

Updated news on Drake, announcements on his forthcoming album release and his live concert appearances are available at facebook.com/drake and on his website at octobersveryown.blogspot.com.

The phenomenal live show experience Amon Tobin has conjured to accompany his Ninja Tune Records release “ISAM” is coming to all the North American cities listed below in September and October, and it’s also set to return to London on November 24. For the latest information, please visit www.amontobin.com/tour — and for a taste of what’s in store for audiences, enjoy “Visualizing ISAM” from design-focused production studio Leviathan and V Squared Labs.

ISAM Live World Tour Dates (updated August 30, 2011):
09/28 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
09/29 – Seattle, WA @ Decibel Festival
10/01 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
10/02 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
10/15 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater
10/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Music Box
10/18 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theatre
10/19 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
10/21 – Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
10/23 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
10/24 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
10/25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple
10/26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple
10/28 – Asheville, NC @ Moog Fest
11/24 – London, UK @ HMV Forum

“Plan of the City” is an amazing new animated film conceived and directed by Joshua Frankel. Combining live-action footage, animated elements, illustrations and images including public domain photos taken by the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, the visually stunning 13-minute film artfully envisions New York City’s unique architectural fixtures blasting off from Earth and resettling on Mars. On the evening of May 6, 2011, at NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge, the film will by presented by New Amsterdam Records featuring a live performance by Chiara Quartet, Matmos and NOW Ensemble, celebrating the releases of their new albums. Tickets and detailed project, performance and artist information is available via Le Poisson Rouge.

In my role as press agent for RPS, I’ve had the opportunity to research Damion’s past work in the music video field. You can read his full bio here, and follow the links to see his latest artistry on his archive site at RockPaperScissors.com.

Damion kindly shared these thoughts for this story: “Music videos truly are an amazing artistic form which since their advent have continued to evolve. I remember as a kid watching London’s Calling and thinking, ‘Wow, that is f#$# Mick Jones and Joe Strummer playing on a barge. Why are they are on a barge?’ Personally, I was 10 when MTV began hitting me over the head with images, and I have loved the art of the music video story. Now that I am an editor, music videos are still as fascinating, while offering a unique opportunity for director/editor collaboration. Today, the process is often void of payment, and therefore, even more a labor of love — and hopefully, experimentation.”

The YouTube playlist above features many of the music videos that Damion edited over the years between 2001 and 2009, and below I’m also embedding another of his favorites, from directors Traktor for Partizan, for “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” from The Flaming Lips. With many thanks to the Music Video Database, below that last video you’ll find the list of the best music television I was able to find cut by Damion, in reverse chronological order. Although I love many of them, I have to say, my favorite is his latest: “Axe Anthem Uncut.”