Gesaffelstein | Surrey NanoSystems

For Gesaffelstein’s first live performance since 2015, as well as his first live performance in support of new album Hyperion, the ‘dark prince of techno’ wanted to immerse the crowd at Coachella 2019 in a sonically and visually unforgettable performance. His Coachella performance made him the first artist ever to use Vantablack VBx in a live performance.

Gesaffelstein’s set featured a monolith design, the concave side of a 40 ft. high scenic build was coated in VBx to create the illusion of infinite depth and blackness, simulating a black hole on stage. Surrey NanoSystems, Production Resource Group (PRG), Live Nation France and Levitation 29 collaborated closely on the design to maximise the coatings super-black effect. Engineered in Europe, sprayed in New York and tested in Las Vegas; the automated monolith structure, reminiscent of a vortex, opens to reveal another automated wall in high resolution LED and a light wall hiding a solid column of strobes. At the Coachella performance, the contrast of light and super-dark was so intense that spectators struggled to photograph it, Gesaffelstein appeared to float against the Vantablack monolith. In a performance that resonated in the space between the audio and visual, breaking new ground for live music, audiences were totally immersed in the experience.

To read the first meda reviews of how the audience reacted to the performance please go to The Verge

Matthias Leullier from Livenation France said; “Gesaffelstein is an amazing and forward thinking artist. When he and his manager came to us with this idea of bringing the Vantablack technology to live shows for the first time ever, we became immediately thrilled with the challenge. Working and designing such an innovative live set with all the teams at SNS, Levitation 29 and PRG has been a unique experience.”

Fans can catch the French EDM artist performing live against the Vantablack VBx stage set as he continues his North American 2019 Requiem tour from 7th November