Liquid Light Lab

Liquid Light Lab has been active since 2007.

I used to hang out with a band that had a terrible stage presence. But they had great music. I thought these guys could use a light show. Originally, I was going to do some Flash interfaces and program animations into it. The idea was to do geometric shapes and colors. But I couldn't afford a digital projector or computer.

But I did know about traditional light shows and the overhead projector. I thought it was a good way to perform live with the band and improve in a way a computer couldn't.

Then one thing led to another. People liked the show, so I kept doing them.

For influences I would just say Nature and maybe some of the mystical experiences I've had, have influenced me the most in art and life.

As far as other light shows go, I am a big fan of the Joshua Light Show, Thomas Wilfred, John Whitney, and Chris Kuroda of Phish.

I've worked several high profile shows, including The Allman Brothers at Madison Square Garden, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd at the Beacon (with special guest Roger Waters!), and the 13th Floor Elevators reunion. But over the years there have been literally hundreds of bands of all genres and visibility. Some of the other more known ones are Phil Lesh of the Dead, The Zombies, the War on Drugs, Antibalas, Weyes Blood, and Gene Ween.

I've also done a bunch of work for movies, events, TV shows, magazines, music videos, and commercials. These would have been with HBO, The Grateful Dead Movie's 40th Annerversay theatrical release, Nature science journal, Rolling Stone, and Dunlop Guitar Pedals.

I've collaborated with Joshua White, Johnathan Singer, Mustachio Light Show, Brownshoesonly, BPMC / Drew Pauper, Levitation Theory, Vision System, Marco Ferrero, Graeme Walford / Heavy Light, VJ Doctor Mojo, Jon Bonk, and Sofy Yudistkaya.

I have always worked solo. I have tried bring other people and collaborate with others more, but I prefer to do things at my own whims.

An interesting anecdote...I was just thinking today about a gig where the band brought their own fog machine (which are terrible for the light shows), and it set off the fire alarms, clearing several hundred people onto the street.

It was a Spinal Tap moment.

I started out with overhead projectors, then moved on to visual presenters and video mixers, and eventually went all HD and now 4K with a system I designed. I use a lot of things. When I used overheads it was a lot of blow plates, and squash plates. When I was using visual presenters, I also used a lot of video feedback and analog video glitch stuff. With the new high res rig, I have some cameras that face down at a light table, where I put liquids and other things, which get picked up and are mixed with a computer that runs video of art I've made.

I have some LED turntables, shiny foils, and glass objects which are all used under the camera. I also have some unusual warp wheels I've made. One we call the Candela Wheel, and it spins vertical, like a tulip, and create wild warps and casts lumia at the same time.
I also have a Nintendo from the 80s which I modified to have a patchbay that runs into the video chip and causes all sorts of cool glitches.

*It's important to note that I also have inherited the equipment of Bob Lewis, aka Nu-Clear and North Lights, who are listed here in the Index.

We were friends online from the Psychedelic Light Show Preservation Society and Video Circuits pages. Bob sadly passed away in 2018, and gave me a large amount of equipment before he passed.

There are about 20 vintage projectors, inluding viewlex and Pluto units. He also owned a sizeable slide collection, maybe 2000 slides. Some of these were first created in London, as kodaliths and mounted. Some of them are hand painted. There's some really good art slides as well, and just weird things Bob collected over the years.

In the beginning I had one 3m overhead (2000 lumens). I made the band buy if for me so I could do their light show. I still have it!

I probably have about 40 projectors now. My old apartment in Queens stared as a living space, and eventually the light show grew and took over the place. Now the living room is a main projection center from where I test ideas and set ups, and also from where I live stream and do tutorials from.
All the closets are also filled with light show stuff. Most of the kitchen cabinets have light show stuff in them too.

The hall way to the bedroom is packed, and then the bedroom store printed light show art.

It's a Light Show House.