23 July 2024
MSHR's Japan tour last year stood out as a highlight. The duo graced Oita’s AT HALL, a renowned live music venue, with an immersive display that seamlessly merged handmade electronic devices and natural elements.
At AT HALL, MSHR showcased their unique ability to create a symphony of iridescent lights and sounds through a network of handcrafted devices. These devices, connected in a complex circuit, emitted a captivating glow that responded to the sounds generated by the performance. The audience was enveloped in an environment where the feedback loop of sounds and lights mirrored the interconnectedness found in nature, culminating in a crescendo orchestrated by live human interaction.
Asumi Kunugi, who filmed the entire performance expressed: “I had the pleasure of filming the performance of the art collective MSHR at the live event ‘HELL SCROLL 5’ held at At Hall in Oita City last year. Some handmade devices connected to a circuit that glows iridescent light according to the sound. The audience was immersed in this performance made up of a chain of feedback that could be found in nature. Finally, the noise was developed by the joining of live human hands. Perhaps it suggests a form of love and communication that may exist in the future. I was filming with this thoughts in mind. I also wondered what the music and art scenes in New York and Portland would be like.”
MSHR, an art collective founded in 2011 by Brenna Murphy and Birch Cooper in Portland, Oregon, is dedicated to the exploration and creation of sculptural electronic systems. Their work bridges the realms of sound and sculpture, employing analog circuitry and open-source software to craft intricate audiovisual landscapes.
Their performances and installations are a testament to the intricate dance between electrical signals and human presence, forming dense networks of causality that breathe life into their environments. MSHR's practice delves into the intuitive and technical gradients between sonic and sculptural forms, resulting in hyperobjects that resonate with a unique vitality.
Watch the full performance from last year below.