This video is a lot like the first album of Kelly Olynyk’s art-rock band Starcubism, entitled “Visions of Mars (Cubistic Journey Part I)”. Starcubism really hit the ball out of the park with their debut effort, combining technical space-rock with lush ambient soundscapes spiced up with native American instrumentation.
So how is this video like that prog masterpiece? It doesn’t mess around. Every cut, every second, is super intense. No filler. It starts off with a bang, much like the first track, “Through Nebular Vortices” starts the album off with technical mastery and industrial synthesizers.
The part where Kelly hits three three-pointers is even more intense, drawing comparisons to the track “Altars upon the Cosmic Ocean”, a tribute to the great Neoclassical guitar masters of our time.
The video ends more contemplatively with a couple of free throws, in the manner of “Painting the Space Tribunal”, 12 minutes of contemplative space ambient (complete with Cosmic Background Radiation!) and tribal drumming.
The comparisons end when you think about the price you have to experience the art. This video is free to watch for all. “Visions of Mars”, on the other hand, will cost you upwards of $100 on Discogs, more if you want the vinyl edition. Sometimes, though, you can’t put a price on art.