Harmonix is now widely known because of its work on Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and other popular music games. But the studio didn't start making blockbuster rhythm titles. Most people had never heard of the small developer from Boston.

But the company wanted to get the word out, and so it made a pitch video. And, in my opinion, the result is about as much of a 90s-era product as anything imaginable.

Along with the sweet saxophone music, bizarre camera angles, and awesome text effects, the video showcases Harmonix's first project, an interactive music-production program called the Axe. Keep an eye out for the animation of the music. It's particularly great.

The video shows the lineage of Harmonix's work, and it's easy to see how it went from the Axe to Rock Band. The studio's been trying to make creating music accessible to everyone since the very beginning.

If only the developer's later games had more head-exploding claymation like the Axe...