Sub Focus approached us with a key theme and a small amount of original visual assets and charged us with creating a show based around these original concepts. These included some bespoke content made using an oscilloscope – a vintage electronic graphical display that produces ethereal patterns based on incoming signals. Our job was to create a holistic production, incorporating stage design, visual art, lighting programming and special effect to bring Circular Sound to life.
Inspired by thematic audio visual films such as the seminal Koyaanisqatsi, Sub Focus’ Circular Sound performance follows a loose narrative structure placing the oscilloscope in the centre of a pilgrimage taking in nature, civilisation and human form.
Working closely together with staging, lighting and special effects teams at Zeal, we were able to balance the elements of the production, introducing scene and colour changes gradually over the course of the performance.
Over the course of 90 minutes, we see the formation of the oscilloscope distort and morph with the music, originally forming rudimentary patterns and shapes before gradually evolving into anthropomorphic objects. As the show progresses these shapes form into landscapes and industrial civilisations – an abstracted version of our world being processed through vivid colour and intense speed – before twisting at the end to reveal to the audience the significance of the Circular Sound environment.