whirlpools appear in my breakfast bowl

                                                             By Will Treffry 2009

Those who dwell beneath the meadow 08

This is one of many drawings from my sketch book. I plan to eventually upload all of them when I can summon the energy to make some nice scans.

Faded Suburbs review in Japanese

Faded Suburbs has received a very nice review on a Japanese website:

 http://lifewave.sitemix.jp/2009/12/15/bristles-on-the-carapace-『faded-suburbs』/ 

Luckily Jasper can speak Japanese and was able to make a translation. Here it is.

The surreally named group Bristles on the Carapace are Jasper Rice and Will.t, a duo from Australia. I'm not familiar with Jasper's other musical projects, but Will.t's project Paneye has releases on Dog Eared Records and Secret Station. Paneye's sound is not far from that of this release, and has a loosely ambient sound to it. 

The title of the album, Faded Suburbs is wretched and drifting, but the contents have a lo-fi ambient sound. The whole album's sound is not so much underwater, but rather cloudy, and I wonder if this is intentional or whether the cost of the equipment has any relation to it. Through this, it could be thought that some manner of ambience is achieved. It is a mysterious sound. 

It's melodies are not like melodies, and yet it isn't drone. Ephemeral melodies appear, delicate and foam-like, then seem to vanish at an unknown time. In this way it is similar to the title of the album, something which the titles of all the songs do not grasp. “Categorisation isn't particuarly necessary” it seems to say. However, while obviously being made quite cheaply, it does leave a lasting impression. 

Faded Suburbs perhaps has the meaning of being faded from memory. Let us assume that here, in this abstract pale sound, it is as if we are peeking into the midst of a memory. Perhaps the hairy yellow monster on the album cover is “Bristles on the carapace” and perhaps he is gazing at the “faded suburbs” around him. 

Incidentally, as it sounds similar to Paneye's “Along the way to the big top, my life just dissolved”. Those pleased with that release should check this out. 

Review by BUG

Faces That Run

This was one of my final grad show pieces at art school. I'm posting it because it was absolutely despised by my lecturers to the point where it was removed and hidden in a back room.

Their somewhat thoughtless critique was that they "didn't like it because it is cliche' and of a highschool standard." The 'highschool/garage art' criticism is a common one used at art school. It's an easy label to deploy and is a lazy way of saying 'I'm older then you, so what the fuck do you know?'

Ageist and uninspired to say the least.

This didn't provide reasonable justification for me so I rehung and exhibited it (much to their horror at being disobeyed).

The head of my studio made threats that she would put an end to my hopes of doing honors next year. After receiving a letter of rejection, I fear she has made good on her threats.

The idea of being vetoed without much considered explanation made this a matter of principle. What is so offensive about this work I wonder? I truly have no idea, but the fact that it inspired rage in the art school relics made it a successful work in my view (even though this wasn't my original aim when making this work).

I'd rather be kicked out of art school for doing my own thing then be allowed to stay and have to shape my works to the appeasement of the comfortable and dusty minds of Sydney's art world.

UPDATE: After a lengthy battle with the university king pins, I will be returning to art school. Thank goodness.....I had my shotgun cocked ;)