I’m an Australian music-maker, artist and organiser. I can often be found making sounds with the chamber group Nonsemble or nerding out with the math-rock band Mr. Maps. I may also be found hunched over a computer performing some rhythmic audiovisual experiment. Recently I got myself a PhD in Music Composition with the help of my supervisor at UQ, Rob Davidson. I also teach, write music for theatre, film and animation, and organise music events and releases. I produce solo work under the nom de plume Software of Seagulls, and pop music with my wife in a project we call The Artless Pursuit of Excellence.
My musical background is a mess, owing as much to noisy guitar rock as to art music technique. The music that emerges from that tends to float somewhere in between the world of contemporary classical music and vernacular styles like post-rock, math-rock, electronica and indie. I love rhythm, especially the way that a simple rhythmic process can lead to rich and complex patterns. Despite these nerdy compulsions toward complexity, I think music is a powerfully social medium, and I try not to get too caught up in the kind of esoteric finickery that would be lost on anyone but myself. I believe there is as much beauty to be found in a karaoke session with good friends (perhaps involving some Cat Stevens, and obviously “Hey Ya” at some point) as in the great works of the European canon.
On this site I’ve tried to present a somewhat unified spattering of the things I do. I’ve tried to be selective to keep it all-killer-no-filler, but sometimes I find that what I consider my best work differs from what pretty much everyone else thinks. So if you’re after a more exhaustive anthology, send me an email at chrisperren at gmail.
I keep a blog over on Tumblr, where I post about things I’m thinking about or working on.
My Vimeo account is where I put up a lot of my video work.
I have a Soundcloud account with loads of junk on it too.
I also do the twitters.
If you want to tell me things, email me at chrisperren at gmail.
