A light and sound experience in the heart of London

“The Times They Are ‘A Changing’” sang Bob Dylan in 1964 and in this sense, nothing changes. Where once pubs and clubs were an automatic choice, today young people are looking for something new.

Head to Bermondsey, the heart of London, and in the shadow of the imposing Shard you’ll find streets that embody regenerated urban cool; behind Victorian-era facades with barred windows, you’ll find trendy bars and pubs; and through the door of one of these indescribable buildings: a cutting-edge multi-sensory light show, called Eclipse.

Made by Lumen Studios, founders of the famous Lumen Prize, Eclipse highlights the talents of Novotaka French-Japanese artistic duo that merges the talents of visual artist Noemi Schipfer with lighting artist and son Takami Nakamoto to create futuristic and immersive experiences, combining light, sound and music into something truly immersive.

Compared to something like Without frameTHE Eclipse the experience is minimalist, consisting of just three rooms. That’s not to say there isn’t enough: it’s designed to last around an hour and at the end you return to the first room where you can relax with drinks: the numbers are staggered so that There are never too many people.

The first room, dubbed “Highway,” consists of 24 strobe LED strips running across the wall, alongside a bar serving snacks and drinks. Using technology from LED specialist GarageCube, the wall consists of 25,000 individually addressable LEDs, powered by a powerful M2 processor Macbook. However, while the technology may seem complex, the visual and sensory impact is pleasantly direct. There is a conscious effort not to go overboard with color or fussy design: these are just simple strips of pulsing light creating a hypnotic, calming sensation.

Jack Addis, director of Lumen, told me that initially mirrors were attached to the side wall, but the effect was deemed tacky and they were removed. Indeed, couples, whether young or old, will appreciate that it is a place where we can talk and hear each other; it’s not something you can do in a cinema or a nightclub.

The second room; “Dual” features motion-controlled lights, placed on both sides of an oblong-shaped room, that move in sync with the audio, creating dramatic pulsing effects enhanced by smoke. You can stand at one end and observe or walk to get a different perspective, but

The effects were created by no less than 66 Eurolite TMH B90s, with 10 speakers, two subs and amplification from Martin Audio Professional, driven by a Mac Studio M2.

The third room is “Hidden Shadows,” and at the launch event there were rows of chairs and attendees were seated to watch Novotak perform live. Although daily visitors won’t get a live show, I’m told they will have a similar experience, albeit pre-recorded.

The dues stood in front of their decks, spinning their controllers and laptops against an LED wall displaying a maelstrom of light and energy.

As an old-timer, I couldn’t help but think I was watching an updated Cyberpunk version of Pet Shop Boys. It might not be a comparison they would like, but I can only be honest. The music and light show, however, was more Cyberpunk Edge Runners than West End Girls, all flashing lights and moody drama. It rather made me think of what a meeting of the followers of the extraterrestrials of 3 Body Problem would be like.

Unlike our aforementioned ’80s pop duo predecessors, Novotak’s audio isn’t melodic: you won’t come away humming their tunes, but it is haunting and the D&B Audiotechnik speakers and amplification in combination with Big Brother type images prove very effective. As the stone floor and exposed brick walls are deliberately untreated, sounds stop, start, swirl and bounce beautifully throughout the space.

The effect, combined with the amorphous shapes of light and darkness emanating from the screen, was mesmerizing. It made me imagine what it must be like to be blasted through the CERN particle accelerator, a Higgs boson wearing headphones.

Although Novotak’s live performance had a “too cool for school” feel, there’s no denying that the result was powerful and immersive, much like the exhibition itself. If you’re looking for something different to do in London, especially something suitable for all ages, Eclipseoperating daily until December 8^th 2024, is worth the detour.