In 2024, the Melbourne Recital Centre announced the appointment of its 2025 Artist-in-Residence: Robin Fox. In the underfunded arts and music scene, such opportunities are precious. Unfortunately, this means that those who benefit from them are, at times, subject to jealousy and associated sniping.

This is unlikely to be the case with Fox. Despite being internationally acclaimed for his ground-breaking audio-visual artistry, Fox is so inclusive and humble that it is difficult to imagine anyone being other than glad to celebrate his successes.

Robin Fox. Photo supplied

Fox’s likability only makes it harder to register the note of disappointment I experienced about Saturday’s show, Tangles. The last in his series of presentations as Artist-in-Residence, the show took place inside the Primrose Potter Salon at MRC. It was well attended but not sold out, possibly because it fell on what many in Melbourne treat as a long weekend due to the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.

Described as an exploration in new modular music, the show was also billed as drawing on the “Eurorack phenomenon,” a process that allows musicians great capacity for experimentation...