SMODE’s real-time compositing and media server platform has powered a €2.5m video installation overhaul to the renowned nightclub Malaysia, in the French ski resort of Val Thorens, to become Malaysia 2.0. Perched at an altitude of 2,310m, the Malaysia club has been dubbed “the biggest dance floor in the Alps” and attracts around 700,000 people per season.
The club hosts over 2,000 partygoers every night for live concerts and DJ sets. After almost four decades, the venue needed a “facelift” to create a unique identity using digital art to stand out in the après-ski scene.
The transformation of Malaysia, spearheaded by the integrator Kinesik, involved developing a complete 3D model of the club to simulate the layout of the LED screens and the flow of visuals. The 3D model, which was worked on with virtual headsets, enabled precise planning and mapping, making the complex process of screen positioning and content synchronisation easier. The SMODE media server’s support for 3D environments, including modelling, texturing and mapping, proved ideal for creating a virtual set for the nightclub.
When guests step into the 1000sqm festive chalet, they are greeted with LED panels covering the ceiling, walls and pillars, creating an immersive atmosphere where stunning visuals move and change with the music. The SMODE media server is the brain behind the operation, ensuring visuals are always in sync with the high-energy music coming from the club’s sound system. The media server is designed to enable Malaysia’s operators to tweak media content dynamically, responding to the audience’s energy as the night progresses.
Colour palettes, strobes and other visual elements are synchronised with the GrandMA console to deliver dynamic effects. All media is displayed on a Streamdeck using real-time screenshots, while XTouch controller manages dynamic VJ effects. Both are adjusted in real-time to match the BPM (beats per minute). SMODE handles generative graphic content, ensuring adaptability – crucial in a nightclub setting, where no two nights are the same and the mood can change in an instant.
To achieve this integration, the installation prioritised simplicity and reliability. The SMODE interface was designed to be “plug-and-play” and “start-and-stop,” reducing the need for deep technical knowledge and allowing the club’s creative team to focus on the experience. The technical setup at the nightclub is a combination of Behringer MIDI console and Streamdeck offering intuitive control. Four 4K video streams generated from SMODE are connected to Novastar H0 interface with eight inputs.
Located on one side of the room, about 10m from the stage, the control room, where the main and backup SMODE servers guarantee uninterrupted performance, is equipped to manage video, lighting and sound for live bands. A dedicated NUC PC running SMODE Compose is linked to the media servers, managing the technical workflow, including handling SMODE’s layer hierarchy and communication between the servers via SMODENet.
Jessy Laurent, SMODE video operator at Club Malaysia, explained: “SMODE played an important role in identifying all surfaces before and during the integration of the LED screens.”
Laurent collaborated closely with Erwan Tehel, product specialist at Smode Tech and Armand Béraud and Martin Hance from Salut la Compagnie, who led the project’s design before the installation.
Throughout the project, Erinn Guillon, from Positive Films as well as Julien Bedane and Tarik el Maarouf, who were responsible for technical direction, played a vital role in coordinating with Alexandre Buge, CTO at Smode Tech.
Laurent highlighted the importance of the 3D stage environments in projects like Malaysia. He said: “It saves valuable time during setup and encoding stages, allowing external devices to be methodically organised within SMODE’s hierarchy, making it easy to locate elements at any time.”
According to the owner, the installation has completely changed the atmosphere, with the visuals grabbing the clubbers’ attention because they are curious about what plays on the screens next and they are staying longer in the club than before. With the new ski season underway, the team is already experimenting with more complex 3D effects and creative visuals to keep things fresh.
