ROCKPONY is a two-member group who produces electro/house music and performs in venues throughout Austin, Texas. To enhance their live performances, they use six LED Shadow™ blacklights, four COLORpalette™ LED bank systems, two Impulse™ 648 strobe lights, two COLORband™ PiX pixel-mapping wash lights, a Hurricane™ haze machine and an Obey™ 40 DMX controller to operate everything. Listen to their music and check out some of the photos they shared with us.
Light & Sound, aka Samuel McGee and Cameron Hall, is a DJ/VJ duo who live in Meridian, Miss. and perform at house parties and venues throughout Mississippi and Alabama. They specialize in Electronic House and Dubstep and describe their shows as, “an intense array of lights and lasers accompanied by some of the grimiest bass known to mankind.” Read on and get to know more about this dynamic duo.
1. How and when did you get started as a DJ/VJ?
We started out in February 2012 when Hall (who is now Sound) tried to DJ and VJ at the same time. I (McGee) noticed he was having some difficulty doing both at the same time, so I asked if he needed help and here we are six months later having the times of our lives.
2. Is this a full-time job or something you do on the side?
This is not a full time job for either of us at the moment — though we would like it to be one day. Hall works as a safety manager for H&M Construction and I’m an assistant manager at Chance and Dooleys.
3. What fixtures are included in your setup?
Our setup includes the following CHAUVET® DJ gear: one MotionFacade™ LED drape, one Scorpion™ Storm FXRG and one Scorpion™ GVC laser, one LED Shadow™ blacklight, one Derby™ X and two 4PLAY™ effect lights, two COLORpalette™ wash lights, two Intimidator™ Scan LED 200 scanners and an Obey™ 70 http://www.chauvetlighting.com/obey-70.html DMX controller. We are hoping to add more lights to our setup so our shows continually change and grow.
4. What is your favorite fixture and why?
I like them all so much, so it’s hard to pick a favorite. However, if I had to pick, it would be the Scorpion™ Storm FXRG. This laser is perfect for electronic music and it demands attention. The strobe effect accompanies some of the snarling sounds you hear in Dubstep perfectly. 4PLAY™ comes in at a close second. This fixture allows me to match the strobe effect with the BPM in the song.
5. Best advice you can give someone just getting started in the industry?
Read the lighting manuals and practice as often as possible. There are many ways to control the lights — you just have to figure out what works best for you. Also, if possible, go with LEDs over halogen bulbs. Even though they are a bit pricier, you will find yourself saving time and money in the long run.
6. What are your top three most requested songs?
“Cage the Rage” by Zomboy, “Firepower” by Datsik, and “Hello” by Porter Robinson.
Based in Philadelphia, MyParasites is a band that performs elements of industrial, screamo and aggrotech music under the light of CHAUVET® DJ fixtures. They have traveled all over the country and are gearing up for a full U.S. tour in the fall. Read on and get to know more about the group who coined the genre “ScrEBM.”
1. How did you come up with the name of your band?
MyParasites represents all the things that eat away inside us — like everyday struggles and life. We created the name when we started making music and feel that it really describes what the songs are about.
2. How many members are there?
MyParasites is comprised of four members: Jaws (vocals), Eddie Threat (bass and
synthesizer), Chloe (drums) and Glitch (lead synthesizer).
3. What type of music do you play?
We’re an electronic act that plays industrial music. It’s a kind of harsh electronic sound that is created using samplers, synthesizers, guitars, electronic drums, angle grinders and a little bit of mayhem.
4. What CHAUVET® fixtures are included in your setup?
For a lot of ultraviolet-reactive fun, we place two LED Shadow™ blacklight panels at both ends of the stage. Four LEDsplash™ 86B wash lights are attached to our electronic drum kit and are activated using Midi and two DMX-4 LED dimmer/relay packs. For added effects and movement, we set up an Eclipse™ RGB laser and a couple Mini Strobe™ LED strobe lights around the stage.
5. Are they permanently installed somewhere or do you set them up for each
performance?
The LEDsplash™ 86B wash lights are attached to our drum kit, which is easily disassembled and folded up. As far as the rest of the fixtures, we pretty much scatter them around the stage and light them up so setting up doesn’t really take that long.
6. Complete this thought: A show without lights is like…
Just boring. Lights and music go hand-in-hand because they complement each other — especially with the way we program our lights. Every time the snare drum and cymbal crash are hit, the whole drum kit lights up. The LED Shadow™ panels make the whole stage ultraviolet reactive during specific parts of the songs, while the strobes flash during certain breakdowns. The fixtures enhance the performance and give the audience a real show instead of just listening to music.
