If you’re heading out to Vivid Sydney this year, you can’t miss the Tekno Train – an immersive sound and lighting experience. And what makes this even cooler is that it’s infrastructure is powered by the team from Red Globe Productions, our creative production arm.
When SimpleMotion.Lighting was first approached to help make this vision a reality, they knew they needed a partner who could help them design cutting edge technology to accomplish something that had never been done before; and Real World was the obvious partner.
The project posed a number of interesting challenges. A train is a dynamic environment, with a number of strict engineering protocols which limit the locations that equipment can be installed. Cabling needs to be secured within a carriage and safely run. Power is variable, and a train can be de-energised at any time. Safety needs to be considered paramount.
Working with Jonathan Boer from SimpleMotion.Lighting, our team designed a reliable communications infrastructure that allowed the realtime transmission of both audio and lighting data throughout the train. We implemented a number of failsafe mechanisms, and overrides to allow car operators or the drivers to isolate a carriage, or the whole system. We also implemented audio controls to help ensure that guard announcements can be heard throughout all the carriages.
This project employs a number of world first events, and we’ve been delighted to be part of it.
Our thanks to SimpleMotion.Lighting and Performing Lines for having us along for the ride!
About the Event
Bring new meaning to “it’s the journey not the destination” with a commute like no other. All aboard this immersive sound experience, as an everyday commuter train morphs into an extraordinary ride.
Tekno Train by Paul Mac, curated and composed by visionary musician and train-lover Paul Mac, reimagines the daily commute as a symphony of rhythmic beats and pulsing visuals.
“Trains have always fascinated me. Their mix of rhythmic clicks and clacks, the screech of metal on metal, the sound and smell of air brakes in underground tunnels, and a complex system of signals and points that magically control your journey and destination.” – Paul Mac
Running as part of Vivid Sydney 2024 from 24th May – 15th June, choose between The Scenic Route and the Tek Express route, as each becomes a responsive canvas and techno soundscape.
As your train moves, your journey through the city or across the Harbour Bridge becomes interactive. As the train accelerates and the terrain outside changes, the environment onboard shifts and responds, inviting passengers to be fully in the moment.
Tekno Train by Paul Mac isn’t just a trip, it’s a communal invitation to tap into the hidden rhythm of our city. An opportunity to see city life through the eyes of one of Australia’s best musicians.
Tekno Train by Paul Mac has two routes to choose from:
The Scenic Route
Sit back and take in the sights and sounds as the Tekno Train lights up your journey over the Bridge, and down a secret spur to Lavender Bay. This is the slower of the two journeys and is better suited to families with kids ages 5+.
Tek Express
Take it up a notch and go deep beneath the city with a pulsing techno thrill ride through City Circle and South Sydney. This is the more lively, full-bodied journey for those seeking a more fast-paced, immersive experience.
Daily Timetable
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time
Ride 1 (departing 6:35pm) – The Scenic Route
Ride 2 (departing 7:45pm) – Tek Express
Ride 3 (departing 9:00pm) – Tek Express
Please note: we don’t recommend this show for children under five, but this is discretionary, under five-year-olds will not be refused entry.
Techno Train is produced by Performing Lines and presented by Vivid Sydney. It is supported by the NSW Government through Destination NSW and Create NSW, the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its primary arts investment and advisory body, and the Wales Family Foundation.
