diff --git a/src/animation.rs b/src/animation.rs
index cd9ff12..ff392c3 100644
--- a/src/animation.rs
+++ b/src/animation.rs
@@ -61,6 +61,22 @@ impl Color
 		self.w *= factor;
 	}
 
+	pub fn scaled_copy(&self, factor: f32) -> Color
+	{
+		let mut c = *self;
+
+		c.scale(factor);
+		c
+	}
+
+	pub fn add(&mut self, other: &Color)
+	{
+		self.r += other.r;
+		self.g += other.g;
+		self.b += other.b;
+		self.w += other.w;
+	}
+
 	fn _limit_component(c: &mut f32)
 	{
 		if *c > 1.0 {
@@ -212,8 +228,6 @@ pub mod particles
 
 			let mut rng = rand::thread_rng();
 
-			// FIXME: how to call this code for green, blue and white as well without too much
-			// duplication?
 			for coloridx in 0..=3 {
 				let new_energy_ref = new_energy.ref_by_index(coloridx).unwrap();
 				let rem_energy_ref = remaining_energy.ref_by_index_mut(coloridx).unwrap();
@@ -256,3 +270,288 @@ pub mod particles
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+pub mod sparkles
+{
+	use crate::animation::{Color, Animation, Result};
+	use crate::signal_processing::SignalProcessing;
+	use crate::config;
+
+	use std::rc::Rc;
+	use std::cell::RefCell;
+	use std::collections::VecDeque;
+
+	use rand::Rng;
+
+	const COOLDOWN_FACTOR     : f32 = 0.99995;
+	const RGB_EXPONENT        : f32 = 1.5;
+	const W_EXPONENT          : f32 = 2.2;
+	const FADE_FACTOR         : f32 = 0.97;
+	const AVG_LEDS_ACTIVATED  : f32 = 0.03;
+	const WHITE_EXTRA_SCALE   : f32 = 0.3;
+	const CONDENSATION_FACTOR : f32 = 5.0;
+
+	const SPARK_FADE_STEP     : f32 = 2.500 / config::FPS_ANIMATION;
+	const SPARK_VSPEED_MIDS   : f32 = 1.000 * config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP as f32 / config::FPS_ANIMATION;
+	const SPARK_VSPEED_HIGHS  : f32 = 0.800 * config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP as f32 / config::FPS_ANIMATION;
+	const SPARK_VSPEED_XHIGHS : f32 = 0.500 * config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP as f32 / config::FPS_ANIMATION;
+
+	/*
+	 * A spark is a point of light that can move vertically along the LED strips.
+	 */
+	struct Spark
+	{
+		pub vspeed:     f32, // LEDs per frame
+		pub brightness: f32,
+		pub color:      Color,
+
+		strip:      u16,
+		led:        f32,
+
+		has_expired: bool,
+	}
+
+	impl Spark
+	{
+		pub fn new(vspeed: f32, brightness: f32, color: Color, strip: u16, led: f32) -> Spark
+		{
+			Spark {
+				vspeed: vspeed,
+				brightness: brightness,
+				color: color,
+				strip: strip,
+				led: led,
+				has_expired: false
+			}
+		}
+
+		pub fn update(&mut self)
+		{
+			if self.has_expired {
+				return;
+			}
+
+			self.led += self.vspeed;
+			self.brightness -= SPARK_FADE_STEP;
+
+			if (self.led >= config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP as f32) || (self.led <= -1.0) {
+				// moved outside of the LED array -> no need to update this any more
+				self.has_expired = true;
+			}
+
+			if self.brightness <= 0.0 {
+				// moved outside of the LED array -> no need to update this any more
+				self.has_expired = true;
+			}
+		}
+
+		pub fn has_expired(&self) -> bool
+		{
+			self.has_expired
+		}
+
+		pub fn render(&self, colorlists: &mut [ [Color; config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP]; config::NUM_STRIPS])
+		{
+			if self.has_expired {
+				// do not render if this Spark has expired
+				return;
+			}
+
+			let fract_led = self.led - self.led.floor();
+
+			let led1_idx = self.led.floor() as i32;
+			let led2_idx = self.led.ceil() as usize;
+
+			let led1_color = self.color.scaled_copy(fract_led * self.brightness);
+			let led2_color = self.color.scaled_copy((1.0 - fract_led) * self.brightness);
+
+			if led1_idx >= 0 {
+				colorlists[self.strip as usize][led1_idx as usize].add(&led1_color);
+			}
+
+			if led2_idx < config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP {
+				colorlists[self.strip as usize][led2_idx as usize].add(&led2_color);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	pub struct Sparkles
+	{
+		max_energy   : Color,
+
+		sparks : VecDeque<Spark>,
+
+		colorlists   : [ [Color; config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP]; config::NUM_STRIPS],
+
+		sigproc: Rc<RefCell<SignalProcessing>>,
+	}
+
+	impl Animation for Sparkles
+	{
+		fn new(sigproc: Rc<RefCell<SignalProcessing>>) -> Sparkles
+		{
+			Sparkles {
+				max_energy: Color{r: 1.0, g: 1.0, b: 1.0, w: 1.0},
+				sparks: VecDeque::with_capacity(1024),
+				colorlists: [ [Color{r: 0.0, g: 0.0, b: 0.0, w: 0.0}; config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP]; config::NUM_STRIPS],
+				sigproc: sigproc,
+			}
+		}
+
+		fn init(&mut self) -> Result<()>
+		{
+			Ok(())
+		}
+
+		fn periodic(&mut self) -> Result<()>
+		{
+			let sigproc = self.sigproc.borrow();
+
+			// extract frequency band energies
+			let cur_energy = Color{
+				r: sigproc.get_energy_in_band(    0.0,   400.0),
+				g: sigproc.get_energy_in_band(  400.0,  4000.0),
+				b: sigproc.get_energy_in_band( 4000.0, 12000.0),
+				w: sigproc.get_energy_in_band(12000.0, 22000.0)};
+
+			// track the maximum energy with cooldown
+			self.max_energy.r *= COOLDOWN_FACTOR;
+			if cur_energy.r > self.max_energy.r {
+				self.max_energy.r = cur_energy.r;
+			}
+
+			self.max_energy.g *= COOLDOWN_FACTOR;
+			if cur_energy.g > self.max_energy.g {
+				self.max_energy.g = cur_energy.g;
+			}
+
+			self.max_energy.b *= COOLDOWN_FACTOR;
+			if cur_energy.b > self.max_energy.b {
+				self.max_energy.b = cur_energy.b;
+			}
+
+			self.max_energy.w *= COOLDOWN_FACTOR;
+			if cur_energy.w > self.max_energy.w {
+				self.max_energy.w = cur_energy.w;
+			}
+
+			// fade all LEDs towards black
+			for strip in 0..config::NUM_STRIPS {
+				for led in 0..config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP {
+					self.colorlists[strip][led].scale(FADE_FACTOR);
+				}
+			}
+
+			// distribute the energy for each color
+			let new_energy = Color{
+				r: (cur_energy.r / self.max_energy.r).powf(RGB_EXPONENT),
+				g: (cur_energy.g / self.max_energy.g).powf(RGB_EXPONENT),
+				b: (cur_energy.b / self.max_energy.b).powf(RGB_EXPONENT),
+				w: (cur_energy.w / self.max_energy.w).powf(W_EXPONENT),
+			};
+
+			let mut remaining_energy = new_energy.r;
+			remaining_energy *= AVG_LEDS_ACTIVATED * config::NUM_LEDS_TOTAL as f32;
+
+			let mut rng = rand::thread_rng();
+
+			// Red (bass) uses exactly the same algorithm as for the “Particles” animation.
+			while remaining_energy > 0.0 {
+				let mut rnd_energy = rng.gen::<f32>() * new_energy.r * CONDENSATION_FACTOR;
+
+				let rnd_strip = rng.gen_range(0..config::NUM_STRIPS);
+				let rnd_led   = rng.gen_range(0..config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP);
+
+				if rnd_energy > remaining_energy {
+					rnd_energy = remaining_energy;
+					remaining_energy = 0.0;
+				} else {
+					remaining_energy -= rnd_energy;
+				}
+
+				self.colorlists[rnd_strip][rnd_led].r += rnd_energy;
+			}
+
+			// update all existing sparks
+			self.sparks.iter_mut().for_each(|x| x.update());
+
+			// Create green sparks for middle frequencies.
+			// They originate in the center and can go both up and down from there.
+			self.sparks.push_back(Spark::new(
+					match rng.gen::<bool>() {
+						true => SPARK_VSPEED_MIDS,
+						false => -SPARK_VSPEED_MIDS,
+					},
+					new_energy.g,
+					Color{r: 0.0, g: 1.0, b: 0.0, w: 0.0},
+					rng.gen_range(0..config::NUM_STRIPS) as u16,
+					(config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP as f32 / 2.0) - 0.5));
+
+			// Create blue sparks for high frequencies.
+			// They originate either in the top, moving down, or in the bottom, moving up
+			{
+				let start_from_top = rng.gen::<bool>();
+
+				let start_led = match start_from_top {
+					true => config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP-1,
+					false => 0} as f32;
+
+				let vspeed = match start_from_top {
+					true => -SPARK_VSPEED_HIGHS,
+					false => SPARK_VSPEED_HIGHS};
+
+				self.sparks.push_back(Spark::new(
+						vspeed,
+						new_energy.b,
+						Color{r: 0.0, g: 0.0, b: 1.0, w: 0.0},
+						rng.gen_range(0..config::NUM_STRIPS) as u16,
+						start_led));
+			}
+
+			// Create white sparks for very high frequencies.
+			// They originate either in the top, moving down, or in the bottom, moving up
+			{
+				let start_from_top = rng.gen::<bool>();
+
+				let start_led = match start_from_top {
+					true => config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP-1,
+					false => 0} as f32;
+
+				let vspeed = match start_from_top {
+					true => -SPARK_VSPEED_XHIGHS,
+					false => SPARK_VSPEED_XHIGHS};
+
+				self.sparks.push_back(Spark::new(
+						vspeed,
+						new_energy.w * WHITE_EXTRA_SCALE,
+						Color{r: 0.0, g: 0.0, b: 0.0, w: 1.0},
+						rng.gen_range(0..config::NUM_STRIPS) as u16,
+						start_led));
+			}
+
+			// remove expired sparks in the beginning of the deque
+			while self.sparks.front().map_or(false, |s| s.has_expired()) {
+				self.sparks.pop_front();
+			}
+
+			// render all remaining sparks
+			for spark in self.sparks.iter() {
+				spark.render(&mut self.colorlists);
+			}
+
+			// color post-processing
+			for strip in 0..config::NUM_STRIPS {
+				for led in 0..config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP {
+					self.colorlists[strip][led].limit();
+				}
+			}
+
+			Ok(())
+		}
+
+		fn get_colorlist(&self) -> &[ [Color; config::NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP]; config::NUM_STRIPS]
+		{
+			return &self.colorlists;
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 693e997..ee44588 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -13,3 +13,6 @@ pub const NUM_LEDS_TOTAL: usize = NUM_STRIPS * NUM_LEDS_PER_STRIP;
 
 // network configuration
 pub const UDP_SERVER_ADDR: &str = "192.168.23.118:2703";
+
+pub const FPS_ANIMATION: f32 = SAMP_RATE / SAMPLES_PER_UPDATE as f32;
+pub const FPS_LEDS: f32 = 60.0;
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 1b31790..45793b0 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@ fn main()
 
 	println!("Contructing Animation...");
 
-	let mut anim: animation::particles::Particles = animation::Animation::new(sigproc.clone());
+	// TODO: let the user select via the command line
+	//let mut anim: animation::particles::Particles = animation::Animation::new(sigproc.clone());
+	let mut anim: animation::sparkles::Sparkles = animation::Animation::new(sigproc.clone());
 
 	println!("Calling Animation::init()...");
 
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ fn main()
 	// Timing setup
 
 	let block_period = Duration::from_nanos((0.95 * (config::SAMPLES_PER_UPDATE as f32) * 1e9 / config::SAMP_RATE) as u64);
-	let send_period = Duration::from_nanos(1000000000 / 60);
+	let send_period = Duration::from_nanos((1000000000.0 / config::FPS_LEDS) as u64);
 
 	let max_lag = 5*send_period;