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SMODE carves fresh tracks in Alpine nightclub

Val Thorens’ renowned nightclub, Malaysia, has undergone a spectacular €2.5 million transformation to become Malaysia 2.0, all thanks to video installation overhaul featuring SMODE’s real-time compositing and media server platform. This upgrade has slalomed the iconic venue into a next-level sensory experience, offering ski resort visitors a club experience like never before.

Perched at an altitude of 2,310m, The Malaysia club, established by Jean-Pierre Roux in 1985, is open seven days a week for the entire winter season. Dubbed the biggest dance floor in the Alps, it attracts around 700,000 people per season, hosting 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. SMODE video operator at Club Malaysia, Jessy Laurent, explains: “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, ensuring smooth execution of the entire project.

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. Laurent highlights the importance of the 3D stage environments in projects like Malaysia: “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.” The creation and modification of generative elements are quick and efficient, even during a short DJ residency.

From the moment 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. Smode Tech’s 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 lighting effects are subtle and perceptible, never ostentatious and immersion is fully realised in certain scenes, making the venue unique and timeless.

SMODE’s real-time capabilities shine during live performances. The media server enables Malaysia’s operators to tweak media content dynamically, responding to the audience’s energy as the night progresses. “SMODE manages generative graphic content adapted in real-time for dynamic effects,” explains Laurent. He also adds that one of the reasons the team chose SMODE because of the “incredible” creative control: “The ability to adjust visuals on-the-fly is essential for a nightclub, where the atmosphere is constantly changing and SMODE allows us to capture that energy and play off it, creating a truly immersive experience.”

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. Laurent says: “DJs and VJs are already familiar with the basics of visual operation, so they require minimal training.”

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, ensuring seamless distribution throughout the venue. Located on one side of the room, about ten metres 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. “This setup enables Kinesik, Smode Tech and Positive Film’s (production) creative teams to use desktop SMODE layers for real-time adjustments and direct control over the visuals,” Laurent explains.

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 about to begin, the team is already experimenting with more complex 3D effects and creative visuals to keep things fresh. “We’re always tweaking and learning,” concludes Laurent. With SMODE’s media server powering the dynamic visuals, the venue has become a must-visit destination for the after-ski crowd.