Demoscene

The demoscene is computer-based subculture focused on producing real-time audiovisual presentations that showcase programming, artistic, and musical skill. Dating back to the 80s, these demos would push the capabilities of hardware and software at the time and were often created by entire teams in order to build up notoriety amongst peers.

The demoscene is closely tied to the warez scene, which involves the cracking and distribution of software. Cracked releases would often be accompanied by demos know as cracktros that would display the work of the group behind the release.

Some repositories of early demos and cracktros can be found at the following:

Chiptune & Sound Design

Music is a core part of the demoscene, often featuring chiptune and tracker-based tracks. Check out my chiptune page for more on the music aspect.

Modern Demos: Shaders & Real-Time Graphics

Today, demosceners use advanced shader programming for real-time visuals. I've seen these incorporated into live performances where someone is actively tweaking the shader code to create dynamic visuals on the fly.

A popular tool for getting started with shaders is Shadertoy, which allows you to write and share GLSL shaders in a web-based environment.

Here's a terrible OpenGL shader I made and am rendering here using glslCanvas: 

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Shaders as Music Visualizers

Most music visualizers in both early and modern media players are also based on shader programs. Check out my music visualizer page for a working example based on the almighty WinAmp player!

Live Show Visuals Using Shaders

My favorite live show visuals are either fully analog (projectors + VHS + CRTs) or real-time shaders manipulated live. Shaders have the advantage of being responsive to music and system inputs, allowing for a really dynamic experience.

Standalone desktop applications like KodeLife or Bonzomatic are commonly used in performances, allowing for a bit more access to system inputs (microphones, soundboard output) vs web-based tools.