Software of Seagulls is the solo electronic project of Chris Perren, founder and principle composer of Nonsemble, and Mr. Maps, and Music Technology Lecturer at UQ. Under the guise of Software of Seagulls, Chris has presented a wide range of performances and recordings, including experimental guitar & electronics compositions, analog hardware-based electronica performances, and studio-produced collages of improvisation and found sound.
Software of Seagulls’ concert as part of UQ School of Music’s 2020 Art museum concert series will showcase brand new pieces alongside works from the very beginnings of the project in 2013.
On Rainy Days, Be In The Rain, On Windy Days, Be In The Wind is a 25-minute work for solo guitar and electronics which explores complex networks of rhythmic delays in various configurations. Its title and lyrics are taken from a work by the Japanese poet and calligrapher, Aida Mitsuo.
In addition to this, Chris will perform a suite of shorter electronic pieces from the Software of Seagulls catalogue, primarily using the Ableton Push instrument to play and control sounds. These works collage found sounds and recorded improvisation with synthetic and heavily processed sounds, drawing stylistically on minimalism, electronica, and post-rock.
Biography
Chris Perren is an Australian composer and video artist, holding a PhD in music composition. Chris is the founder of the indie-chamber group, Nonsemble, and electronic outfit Software of Seagulls. He has written music for Ensemble Offspring, Queensland Camerata, Rosa Guitar Trio, Rubiks Collective, and various other groups and soloists.
His works have been performed widely, including at Bang on a Can Festival (MA, USA), MATA Festival (NYC), Extended Play Festival (Sydney), MONA (Hobart), Dots+Loops, and GoMA (Brisbane). Chris's recorded work has been released on Bigo and Twigetti (London), and Friend of Mine Records (Tokyo), SUGARRUSH RECORDS and lofly (Brisbane).
Chris is known for his experimental audiovisual pieces, which have earned him an Australia Council New Work grant, two MTAQ composer awards, and a TEDx talk invitation. Chris’s theatre scores have accompanied over 20 productions in Brisbane, Sydney, and Hong Kong.
Chris lectures in Music Technology at The University of Queensland School of Music. He is a specialist educator in the fields of music composition and arrangement, music technology, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro.
Chris lives on Jagera land in Brisbane’s south with his wife and two children.
Connect with Chris Perren
About 2020 UQ Art Museum Series
Find out more about the 2020 UQ Art Museum Exhibitions
July - November: Conflict in My Outlook: We meet online and Occurrent Affair: proppaNOW
Connect with the UQ Art Museum
