Dutch EDM band creates on-stage jungle
Originating in the Netherlands, Sensation is an electronic dance music event that now tours all over the world. Each year Sensation features a show with various themes. Their newest show, Into the Wild, which takes place in a tribal, jungle setting, premiered in July 2013 and toured in twenty-one different countries.
Because the tour was a one-of-a-kind event, the lighting designers of Sensation, Sander den Otter, wanted the lighting to be unique. The show was to be set in a jungle, so an outdoor feel was required. In addition, it was important that the lighting be easy to set up and tear down, as it had to be transported from arena to arena while on tour.
The engineers of Livingprojects decided to hang strands of lights from the ceiling to look like vines hanging from trees. Color Kinetics iColor Flex SLX (now specificed with Flex Compact gen3, RGB), strands of full-color LED nodes, proved to be the right fit, as conventional fixtures couldn’t achieve the desired effect. The nodes were embedded in a custom-made suspension system that allowed the lights to hang and sway over the crowd. For a more natural looking effect, each node was positioned randomly on the strand, with the distances between nodes varying from 102 mm to 1,016 mm (4 in to 40 in).
A lighting solution from Color Kinetics not only achieved the tribal and jungle feel, but also allowed for easy transportation. "These shows go all over the world, so it is necessary that everything is made as practical as possible for transportation, installation, and control," said Michael Sebregts, director of Livingprojects. "We have been working with Sensation for five years now, yet it always remains exciting the first moment the lights go on in the arena."
