Creating the Electroluminescent Suit for Monika Roscher Bigband

As a live electronics musician and a student at the Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics (IEM) in Graz, I had the opportunity to collaborate with big band leader Monika Roscher on a project that was truly my baby for some years. Together, we set out to develop a stage outfit that would leave a lasting impression on audiences. The result was the electroluminescent suit that since 2016 has been showcased on stages throughout Europe.

The project began in 2015 and took a year to complete. The suit works with EL wires and LEDs, and it is wirelessly controlled by me on stage during the band’s performance of our song “Starlight Nightcrash”. When the song begins, the stage goes dark, leaving only the glowing suit and the big band musicians’ illuminated music stands visible for the audience. My heart always beats when the song starts. I’m always not fully sure, if the suit will work if I press the button for the first scene of the song to start. I’m even more happy if everything works and I see Monika glow like a night sky or a blueish sci-fi astronaut to the music.

The suit has been a staple of Monika Roscher Bigband’s performances since its debut in 2016. It has been showcased on stages throughout Europe, from the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg to Jazzbaltica 2017 and many other great events.

For me, the project was a passion project. I’m glad that we started this.

Videos

Thesis

If you want further information on the development of this suit, please read my project thesis (DE) from 2016.