ANDROID's birth:
In the summer 68 we were all together for three months in LONDON, and we discovered the ROUNDHOUSE where we spent then all our week-ends spying on the first lightshows performing there on PINK FLOYD and such groups. They had mainly overhead projectors with liquids but beautiful liquids and some Moiré patterns. I also read the same summer an ad in ID about Krishna Lights, a commercial firm related to Krishna people which was selling Liquid projectors and polaroid slides, I went to see them in Goodge street and bought one polaroid slide (I did not have the money for more than that) and I got a catalogue (WOW what a victory for me, it gave me a lot of ideas).
ANDROID LIGHTSHOW:
In september 68 and the following months back in Marseilles we experimented the liquids with an overhead projector from the SCIENCE University, we borrowed two slide projectors from a student club and it began. I rapidly found everything about the secrets of polarized light effects, we had about 200 different effect slides (with a polaroid revolving wheel in front of the projector) I was probably the best world specialist of that effect technique.
We also developped many Moiré type effects and also negative-positive posterized effect (a positive slide and the a negative slide projected one above the other from two different projectors each with a color revolving wheel). I refined this technique by painting areas of the black and white slides.
We also developed what we called "PARROT's beaks" in order to flash rapidly from one slide to the other by hiding alternatively the light coming from one of the projectors (we use also to do this with our hands, the best was with four projectors projecting images on the same surface and two of us flashing two projectors each). We also like many transformed one slide projector (a 400Watt SAWYER) in a heat-producing machine for liquid slides by throwing off the anti-heating glass.
By 1969 we were mature and ready to begin big gigs.
We used at the beginning 1 overhead projector (with liquids and moiré patterns) and three slide projectors (two normal and one heater). Later we used 2 overheads, one wheel projector (SFOM the french ALDIS TUTOR equivalent / see picture) and six projectors (or exceptionaly 8) , no need of more, we much more invested in the light power of these projectors ( we had a boosted 1000 watt Kodak Caroussel slide projector) and even more in the images/photos/effect slides to project, in this aspect I also think we were different from many others groups.
We performed for gigs in France for John MaC LAUGHLING, for EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND, VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, SPOOKY TOOTH, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, and for french groups GOA, ANGE, MAGMA and many french pop groups of this period and also for theater performances.
We performed a lot in MARSEILLES and AIX-EN-PROVENCE but also in NICE, TOULOUSE, and a lot of times in PARIS especialy in 1970 for the LIGHT SHOW FESTIVAL at MUSEE D'ART MODERNE de la VILLE DE PARIS with also BILL HAM and his LIGHT SOUND DIMENSION, OPEN LIGHT and BARVED ZUMIZION the two other french big light shows.
A strange one was when we performed at the OPERA house in MARSEILLES projecting from the balcony on the iron safety curtain
We performed in CLUBS, POP festivals, extreme-left political rallies.But our best time was during summer 69 and summer 70 when during all summer we were resident light-show every night of the week in SAINT TROPEZ most famous club the VOOM-VOOM club, I remember three main things 1/ first the club bar waiter provided us with gin to use it in the overhead as alcool from a pressing bottle and some of it went also to our mouth;2/second fact is the girls, it was such a good very hype club with all the international bimbos that we took a turn two of us doing the light with the two others with the girls on the dance floor.
3/ we had a free villa all for ourselves at the beach and free meals and drinks at the CLUB and the related restaurant .
We continued performing until 1975 about, two of us stayed in the domain by becoming photographs for myself Robert CHOURAQUI in PARIS (my site www.robertchouraqui.com) and for Claude NOUGIER in MARSEILLES, the third one Constant KAIMAKIS went to organizing cultural events in MONTPELLIER and Charlie BAILLE the last one invested the food media by becoming a chef for different restaurants . |
We were not influenced by any other artist because we were nearly the only one in the south of France, that is may be why we develop our own style based heavily on photoartwork, polaroid effects, sophisticated moirés and heating liquids rather than a lot of overhead liquids. |
ANDROIDE light show was reactivated on november 2008 at the demand of the MODERN ART MUSEUM in Bordeaux for a 3 days psychedelic music festival and an exhibition on the history of the psychedelic culture, IAO festival.
ANDROIDE LIGHTSHOW performs together with OPEN LIGHTSHOW on groups such as TURZI, SONIC BOOM, et Kevin AYERS.
Since this Festival Robert Chouraqui's ANDROIDE LIGHTSHOW performs many gigs in ROANNE, BRUXELLES PARIS and MARSEILLES and use his visual wizardry to light the gigs of the music group SIXTEEN TONS (Charlie singer for this two man band is another founding member of the ANDROIDE LIGHT SHOW.
L’Androide lightshow de Robert Chouraqui is now mixing the psychedelic years best effects and the most advanced photography and VJ skills. |
