Dezeen Magazine

Fantastical plants bloom and dance in Hideki Inaba's video for Beatsofreen

Music: Japanese animator Hideki Inaba has designed an imaginary ocean world of plants and squid-like creatures for the video of Beatsofreen track Slowly Rising.

Slowly Rising by Beatsoffreen

The film opens with a single stem that transforms into a collection of wavering plants, surrounding by brightly coloured slug-like creatures.

As the video continues, an entire ocean floor of mushrooms and sea creatures can be seen swimming about, with more layers of animation gradually introduced on top of one another.

Slowly Rising by Beatsoffreen

Inaba had his love of insects and nature in mind while creating the film, which was made using copied and looped cel animation produced in Photoshop and AfterEffects. It took the animator six months to complete the video.

Slowly Rising by Beatsoffreen

"It was heavily affected by real life sea creatures," he told Dezeen. "The atmosphere of the whole work reminds me of the sea in the forest."

Slowly Rising by Beatsoffreen

The animator became involved after Beatsofreen and record label King Deluxe combed through "thousands of Vimeo profiles" in search of someone to collaborate with. Inaba himself chose which track he wanted to make a film for.

"Neither of us pictured anything like it when we first started looking for a visual artist, rather we were both open to letting someone interpret the music in their own way," label owner Peter K. told Dezeen.

Slowly Rising by Beatsoffreen

As the film continues, more unusual creations are introduced, including squid-like beings and dragonfly-shaped creatures that use their wings to propel themselves.

Slowly Rising by Beatsoffreen

Fronds of plants are gathered together, and mushrooms and flowers open and close in harmony like umbrellas.

Slowly Rising by Beatsoffreen

Inaba said the film was very much influenced by the track and the Full Circle album it is taken from.

Slowly Rising by Beatsoffreen

Although the film doesn't have a clear narrative that can be followed, Inaba said it is intended to reflect on the circular nature of life.

Slowly Rising by Beatsoffreen

"Seeds grow, species thrive and perish in the end," he commented. "This is a natural flow. A breath of new life becomes the foundation."

Slowly Rising by Beatsoffreen

As the video draws to a close, it returns to the same scene of a solitary bloom, before revealing the sun shown from beneath the surface of the ocean.