'The Horse Raised By Spheres' is a Rabbit-Hole of Madness

It's not easy being a horse.

Two weeks ago, animator David O'Reilly posted the URL "THEHORSERAISEDBYSPHERES.COM" via his twitter feed. Seemingly in conjunction with a premiere event for this year's Sundance film festival, the address is an interactive text-based web portal to the titular short of a sentient talking horse haunted by his inability to make friends with the other "normal" talking horses grazing on the other side of a field. 

The portal also extends to five other previously unreleased shorts, each one more curiously unsettling than the last. Gaze into the deep, click past the break, and dive into the ineffable abyss that is "The Horse Raised by Spheres".

OOLYMPACS

Director and animator Johnny Wood's OOLYMPACS is a one-minute visual espresso shot of Web 1.0 era animation that conjures up nightmarish comparisons to Teletoon's pioneering 3D animated series Reboot and Graham Young's Nintendo: A Sad Story.

This isn't even my final form.

I think what really does it for me about this video, besides the hilariously out-of-sync audio and grainy flourish of pixelated colors, is the deliberately exaggerated body animations that manage to be just on the cusp of believability before nose-diving into horrific contortionistic nonsense. This rightfully deserves to be buried in the 4 a.m. time-slot on Adult Swim.

Adult Swim Unleashes Another Batch of Nightmare Fuel with 'Unedited Footage of a Bear'

Adult Swim proves themselves, yet again, to be only the finest purveyor of late night faux-infomercial infused nightmare fuel. Coming off the the strength of their run away viral Too Many Cooks, the folks at Williams Street Studios couldn't let us slink quietly into the new year without giving our collective brains another go-through the cerebral atomizer of their anarchic brand of visual insanity. Put this in HD, full-screen, and buckle up for some face-melting weirdness.

Do you know what kind of bear this is? I need to know. For reasons.

Unedited Footage of a Bear is anything but; turning a 30-second clip into a meticulous 10-minute plunge into dark comedic absurdity. A wild-life shot turns into a medication commercial which then takes a nose-dive straight into territory that feels all too at home alongside psychological horror films like Primer and Side-Effects. Much like Too Many Cooks, words do not not do it justice. This is a fear best left experienced than explained.

Eric Wareheim and Mr Oizo's 'HAM' (NSFW)

At this point there isn't much purpose in me talking about how weird Eric Wareheim's work is. We have come to a point where it would be more surprising if Eric Wareheim created something even half normal. Even with the expectation of weirdness, HAM still delivers in an eerie and uncomfortable fashion.

Set to the heavy and harsh electronic beats of Mr Oizo (also known for his work on Rubber and Wrong Cops), HAM holds the same feeling that I imagine gaining from a fast food induced fever dream. 

The tongue-in-cheek look at fast food culture is portrayed in an uncomfortable fashion, accentuated by some impressive makeup. John C. Reilly has always been a goofy looking dude, but the prosthetic work for HAM turns our beloved Dr. Steve Brule into a horrible caricature of obesity.

I'm really digging the more recent influx of Eric Wareheim's solo work and seeing him working with Mr Oizo is all I can ask for.

Don Hertzfeldt's Simpsons Opening Is Completely Insane

I'm partially kicking myself for having not posted this sooner, but after watching Don Hertzfeldt's mind-shattering opening for the Simpsons' season premiere last Sunday, I needed a couple of days to put my head back together. In his attempt to correct his accidental aging, Homer inadvertently speeds up time and reality to a terrifying alien future of amorphous amoeba-like existence fueled only by capitalism. Sound familiar?

Can't wait to see a David Cronenberg Couch Gag.

Remaining true to his legacy of juxtaposing dark humor and stick figure simplicity, Hertzfeldt's couch gag is a meta-commentary on the once venerable sitcom's longevity and whether anything good can truly last 26 seasons. My question is, how the hell did this make it on the air!?

Cyriak's 'Malfunction' Is More Insane Than You'd Expect

From the depths of the insane animator Cyriak's harddrive comes malfunction, a seemingly straight forward Cyriak experience that slowly (or as slow as a 2-minute animation can go) transcends into hell. The description Cyriak has left states, "I've no idea what this video is. It crawled out from some dark corner of my computer after evolving from the virtual maggots that feast on rotting film footage", which is rather spot on with what I was feeling after my first viewing.

It's always an awesome day when Cyriak finds the time to leave a trace of his insanity on YouTube, especially with the immense popularity he's gathered since through his equally insane commercials and music videos.

With malfunction it seems that Cyriak may have finally lost it completely, transforming his staple "loop animations" into pure nightmare fuel, with a batch of found footage. I'm not really sure what to expect from Cyriak's next animation, but that's ok, I'm happy to be pleasantly disturbed time and time again.

Shintaro Kago X Flying Lotus: You're Dead! Illustrations (NSFW)

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Last month, electronic music maestro Steven Ellison (AKA Flying Lotus) announced that his forthcoming fifth album comically titled You're Dead! would be released this October. Normally, this alone would be enough to send me pacing frantically in giddy circles of impatient anticipation. But there's more: Flylo has enlisted the peculiar talents of Japanese body-horror artist Shintaro Kago to illustrate his album cover as well as a series of tarot cards depicting each of the 19 tracks on You're Dead! These illustrations are proof-positive that a collaboration between Lotus' mind-bending electronica and Kago's macabre artwork is a match made in Heaven(?)

Shintaro Kago is a Japanese guro horror artist and self-proclaimed kisou mangaka ("bizarre manga artist"). Born in 1969, Kago has contributed over 30 publications since his debut in 1988. Check out more of the series after the break, though tread lightly where you click. We're entering firm NSFW territory here.

Tobacco's "Streaker" Is A Bathsalt Trip In Music Video Form Thanks To The Madness of Eric Wareheim (NSFW)

For those familiar with the psychedelic sounds of Black Moth Super Rainbow you've come to expect nothing but absolute insanity from their music videos. With band member TOBACCO releasing a new solo album this May, we've been "treated" with a new music video by the fantastic Eric Wareheim of Tim & Eric fame.

Honestly, this music video is absolutely f*cked  in a strangely hypnotic way. The song's crunchy beats and heavy drums really pushes this into feeling like a drugged experience. There's plenty of nudity to push this into highly NSFW territory, with some of the visuals becoming absolutely insane. Once you get past the initial shock of flopping body parts and glitched out visuals the overall tone of the music fits incredibly well with the songs progression.

TOBACCO's solo work has always included less altered vocals (with the likes of Beck making an appearance on previous albums), and this newest track is no different featuring the vocals of Notrabel. While I love me some Black Moth Super Rainbow, it's tracks like this that really shows TOBACCO's willingness to experiment with his sound.

Ultima II Massage releases May 13th with a super groovy limited edition vinyl around the 20th.

Dark Skyes - The Most Bizarre My Little Pony Kickstarter Project (Ever?)

The folks at Million Dollar Extreme have been delivering their own unique brand of anti-humor, including their very memorable TED crash last year called 'Paradigm shift.' What I've come to love about these guys is their ability to constantly deliver the most bizarre (And hilarious) videos I've ever seen, and recently they even jumped onto the Kickstarter bandwagon with Dark Skyes: An Epic Brony Dating Sim. 

While I'm still debating whether this is a seriously elaborate prank or just a chance to make a quick buck while delivering a Max Headroom-esque video presentation of a very odd title to a client, the video is a good representation of what my nightmares are made out of. I can't stop watching though. If you're looking to contribute to Dark Skyes, the game is halfway to it's funding goal with about two days to go. Take a plunge into the dark side.

The Saga Of Goat Simulator Continues - Dead Island Style

In the last few years we've seen the simulation genre gain an entirely new wave of appreciation thanks to the ironic efforts of many Youtube let's players, who always found a way to give these cheaply made, overly complex titles a humorous spin. Then came Goat Simulator, which started off as a complete joke to help the developers at Coffee Stain Studios practice some programming. The problem is, the internet found out about it after a silly alpha trailer was posted online, and as Bossa Studios learned with last year's Surgeon Simulator, comedy sims have a powerful grip on the current gaming scene.



Coffee Stain took the hint and are currently set to launch the title on...April 1st. Yep! I think the devs themselves are in disbelief at the response and millions of viewers the video garnered, so they've embraced it and are having fun with it at this point (Including the Dead Island parody trailer they probably cranked out in a few hours). The website even comes with a disclaimer in case gamers have any expectations as to what they might be getting themselves into when they drop $10 on it. Either way, moments like this really make me feel like we're in some sort of indie gaming golden age. The fact that the folks at a little startup can get this much attention for a joke game and laugh their way to the bank is a magical thing to witness. Take note, AAA developers.

DJ Snake & Lil Jon - "Turn Down for What" (Mind Blowing)

Possessed by an ungodly demonic entity in his hips, the protagonist for DJ Snake & Lil Jon's latest trap track is so goddamn ridiculous it made me laugh out loud. Starting off on a roof, he proceeds to spread his affliction across multiple floors, turning the residents of an apartment block into a completely out of control series of raving lunatics with their own unique uh, 'traits.'

Pelvic blasts blow women's clothing off their bodies, big bootied ladies body slam men's faces into absolute submission, cops faces melt off a la Raiders of the Lost Ark and breasts take on a mind of their own. Directed by the Daniels, who've created some of Tenacious D's similarly absurd music videos, it's an unexpectedly epic video treatment to one of this year's biggest club hits.

Aachi & Ssipak (NSFW)

To put it bluntly, Aachi & Ssipak is f*cking crazy. The South Korean animated film has been available for sometime,and recently picked up by Mondo Media for translation. While it's filled to the brim with juvenile poop jokes, the insanity of it all is hard to look away from. Telling the story of a forsaken clan of juice pop addicts, Aachi & Ssipak is really as silly as you can get when it comes to a plot. 

Over the next 17 weeks, Mondo Media will be releasing a new chapter from the full-length film which can be bought in it's entirety from iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon. To kick things off, Mondo Media has released two episodes in one week, with the second episode available over here. If you're okay with a silly plot that does nothing but smear poop jokes in your face, Aachi & Ssipak is definitely a fun ride that you'll wanna check out.

I Don't Even Know Where to Start With "Begin"

This is, without a doubt, one of more bizarre and terrifying 'music videos' I've come across lately. Stranger than Reboot, though not quite Going to the Store. Like something pulled kicking and screaming from the loins of Xavier: Renegade Angel. The most I've been able to gather is that this is the work of a mysterious experimental synth-electronic musician from New York who simply goes by 'Brian.' I wish I had more to go on than that, but this guy seems deliberately defiant to offer any easy explanations for his bizarre shenanigans.

Cyriak's Chimpnology

Congratulation Cyriak, this is the first video you've released to make me feel genuinely uncomfortable. If you're unfamiliar with Cyriak's work, this is definitely a fantastic place to start. Cyriak is probably best known for his Adult Swim bumps, along with his work on the short series Off The Air. Heck, we even have a tag dedicated to Cyriak if you're interested in his extensive body of work.

The experimental animator does some incredible things, creating infinite loops to glitchy beats and Chimpnology certainly doesn't fail to deliver in either of those aspects. If you have a few minutes, take a break and get ready to feel slightly uncomfortable.

Tony Stark Gets His Sailor Moon On

A lot of the content I find is due to long restless nights filled with insomnia and caffeine, but there are other nights where my lack of sleep creeps up on me and pushes me into content like this where I later find sitting in my drafts. Thanks to a freshman class at Chungkang College of Cultural Industries we're finally given the chance to witness Tony Stark in his true transformative-environment.

Channeling the powers of Sailor Moon, Tony Stark gets pretty damn kawaii, and it leads me to question why all Marvel characters don't have magical girl transformation sequences. Someone get on that crossover stat, just be sure to invite me to the first screening.  

Salad Fingers Returns For a Birthday Surprise

If you were planning on a pleasant night sleep then I'm truly sorry, because that's definitely not going to happen. David Firth has returned with ten minutes of nightmares in the 10th episode of Salad Fingers. The newest entry titled Birthday is by far the darkest Salad Fingers yet, pushing the series from a fever dream to something resembling purgatory.

Whatever dark corner David Firth has begun to pull inspiration from is definitely getting darker and I couldn't be more pleased.

Along with Salad Fingers' darker progression, the animation for Birthday has definitely upped the ante. It's amazing to series' evolution since it's 2004 inception and I'm excited to see how far Firth can push the series in terms of both its unsettling nature and animation.

I Love You So Hard (NSFW)

Some people just have a lot of feelings. They love... A lot. And so hard. This extreme and grotesque animated short by Ross Butter and Joel Veitch shows us a man who with unrequited feelings for a lady he meets on a park bench. I mean, I thought I've heard of crazy before, what with cyber-stalking and showing up to places unannounced. But holy sh*t, does this dude take it to a whole new level. I suppose you can say he thinks outside the box, which is generally a good thing, so... Anyways, most definitely NSFW. Because, damn.

Music Video Roundup - Blatta & Inesha, Coma, Major Lazer (NSFW)

Italian synth duo Blatta & Inesha narrates the outcome of two very diverse generations colliding once a house party goes a little too far in 'We Don't Know.' Subdued electro beats and a vat of summer colors do their best to suppress the horror that ultimately befalls all the partygoers. Directed by Gianluca Ricceri.

The WTF Is Off The Charts In 'The Adventures of Christopher Bosh In The Multiverse'

Wait, what the f*ck just happened? I was sitting here and I thought I was watching something, but my memory is a bit hazy. I feel like I just downed an entire bottle of Robitussin and tripped for an eternity, because I truly can't even describe what you're about to watch. Alright, maybe it's not that nuts, but it's definitely up there in terms of experimental animation and I could definitely see it making it's way onto the likes of Adult Swim.

This tripped-out animated short follows the life of the Miami Heat's Christopher Bosh but in a retelling that is absolutely nuts. Ronnie Rivera of Bleeding Palm describes the short as a story about "[basically] what everybody already knows about how Chris Bosh is a disgraced space prince from another reality who saved the human race from that evil space sorceress that one time".

If that isn't enough to perk your interests, you might find it even more insane that Chris Bosh's lawyers are now threatening to take legal action against the folks at Bleeding Palm for using Bosh's likeness. Jesus Christ you guys, can this get anymore insane?

Sefuri ILC High School! Particle Accelerators And Anime Collide

A few times a year we receive videos that are so baffling that we're left in stunned silence afterwards, unable to comprehend what we just experienced. Sefuri High School falls into this category. While we initially thought it was a fun musical/anime mashup created to help students and the general public better understand how particle accelerators work, narrating the lives of a positron and electron high school student, we'd never heard of an 'ILC,' only the existing LHC (Large Hadron Collider).

The passion is palpable.

After a little bit of digging around we found out that the ILC (International Linear Collider) is a plan for a linear particle accelerator that is currently in development and being considered in three locations around the world: Japan (Sefuri), Europe (CERN) and the US (Fermilab). The difference between the LHC and IHC mainly consists of the paths that they use, with a linear pathed collider being capable of gauging particle collisions with little energy loss (Known as synchtron radiation) to offer an alternate way to study 'god' particles like the Higgs boson and dark matter. That's about as layman as I can get in terms of describing it.

The collider is set to be anywhere from 19-30 miles long, or ten times bigger than the longest existing particle accelerator currently situated as Stanford University. With a proposed completion date of 2026, it's still a long ways off but the location is set to be determined before the beginning of construction in 2015. Due to the Japanese government's willingness to pay for over half of the building costs (Currently estimated at $20-25 billion). If Sefuri does end up getting the bid, we demand a full high school anime drama series narrating the adventures of positron and electron in their quest to big bang...Wait a minute.