This is a guest column written by Gordon Droitcour, co-founder and executive producer of COURT, a multidisciplinary creative house. He is also the co-founder of Syne Research, a brand that celebrates the visual side of the listening experience through digital album art displays.
Late last year, the Excision team and Immanent VJ approached COUR to handle the creative and execution of five songs from Excision's most recent tour, “Nexus,” in conjunction with the Ultra Music Festival in Miami.
Elevating the tracks “Bass to the Dome,” “1 on 1,” “Death Wish,” “End of the World,” and “Kern Happy Die,” COUR sought to create five distinct worlds that would merge seamlessly with the music. Aware of Excision's reputation for creating electrifying performances, the team knew they had to deliver a show that not only enhanced the music, but also left the audience wanting more.
The COUR team began work in December 2023, working with Excision and creative and video director Matt Medwid to develop the five-track visuals during the presentation. Excision and the Immanent team were entirely responsible for the creative concept behind the Ultra Music Festival set and wanted the performance to be visually striking and appear as if the images were coming out of the screen towards the audience.
Along with Matt, COUR drew inspiration from the intense gyrations of nature, the pulsating rhythm of Internet culture, and the whimsical realms of computer futurism to bring the performance to life. We came up with unique concepts to accompany each of the five songs.
During “1 on 1”, the team wanted to create a tron– and Tetris-Architectural wonderland inspired for Excision that would match the perspective of the stage and expand it. It was a pretty special moment. Lasers danced across a metal-framed landscape, revealing intricate geometric shapes against the night sky. It was architecture-based, but it felt like a quick, rhythm-based cube-mashing game.
Combining the futuristic bass rhythms of “Bass to the Dome”, Excision wanted to bring the performance to life with pulsating cubes of lasers rolling and crashing into the earth while unleashing a barrage of pyrotechnics, shockwaves and digital signals. During the track, the sides of the cube begin to fall, revealing a futuristic subwoofer inside.
As the show progressed and the energy of the set increased, the team wanted to create an exciting moment for the audience that would match the energy of “Kern Happy Die.” During the track, a laser is emitted from the center of an LED wall and a reactor core in the center of the screen is activated.
As the core began to power up, a bright green backlight began to slowly fill the screen, illuminating a large array of people standing on a multi-story scaffolding structure. As the song progresses, the people on the scaffolding begin to convulse and move frantically.
Another concept the team developed was a futuristic computer interface that visualized the voice of a cybernetic lord through an impressive 3D lattice structure during “The End of the World.” The computer interface was thin glass with intricate HUD visuals displaying data.
As the song darkens, the overlord leaves the computer interface, breaks the frame, and advances toward the audience. This moment fully demonstrated Excision's unparalleled creativity and technical prowess as artists at the top of their game.
Along with Matt and Excision, COUR transformed the stage into a rocky cave filled with hieroglyphics for “Death Wish.” An ominous “X” emerged from the darkness, accompanied by bursts of fire, lasers and the chilling proclamation “It's time to grant your death wish” projected on large screens, immersing viewers in an unforgettable sensory experience.
Although COUR specializes in video content, they pride themselves on being a multi-disciplinary creative house that handles everything from creative direction to design and content. The Ultra Music Festival performance was a testament to Excision's raw talent and creativity in delivering one of the most innovative and forward-thinking live music experiences.
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