Lorcan Clarke has designed spectacular lighting concepts for stages around the world. While each production has its own identity and connects with audiences in a different way, they all stem from the same source of inspiration: music, and above all, the song itself.
The starting point for me is always the song. The energy, structure, and emotion of each track determine the direction of the programming. Once the looks are programmed, the focus shifts to making the lighting, video, lasers, and music feel connected, says the Irish-born designer, who is now based in San Francisco.
This philosophy made Clarke a natural fit for Kygo when he joined the artist as lighting designer in 2023. Following the songs of this award-winning musician and producer takes any designer on an extraordinary journey, filled with memorable piano solos and a captivating blend of house music, including his signature tropical sound.
Lorcan’s remarkable ability to flow with Kygo’s music was on full display this past March when he lit the popular artist’s two-hour performance at Costa 21 in Lima.
“Impressive”, “powerful”, and “magnificent” are just a few of the words that describe this production. Set on a stage measuring 20 meters wide by 17 meters deep, the audience experienced striking aerial effects, immersive lighting, dynamic laser displays, and massive video screens. Yet the true appeal of the show extended far beyond its visual spectacle.
Beyond the stunning visuals, what truly stood out was the seamless connection between lighting and music. This synergy enhanced the unique atmosphere on stage and deepened the audience’s appreciation of Kygo’s inspired performance.
For me, designing the lighting for a show like this isn’t about having the brightest fixtures or making everything flash at the same time. The programming needs to be intentional. At first glance, it may look like a DJ show, but behind the scenes it is much closer to a full live production. There are several singers performing throughout the set, Kygo plays piano as well as a Moog synthesizer. The show alternates between intimate musical moments and large-scale festival-style passages. The lighting has to support each of those moments without stealing the spotlight. That’s why we carefully pace the high-impact visual moments. If every song is presented at maximum intensity, the emotional impact begins to diminish and the magic starts to fade, explains Lorcan.
Helping Lorcan navigate this carefully balanced narrative was a rig of 122 CHAUVET Professional fixtures, supplied by Dblux S.A.C.
The system included:
- 46 Maverick Storm 1 Hybrid fixtures
- 44 Maverick Storm 3 BeamWash fixtures
- 14 Maverick Storm 4 Profile fixtures
- 16 COLORado PXL Bar 16 motorized battens
- 2 Ovation B565 FC batten-style wash fixtures
Described by Clarke as the primary aerial workhorses of the rig, the Hybrid and BeamWash units were distributed across all five trusses. The Profile fixtures were used for specials and to highlight piano solos. The PXL units served as backlighting and eye-candy effects, while the Ovation B565 FC fixtures provided the camera lighting required in the DJ booth.
Following his philosophy of seamlessly integrating all production elements to better support the artist on stage, Lorcan coordinated the lighting with every aspect of the show’s visual content.
“Lighting and video are fundamental elements in the construction of the Kygo show”, he explains. “We have fantastic visual content created by a very talented team. Sometimes the video leads the aesthetic, and the lighting takes on a more architectural or atmospheric role. At other times, the lighting takes center stage and the screen becomes more of a backdrop. The important thing is that they don’t compete with each other. The goal is for lighting and video to serve the same moment rather than feeling like separate layers”.
Lorcan is quick to acknowledge the work of the entire touring team, whose efforts were instrumental in integrating all production elements into a perfectly cohesive show. “It was a fantastic collaborative effort that began with Mattie Evans and the NTRP team, together with Joel Richardson and Lizette Meinholt, who managed production and logistics for this tour”, he says. “I’m also extremely grateful for the work of our tour manager Rich Jones; musical and creative director Sean Lascelles; Photon Addicts for the flown design; Hi-Scream for the floor design; Jade Frasey, who served as lighting operator for this show; John Dickson of JD3 Lasers; Ross James at FOH; Darren Clark, our stage manager; Greg Karas on playback; Toby Sawyer for special effects; and Dan Fletcher and Ryan Sheppard of Dark Matter for video”.
Reflecting on the South American tour, Lorcan highlights the unique character of Kygo’s music: “Kygo’s music has a sound that people recognize instantly. It has that tropical, melodic, uplifting quality, but it also carries a strong emotional depth”.
For Clarke, the lighting needed to move naturally between those two dimensions. The result was a visual design that supported and enhanced every moment of the performance, song after song.
Photo Credit: Alive Coverage
