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FOURTH PORTAL
GATEWAY TO THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Funki Porcini Laserium Saturday
27 January 2024
More than 450 visitors queued on Saturday night of the Gravesham Light Festival for Funki Porcini’s Laserium. The 10-minute taster filled the darkened Fourth Portal with 800 synchronised lasers, pulsating to an original score. Reviews ranged from exceptionally calming to imagining the universe forming.
Following the success of Friday night’s Laserium, even larger crowds gathered on Saturday at the Fourth Portal for another immersive spectacle. More than 450 visitors queued to experience the 10-minute Laserium taster, with reviews ranging from exceptionally calming to imagining the universe forming.
The Laserium, an 800-laser rig built by composer, musician, and artist James Braddell (aka Funki Porcini), transformed the darkened church into a mesmerising display. Beams of light danced off mirrors and glass, synchronised to Funki Porcini’s surreal soundscapes, creating a hypnotic and deeply immersive experience.
The free event welcomed visitors of all ages, from the youngest children to the eldest attendees. Responses varied, with younger audiences describing the performance as soothing and meditative, while older visitors found it intense and absorbing.
The full one-hour immersive show followed on Sunday, 28 January 2024. Earlier that afternoon, a talk was held with Laserium collaborators Andy Payne and Nicky Cure, who also designed the Crawley Bots robots and contributed to the laser rig’s construction. Read more about the talk here.
Gravesham Light Festival Continues
The Gravesham Light Festival continued on Saturday, 27 January 2024, with expanded capacity at Fourth Portal Lab to accommodate even more visitors. Nearby, LV21 Lightship hosted a light installation and shadow show, adding to the festival’s diverse visual experiences.
Who is Funki Porcini?
James Braddell, aka Funki Porcini, is a British electronic music provocateur, blending surreal jazz, found noise, synthetic textures, and dreamlike logic. A defining artist of Ninja Tune’s early years, his name plays on Funghi Porcini, the Italian term for the Boletus edulis mushroom, commonly known as penny bun.
Braddell spent ten years in Italy composing for film and television before returning to England in 1994, signing with Ninja Tune, and setting up his own studio, The Uterus Goldmine.
Find out more about Funki Porcini on Ninja Tune.
The Lasers and the Rig
For insights into the lasers and the creative process behind this spectacular rig, visit Funki’s Bandcamp.
MORE ON THIS EVENT BELOW

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