( CNN ) -- Take away the 100-foot screens , the blasting lasers , and the holographic projections , and what do you have left ? Tens of thousands of screaming electronic music fans with nothing much to cheer except a solitary figure , twiddling some knobs and occasionally raising his hand . For EDM fans across the world , the festival and concert visual performances can be almost as crucial as the music -- transforming a DJ-set into an unforgettable , transcendent , multi-sensory experience . In the hands of specialist artists , the lights , images and physical environment around the DJ are becoming an art form in their own right . Buoyed by the explosion of popularity of live electronic music -- plus technological advances like projection mapping , innovative VJ ( video jockey ) software , mushrooming visual computing power , and those famous holograms -- these artists are now getting the chance to display their creations on a spectacular scale . Here , we look at six of the names working behind the stage to turn festivals and concerts into unforgettable immersive experiences . Comix -- Avicii , Swedish House Mafia , Alesso . Avicii 's 2014 arena tour was a jaw-dropping spectacle -- glittering with laser-fire , pyrotechnics , and epic on-screen visuals -- that promised that the young artist could pack out arenas across the world just as well as more established names . The company behind everything on screen are London designers Comix , and for sheer mesmerizing hypnotism , give Avicii a miss and look at their work on Swedish House Mafia 's ultimate `` One Last Tour . '' Strangeloop -- Flying Lotus , Skrillex , Erykah Badu . If anyone was born to take music visuals to cinematic new heights , it was David Wexler , AKA Strangeloop . The grandson of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler and the son of Oscar-nominated production sound mixer Jeff Wexler , the L.A.-born artist has worked with dubstep star Skrillex ( whose spasmodic performance visuals have also seen him recreated movement-for-movement as a giant robot ) , and `` soul goddess '' Erykah Badu . But it all started with his art school classmate Flying Lotus -- Wexler and the experimental music idol have worked together since 2008 . Eyesupply -- Armin van Buuren , Afrojack . Armin van Buuren 's six-hour long all-night `` Armin Only '' marathons this year called for a different kind of visual display . Eyesupply 's Carlo Ruijgers said it took his team a year working with Armin to pull together the creative ideas . In the end the key was contrast : `` Sometimes we go very theatrical , do a fairytale environment ... or 3D-oriented , '' says Ruijgers . United Visual Artists -- Massive Attack , Hans Zimmer . Bafta-winning documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis called it a `` gilm . '' ( It 's cross between a gig and a film . ) His collaboration with British trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack was intended to be a lot more than a DJ set . Tracks ranging from Russian punk to English pop trio The Sugababes synced to a video performance billed as an immersive revelation of the `` illusion of democracy . '' The performance drew on the expertise of United Visual Artists , who have been making incredible visual displays for the band for more years . The Light Surgeons -- Chase and Status , Cinematic Orchestra . The Light Surgeons have invented something they 're calling `` Live Cinema . '' It 's an on-screen viusal performance , improvised live like a jazz band . It 's similar to how VJs are working behind the scenes at a festival , anyway -- splicing clips together on-the-fly to match the ebb-and-flow of a DJ set . Here , they 're in control of everything -- creating cinematic narratives ( like this `` kaleidoscopic view of the cultural landscape of Malaysia '' ) to tell grand stories . And they make killer videos for top DJs , too . Universal Everything -- Coldplay , George Michael . Electronic music 's influence has seen visuals develop across genres . Kate Bush 's comeback shows and Radiohead 's most recent tour stunned fans with on stage performances and visual madness . And `` dad rock '' has realized it does n't have to be boring , either . Even dishwater ballad monsters Coldplay have signed up a company who make screen-drippingly beautiful 3D animations . Just watch this . Who have we missed ? Seen great visuals at a festival or concert this year ? Let us know . Tell us about your best festival experience in the comments below .
Discover six of the names turning festival visuals into an art form in their own right . The first time I saw a giant inflatable penis on stage was at a show by the band Pussy Riot. Tech developments are allowing never-before-seen experiences .