VJS — Visual DJs — commonly perform in front visuals pre-recorded or live-coded by the artist onto a screen at the back of the stage.

In the case of Max Cooper, a London-based techno producer with a PhD in computational biology, his live shows are often a fully immersive affair and here he performs behind a giant projector screen covering the entire face of the stage.

The visuals on a smaller screen behind him create a 3D-effect to this special show, part of the Barbican’s Life Rewired season — an exploration of “what it means to be human” in a time of great technological change.

From the moment Fleeting Life introduces the set — to a jaw-dropping image of a billowing cloud of smoke — those lucky enough to get a ticket to this sold-out event know they’re in for a treat.

Conceptually the image, attempting to capture the vastness of infinite space, could not be more appropriate given the show’s title.
 
But this vastness is not only rendered from images representing the natural world, others show reams of data matrices as well as mathematical and religious symbols that overwhelm not just the stage but the walls and ceiling of the hall too.

The end result gives the impression of being flooded, drowning in a sea of stats to the tune of a techno beat. At the end of the remarkable set, Cooper pops out from behind his magic screen to take a bow before returning for an encore.

It’s clear the audience would be happy to sit there all night. But for those still in need of a boogie, the Barbican’s ClubSpace late-night staged performances from electronic artist Llyr and sound designer Rob Clouth.