Out of the uncontrollable turmoil of the state we call “chaos” new meaning sometimes arises. Perhaps this is why in Greek mythology, Chaos, the fist divinity to appear at the dawn of creation, was the goddess of emptiness and uncertainty. It is she; the legend goes, who ultimately gives birth to the universe.
This complex spirit lives on in the Italian rock band The Criminal Chaos, as they rip comfortable, preconceived notions to shreds and challenging fans with their impassioned, unsettling brand of music. Led by founder and singer Nik Bergogni, the quintet from Parma brought the full force of their furious sound to Fumasoli Audio & Lights Rental’s studio in northern Italy’s Aosta Valley to record their latest music video.
Like the furtive, menacing music of The Criminal Chaos, the lightshow that Patick Iavarone designed for this production conveyed an air of simmering suspense and lurking unknown danger, along with the possibility of discovering something new and redeeming in the end.
Making ample use of shadows to add a sense of mystery to the recordings, Iavarone pierced these dark spaces with bright, boldly colored light, often in monochromatic hues. Providing these intense illuminations were 32 CHAUVET Professional Maverick fixtures from Fumasoli’s own inventory.
Iavarone arranged eight Maverick MK2 Wash and four Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures on the upstage truss, and eight washes on the middle truss, as well four spot units on the downstage truss. He also positioned four of the Maverick washes and an equal number of spots on the floor on the studio’s 10-meter by 7-meter stage. (The studio itself measures 20-meters by 10 meters, providing a variety of good camera angles for video and livestream sessions.)
From these positions, Iavarone lit the five band members from unique side and back angles to accentuate the haunting atmosphere of the video. “The concept by the designer and the band was to have a lot of back lighting,” said Marco Zaffuto of Fumasoli Audio & Light Rental. “The use of front lighting was kept to a minimum.”
The Mavericks in the rig worked in close concert with a center stage video wall. Back light angles and video images flowed through a continuous series of changes throughout the seven song video to maintain a consistent level of intensity.
As they changed, the lighting and video veered in unexpected directions. Startling and at times unsettling, these images were nothing if not provocative. And provocation of course is the whole point of experiencing chaos.
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)