7th Valley Lightshow

I was given an Aldis Star 500 projector by my Father in Law around 2015. At this time I was unaware of the Facebook Psychedelic Light Show Preservation Society.

In the intervening years from the late ‘ 60’s to 2015 I never had the equipment, time, money or the incentive to create a lightshow. Memories of the lightshows at Barking Regional College of Technology 1968-70 lingered in my memory, so I decided to try modifying the Aldis and working out how to do a heat slide lightshow as I remembered it.

Inspiration was taken from the wonderful art students who did the lightshow in Barking ’68-‘70.

Since conceiving the Lightshow in 2015 I have been greatly inspired , supported and assisted by the members of the Facebook Psychedelic Lightshow Preservation Society.

Since establishing the 7th Valley Lightshow as a performing unit around 2016 I’ve done shows for the Primary Art Collective in Nottingham 2017, 2019, The Malt Cross venue in Nottingham for Light Night 2019 & 2020.

Also for bands Haiku Salut, A Tribute to February Montaine feat. Sam Potter and Cantaloupe at the Hello Thor 10 year farewell party at the Metronome, Nottingham 17th May 2019. In 2020 I also performed a lightshow for the Surface Gallery near Sneinton Market, Nottingham for the Feb 07, 2020 Nottingham Light Night.

7th Valley Lightshow has been set up by myself and has been supported by projector operatives Sam Simpson, Jon Simpson and also by Daisy Hamlin currently a student at Nottingham Trent University specialising in light art.

The 7th Valley Lightshow takes its name form a mystical book from the Baha’i Writings - ‘The Seven Valleys’.
In this mystical work, the author Bahá’u’lláh describes the stages of the soul’s journey to union with its Creator in terms of seven valleys—of search, love, knowledge, unity, contentment, wonderment, and ‘true poverty and absolute nothingness’. The 7th Valley is the Valley of true poverty and absolute nothingness, and out of the realm of the darkness, an allusion to the plane of Absolute Nothingness, shines a creative light of inspiration – the 7th Valley Lightshow.

Started with one Aldis Star 500 projector from my father-in law. Gradually built up the equipment.

I now have 7 Aldis Star 500 projectors running 1000w lamps all modified for heat slides with lamp dimmers, one overhead projector for ‘blown plates’ and three 16mm cine projectors (two Eiki, one Debrie 16) three Zeiss Ikon 35mm slide projectors and two vintage analogue Animatic Slide Dissolve controllers.
Also two Bolex H16 cine cameras for shooting 16mm film.

Using ‘standard’ vintage techniques for a ‘60’s style analogue UK liquid light show – heat slides, blown plate and 16mm film with some b/w cartoon films, scratch film and hand drawn film plus own footage shot on 16mm Bolex H16 cameras and hand processed at home. Sets of scratch formulated oil and water based dyes made from powder dyes.

All the equipment is stashed away in storage at present in preparation for a show. With Covid 19 not sure when that will be?

Dallas Simpson - July 2020

Video Links of 7th Valley Lightshow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3pQDJrHBs4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-JR1nxSgHg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxzInMTsKH4&list=UUKGa37KkjyucyiKbmS-grpQ&index=3&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOaiX1w8yr8&list=UUKGa37KkjyucyiKbmS-grpQ&index=3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LBtTUaJWYE&list=UUKGa37KkjyucyiKbmS-grpQ&index=7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvLicBQwCbw&list=UUKGa37KkjyucyiKbmS-grpQ&index=12
(featuring the Debrie 16 16mm projector)

https://vimeo.com/378721546

https://vimeo.com/337064815

https://vimeo.com/243279901

https://vimeo.com/241414673

All photos courtesy of Reece Straw
Venue: Primary, Nottingham, 7/12/19, ‘Uncanny Christmas: Lost Utopia’ fundraiser.