Four Tet’s show is built around a single spine of light, 28 meters long in Denver and 138 in San Francisco, and it has never had a production rehearsal. For lighting designer Ed Warren, the work that makes it hold together happens beforehand, at his desk in Capture: “I got to spend a really good amount of time on each specific show in front of Capture on my desk, making sure that the programming works no matter how reduced or different the lighting rig is from the previous one.”
Showcase background
Four Tet is the project of Kieran Hebden, a British electronic musician and producer. Releasing music since the late 1990s, he is known for blending electronic, folk and dance influences, and for DJ sets and live shows around the world.
The show is a continuing development of a concept debuted in early 2025, with the first show in Berlin. It is built around a long spine of continuous light (Chauvet PXL Curve 12) that runs down the centre of the room and covers the entire dance floor. The rest of the rig is designed around this slide so that everybody on the dance floor feels included and part of the show, with a perspective that is just as interesting wherever they stand. The design draws on Ed’s love of geometry and aims to be as pleasing and satisfying to the eye as possible.
The challenge
Four Tet (Kieran) deliberately chooses long, thin, warehouse-style venues for this production. The longer the warehouse, the longer the spine of light, and the shorter the warehouse, the shorter the spine. The smallest show so far was Denver, with 28 meters of spine, and the longest was Portola in San Francisco, with 138 meters.
The challenge was adapting the programming to each version of the rig. Using Capture, Ed Warren could download a house rig MVR, import it, and overlay his own rig to visualize it in 3D before he even stepped foot in the venue. It is still the same show: just as effective and just as inclusive, no matter the size.
Design and presentation
There is no traditional pitch process this time. Ed Warren and Four Tet have worked together for so long that they have a total understanding, and when one throws an idea, the usual response is “Yeah, let’s go for it.”
Capture makes that process easier. As soon as Ed drew something in Capture, made it 3D and showed it, Four Tet was sold. He then sent videos of the ideas he was developing while programming, and presenting realistic renders and visualizations meant the show was approved without edits.
No rehearsals
The first show in Berlin was loaded in the day before. Ed Warren got control of the rig in the evening, spent time on the programming, and the next day was show day. There has never been a production rehearsal for the show.
Trusting one’s own programming depends on being able to see it running itself in real time on a computer. As Ed puts it: “I’m not really sure how I survived prior to using Capture.”
Capture anywhere
Ed started using Capture in 2014, and he has noticed an upturn in his creativity, efficiency and career since. Because he can take it anywhere, he has designed shows in places such as the beach, or on airplanes with Capture and the console software running on the same laptop.
When an idea comes, he can get his laptop out, sketch it down and present a realistic rendering within minutes.
Key features
The features that mattered the most for this production:
MVR import: Bring in a house rig and overlay your own rig to visualize it in 3D before arriving at the venue
Realistic renderings: Present ideas to the artist and get them approve without edits
Patch upload: Send the patch from Capture to the lighting desk
Plots: Design, render and create plots in the same workflow
“Capture, as a tool for me, is as important as the music. The great thing is: Capture is improving at the same rate that I’ve been improving, and I don’t want that process to end!” – Ed Warren, Lighting Designer
Production Details
Production/Lighting design, programming and operation: Ed Warren
Lighting & Production design, programming & operation: Ed Warren
Production managers: Josh Rahalski/Matt Barker
FOH: Parker
Desk: Chamsys MQ500M
Main light: Chauvet PXL Curve 12
Suppliers
UK: LCR
Paris: BLive
Berlin: TSE
New York: TagLive
Denver: Brown Note
San Francisco: Felix
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