Mount Gambier musician and artist Soma In Motion provides an insight into the “sanctuary and gallery” that birthed his new single Subject v Object.
Soma in Motion — the creative project of Mount Gambier musician Tyson Jay Brant — understands the importance of a creative sanctuary. Like any artist, the space in which they create is both an extension and a reflection of their work — which for Soma In Motion has come to include not only music, but a swathe of additional endeavours including painting and animation.
It’s for this reason that Soma refers to his bedroom space not simply as a studio, but as a “sanctuary, gallery” and a place in which “being yourself is not only encouraged, it’s essential,” Brant told Happy Mag. It’s the sentiment that The Beatles might’ve inspired when recording in the now-famed Abbey Road Studios, and it’s one that’s proved especially fruitful for Soma In Motion’s discography.
Last week, the musician shared his latest offering Subject v Object, a fascinating single of glitch electronica that draws influence from the likes of Willy Wonka, writer James Joyce, and Berlin’s underground scene. That kind of creative diversity feels befitting for Soma In Motion, who counts poetry, philosophy, and visual art among his musical muses.
Below, Soma In Motion shares a curated video tour of his creative studio, complete with stop-motion animated asides, and panning shots of his paintings and artwork. The guided tour is accompanied by Brant’s musical manifesto, which touches on a few of his inspirations, and pays homage to his studio as a place “in which to lose myself.”
Take the tour with Soma In Motion below, and head here to listen to his new single Subject v Object.
My creative space. Also known as my sanctuary/gallery/bedroom. Growing up in the South East wasn’t easy. It’s easy to get sucked into the hive mind and lose any sense of individuality. Music has provided a state of mind in which to lose myself and art the means in which to heal and speak my truth.
I found myself getting into trouble a lot. I was never the ideal student at school, although I did excel in art and physical education. I also managed to pick up an A for an animated project in the 9th grade.I’ve always identified with the outsider, the rebel and the antihero. I saw Rage Against The Machine play their last show in Australia at Big Day Out when I was 19 and was hooked.
I took a keen interest in mixed martial arts and started boxing which gave me a genuine sense of confidence and the ability to start putting myself out there or in this case “in there” as I isolated myself from the toxic nature and seedy nightlife Mt. Gambier had become known for and spent my nights reading, painting, composing music, listening to music, poetry, philosophy and the odd Let’s Play on YouTube to keep things light.
Once I learned to validate myself as an artist there was no turning back. The happiness I felt after seeing a project I was working on come to fruition was second only to the adrenaline I felt fighting in front of a packed house and hearing the roar of the crowd as all the hard work paid off in a way I never could have anticipated. I still box and spar on the weekends to keep my ego in check.
In art being yourself is not only encouraged, it’s essential. The freedom to create yourself and in turn help others do the same has become a little bit of a mission for me. It’s great waking up in the morning surrounded by paintings and thinking “yeah I made those.”
So now as opposed to floating with the flotsam and wasting myself on a Saturday, I may have a quiet drink and paint whatever I’m feeling and when I wake up the next day I have cool piece of work I can mount on my sanctuary wall as opposed to a sore head and a night filled with questionable decisions.
