CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Curve 12 Helps Jimmy Olausson on Epica's Arcane Dimension Tour

	Combined with atmospherics and a transparent video wall, Olausson's lighting created evocative moods that left audiences feeling, in the words of one Prague critic, "as if they had stepped through a ring of time." Photo: @JENSTHEPANDA

Reflecting the music of Dutch symphonic metal icons Epica in light calls for new design approaches. Jimmy Olausson did so on the band's recent 30-date Arcane Dimension Tour of Europe.

Through his unique side lighting angles, deft use of shadows, and mood-setting atmospherics, Olausson, owner of Illumity AB, endowed the stage with asymmetrical quality that served as a visual accompaniment to his client's music.

"During the programming phase of this show, I wanted not only to work with symmetry, but also create looks that go outside of the 'conventional way' of doing things," Olausson says. "Epica's music is wonderfully varied, so it was important for me to be able to cover not only all metal parts, but also the parts of songs where we needed to show pure emotion from the band members."

Key to helping Olausson achieve this vision were 21 CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Curve 12 motorized battens, which, like most of his rig, were supplied by the Belgian supply house Spendit. (The firm Wirkung furnished the hung LX for select shows.) As part of this design, the designer arranged his COLORado PXL Curve 12s in horizontal rows, one behind the drummer and keyboardist, the second behind the big riser, and the third on the floor in front of the riser.

"I would say that the PXL curve is a light that is very intuitive. It allows you to program in a way that makes you have to 'rethink' your conventional way of programming to really find the unique looks," says Olausson, who worked with Epica's creative director, Jens De Vos, as well as his board operators Daniel Friedl and David Jackowicz. "The PXLs were the eye candy light of this show."

Combined with atmospherics and a transparent video wall, Olausson's lighting created evocative moods that left audiences feeling, in the words of one Prague critic, "as if they had stepped through a ring of time."

A continuous flow of dramatically changing looks passed through this magical ring. At times the stage was bathed in icy monochromatic blues, at others deep ambers dominated, only to be replaced by stark white light. True to Olausson's vision, geometric patterns from hard vertical configurations segued to dreamier, subtler shapes.

Olausson's distinctive side lighting was foundational to this compelling atmosphere. "Side lighting is always a go-to for me," he says. "The way you are able to control the dynamics in the show, creating shadows, depth, highlighting emotions or raw energy is by far something that is harder to do with only a traditional front truss."

He adds that his vision for the show was "to create a synergy between the LED-wall content and the lighting, tying everything together into one single machinery."