By Dana Sedgwick

Tumblr is a platform used by many to piece together bits and pieces of internet life, collecting them into a continuously shifting digital scrap book. A 2013 FlashFWD honoree, Tumblr is a haven for musicians and music lovers a like for just this reason… It brings together the artist and the fan as equals, sharing and re-sharing information as a part of an endless, shared wealth of content.

Enter California-based band Califone.

The digital world has given artists a plethora of products and platforms which can add interactivity and engagement into their music videos… we even dedicated last week’s newsletter to a few recent examples, such as Kanye West’s BLKKK SKKKN HEAD and Bruno Mar’s Treasure Dance.

But what I love about Califone’s recent video for Stitches, off their upcoming album by the same title, is how sweetly it folds itself into the platform by which it’s presented. Set into it’s own Tumblr, “Stitches is an ever-changing ‘music video’ that creates itself on the fly using imagery and animated GIFs drawn from a curated set of blogs within the Tumblr ecosystem.”

It is an exemplary model for what Tumblr does best… gathering strangers around shared topics of interest which are grouped and presented in interesting and ever-changing ways. The pieces slowly drift by, each melting into each other until you hover your mouse over one to get a clearer look. All the pictures and videos featured in the music video are clickable, with the option to add a note to the back of any piece… sending it like a blogable postcard back out to Califone’s page.

The effect is both mesmerizing and slightly eerie… as the video foreshadows with it’s loading message:

“Turn up the volume while we gather the ghosts”

The video was created with filmmaker Braden King and programmer Jeff Garneau. Watch and rewatch it HERE

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