Multi-award winning rapper Apache 207 holds nothing back in “Angst,” a gripping unsettling song of alienation, isolation and fractured relationships. The relentless emotional force of this powerful piece is reflected in a recent video of the same title that the chart-topping recording artists made to kick off 2021.
Drawing on the brooding aura of its physical setting, Babenhausen Kasserne, an abandoned and desolate former military base that was built 120 years ago, the video evokes a haunting air of mystery. This quality is accentuated by Adrian Schmidt’s riveting lighting design that he powered with his ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 console. (Another MQ500 was brought to the production site as a backup, but was never used.)
Like his client, Schmidt pulled no punches when devising his creation. From the very beginning when Apache 207 seems to be entering a swirling tunnel of light, each of his steps illuminating the ground beneath his feet, it becomes clear that this video is going to challenge perceptions.
Throughout the video, Schmidt creates wave after wave of lighting intensity that includes towering aerial effects, brilliant white flashes, and cascading “waterfalls” of light. Helping him navigate his way through this vortex of looks was his trusty console.
“I have worked with ChamSys for over 10 years now,” he said. “It’s a very stable desk that I know I always can rely on. With the MQ500, my work is made much easier because of its very intuitive layout and easy timecode programming. I am also a big fan of the MQ Track.”
During the production of the Angst video, the MagicQ MQ500’s reliable, rugged design was especially appreciated because of the high humidity and cold temperatures.
“All the features of the ChamSys helped me in this project, as we had limited infrastructure, a huge (113m x 85m) area, and long cables for data transmission via ArtNet,” said Schmidt. “We also had very little time for setting everything up, as the sun went down at 5 pm. My console performed flawlessly through it all.”
With help from his MagicQ MQ500, Schmidt, along with the rest of the production team, prevailed over these conditions. Perhaps their challenges even added to the intensity of a music video. Who can say? But in any event, the end result is one that sears itself into the viewer’s memory.
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