Visual artist Briony Jo recalls a chance encounter with musician Trent-Jean which birthed an “interdimensional kindred friendship.”
For most musicians, the visuals that accompany their work are often an equally important thread in the overall artistry. For Trent-Jean — whose latest single Electric was complemented by a technicoloured music video — the connection between music and aesthetics is especially clear. Often seen donning a leather jacket and aviators, the Perth-born and raised singer presents an image of swagger in his broader aesthetics that transcends into — and masterfully informs — his distinct pop-rock sound.
That’s why a chance encounter with artist Briony Jo last year would prove instrumental in the direction of Jean’s aesthetic and sonic creative vision. Stopping by Happy Mag to contribute to this piece, Briony traces the origins of their partnership with Trent-Jean, from their first meeting at a country club to the creation of single art and the broader sharing of an “interdimensional kindred friendship.”
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“Four months ago my daughter and I walked into a country club with an enigmatic young performer wearing sunglasses inside playing in the corner,” Briony recalls. “What followed was a three hour beer garden bonding session discussing all things love, death, music [and] art.” Briony explains that from that point on, a sort of mutually constitutive flame was ignited, which would go on to alter “the trajectory of [Briony’s] life.”
After their first acquaintance, Briony and Trent-Jean discussed a range of topics from “astro-travelling” to “world domination”, but it was their “grand plans for art projects” that would prove the most fruitful. Trent-Jean treated Briony to “a listening party in the car park”, during which they enjoyed the singer’s recent single Electric, as well as the track CINNAMON.
That one moment of serendipity would lead to the creation of CINNAMON’s single artwork, in which Briony renders Trent-Jean in a blue-hued mosaic of painted dots and swirls. Of course, Trent-Jean’s signature sunglasses make a well-deserved appearance, and the singer is accompanied by the quote: “Fear is a delicate beast thats always running untamed.”
Briony recounts the genesis of the artwork, saying it led to the pair “leap[ing] willingly down an analogue celebrated rabbit hole where art meets music, friends turn into family and artistic expressionism became our functioning currency.” Such masterful brushwork could only be achieved by an artist who is a fan of their muse, and Briony praises the dual focus on both visuals and sonics within Trent-Jean’s work.
“My favourite observation of young Trent is the fact he is always on. Twenty-four-seven he lives and breathes to create, celebrate and perform to the world his unique brand of cosmic rockstar. Genre eclipsing, melodically potent, chaotic vulnerability; all spun together with vocals deep, rich, velvety and straight outta the 9th-Dimension.”
Electric is the first song to be lifted from Trent-Jean’s upcoming debut album DEATHIS4L’ILLUSION. Listen to the lead single below.
