It's every club kid's stoner fantasy: What if the DJ could mix images like music? What if, along with the beat, you got not just a few back-projected video clips but a visual collage, put together with the same intricacy and spontaneity as the sounds?
"VJing" has been a buzzword since the explosion of rave at the end of the 1980s, but technology has been slow to catch up. VJamm brings it a step closer to reality. Essentially an audiovisual mixer, it allows the user to assign AVI clips to QWERTY keys and trigger them in the same way you might play a piano. It comes with a small library of clips, so you can have fun chopping up words, music, and pictures in the comfort of your own home.
The software was developed by British breakbeat pioneers Coldcut, so the clips are cool. The group created VJamm for its acclaimed live performances, but it's adaptable to many uses and may well be the first sign of a new era in clubland.
VJamm for Windows 95/NT: $55. Ninja Tune: +1 (514) 937 5452, www.ninjatune.net/vjamm.
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