Max Cooper at the Hollywood Theatre

Max Cooper is a Belfast-born, London-based electronic composer whose work bridges the realms of music, science, and visual art. With a PhD in computational biology, Cooper channels his scientific curiosity into projects that expand the minds of audiences with what they see and hear.

After becoming a geneticist in 2008, Cooper decided to focus entirely on music production, influenced by his science background. By 2012, he was voted in the top 20 live acts of the year for two years running on Resident Advisor, while Beatport named him artist of the year. Over the years, Cooper has encouraged fans to produce their own videos for his music, collaborating with them to craft unique music videos and visuals to pair with his live acts.

One of those live performances was set to begin at the Hollywood Theatre, Cooper entered the stage behind a translucent projector screen without a word. Cheers erupted throughout the theatre when his signature electronica/IDM sound emanated from the speakers and the projector screen lit up, filling the room with shifting, fractal microscopic lifeforms.

Cooper's musical style is incredibly unique as he creates richly textured, multi-layered compositions that blend complex sound design with algorithmic visuals. Cooper effortlessly transitioned between the calming sound baths of “Specturum” from Unspoken Words and “A Sense of Getting Closer” from his 2025 album On Being, to newer thundering breakbeat dance numbers like “My Choices Are Not My Own” from the same album. Each piece was paired with its own visual universe that one of his many collaborators contributed to (a long list was credited at the end of the show), spanning from real-life visuals, to colourful shapes, designs and other-worldly moving illustrations. Each track was a wonder in its own right, both visually and sonically, and the audience stood (or danced) in awe of what they were collectively experiencing.

Cooper remained a quiet figure behind the screen, eyes lifted toward the visuals, tweaking/transitioning between sounds, and acknowledging the crowd’s appreciation by joining in their applause breaks. His silence was deliberate, allowing the work itself to take full attention, and let the crowd bask in each audio/visual encounter. The crowd was pining for what Cooper would unveil next, until ultimately the night drew to a close, an experience that felt wholly unique and transcendent in the electronic music scene.