311 - Transistor

What this video is

Released in 1997 as the title-track single from 311's fourth studio album on Capricorn Records, 'Transistor' arrived at the apex of the rap-rock and reggae-rock crossover moment on modern rock radio. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified platinum, though it received mixed critical reviews at release for its experimental ambition and excessive length. The video's CGI orb…

Why it matters

As the title track of 311's most experimental album, this video documents a pivotal genre-fusion moment: rap-rock absorbing reggae, dub, and space-rock influences before the genre calcified into the nu-metal era. The early CGI production techniques on display are a timestamp of mid-1990s music…

The director

Dale Peterson is a music video director credited on multiple 311 videos in 1997, including the 'Transistor' and co-directing 'Beautiful Disaster' (with Carter B. Smith), both from the Transistor album era on Capricorn Records.