Plenty of grooves to go around as a host of psychedelic minds take you on a mental trip for the summer of 2025. The sounds of Daniel Fridell, Le Chiffre Organ-Ization, Adrian Younge, Jimi Tenor & Web Web are diverse, mysterious and trippy like a narcotic of the late 60's. As each bends the sound of Soul with their edgy musical approach, relax as each sonic injection transports your mind elsewhere.
This is definite warm weather music to warm your soul and incite celebration under the sun. Fusion greats Pat Van Dyke and Azymuth each provide a reason for us to embrace the sunshine in music. This joyful approach to songwriting is the nourishment you need, like the enrichment of Vitamin D. Let these talents be the soundtrack to your Spring and summer. With sounds like this, love will rain forever in the form of music which blesses the Earth like the elements of Nature.
When it comes to 70's Funk and Soul, there's nothing like the easy breezy sound of The Blackbyrds. The group are still performing today and have embraced the latest technology which allows AI to give new life to classic album covers. Hopefully you'll gain some inspiration to get creative too, whether you're a music creator or visual artist.
Enjoy the sounds and new visuals for a couple of The Blackbyrds' classics. My favorite is the new depiction of figures motion on the cover of the "Action" album. Any album cover that depicted people in motion towards some sort of positive goal always inspired me when I first got into record collecting. It think this marks a new era of how we listen, experience and imagine the life of the artists behind these classic albums.
🎨 Top AI Tools You Can Use To Animate Album Covers
1. Kaiber
What it does: Turns still images into animated music videos or looping visuals.
Best for: Creating trippy, music-reactive animations from album art.
Bonus: Used by musicians like Linkin Park and Kid Cudi.
AI features: Style motion, camera movement, music syncing.
2. Runway ML (Gen-2)
What it does: Text-to-video and image-to-video generation.
Best for: Adding cinematic motion, zooms, pans, and abstract effects to album covers.
URL: runwayml.com
AI features: Animate via prompts or apply motion based on scene styles.
3. Pika Labs
What it does: Generate short animated video clips from still images using text or audio prompts.
Best for: Stylized, loopable animations and storytelling sequences.
URL: pika.art
Access: Invite-only or waitlist (check Discord).
4. PhotoMirage by Corel
What it does: Semi-manual animation tool that lets you create movement in parts of a static image.
Best for: Creating hypnotic moving textures (e.g., flowing hair, clouds).
Not AI-powered, but easy and powerful for subtle motion.
5. Motionleap (formerly Pixaloop)
What it does: Animate parts of a still image (e.g., moving sky, water, effects).
Best for: Quick, subtle effects like light flares, zooms, and movement in specific regions.
Mobile App (iOS/Android): Great for beginners or quick experiments.
🔁 Optional Tools for Post-Processing:
Adobe After Effects + AI plugins (like Runway, EbSynth) – For higher-end visuals.
VEED.io – For applying audio-reactive effects or looping visuals with music.
D-ID or Reface – If your album cover includes faces and you want subtle facial animations (talking or blinking).
I've created a chart of Nick's equipment and techniques used for each here on Google Sheets. The Jazz Spastiks present some of their favorite Nick Wiz productions below.
Get a copy of the original Cella Dwellas "Sampler" Cassette Tape on eBay. Here is another version of the sampler tape in red.
Below, Gentleman's Relief Records presents another gem of mid-90's Hip Hop. This time it's the release of Cella Dwellas collaborator Nick Wiz on "Cellar Selections vol. 11". 20 more sure-shot productions from Nick Wiz on wax, including 6 previously unreleased tracks.
"F.A.L.L.I.N. (And You Can't Get Up)" is out now on all streaming services for 2025. You can find the original vinyl release on Warlock Records here at Discogs or here at eBay.
The steps ahead becomes more hopeful with the refreshing Jazz perspective of David Mrakpor. On his latest single, "Six Steps" the Blue Lab Beats member sets your mind at ease by using instrumental as a tool of therapy. Like the dawn of a new day, "Six Steps" is your guide to positive progression in the journey of life.
As one half of Grammy-award winning duo Blue Lab Beats, 'Six Steps' is his first solo music after a 3-year hiatus following on from his 2022 release 'Lonely'. Building on his signature innovative approach to composition, this track showcases Mrakpor's unique ability to seamlessly blend intricate musicianship with emotional depth. "
Feel the glow of this headless hero once again as Eugene and his band invite you to a funky good time. If you're already a fan of his music, these tunes carry Eugene's signature sound plus more. So press play and take a trip back to '71, where the mood was carefree and the vibe celebratory.
Feel the heat and ride the boogie once again with The UK's own Pleasurewood who takes a moment to get buckwild with Michael Jackson classics. What was once thought of as soulful Pop tunes now become raw with the edge of this musician's transformative approach. The sounds of post-psychedelic rock with overtones of Ghanaian funk and early 80s synth experimentation combine to form the funky git down known as "Heatwave".
Designer Swish Archive reimagines a print ad for MJ's "Off The Wall", plus more outstanding design of music history here at Behance.
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