Chris Shields is a research scientist based in Copenhagen, Denmark, designing harsh environment electronic devices for climate change research. Shields regularly tours internationally and releases recordings under the moniker Ro. Rather than treating sound as a method for escape, or as the creation of fictional soundscapes, Ro practices reflection on real spaces and emotional documentation.

"Last we heard from Ro, the pacing had slowed to a near stop, the manic electronics had been replaced by strings and unidentifiable recordings of... voice? Came highly recommended, leaves highly recommended" - L. Dusk

“...Screech and hiss aside - the sound of a chair being pushed back, a log loaded into a wood stove, and the chair being pushed forward again; a slow, deep breath or particularly sharp exhale; the size of the room reflecting back into the recordings themselves - some of the many signs of Ro’s personal practice - differ from an escapist creation of a fictional soundscape.When a listener sees recordings as documentation of someone’s real-world process rather than a piece of fiction, they’re able to form a far more intimate relationship with that person themselves rather than their work.”

Ro will spend his EMS residency in Studio 4 in preparation for two upcoming LPs and as ongoing research on Buchla’s electronic design.