“The Boy Who Dreamed of the Stars” by Extra Time
Extra Time's latest work is a captivating and deeply moving piece of art that combines music, animation and personal experience to shed light on a difficult subject. “The Boy Who Dreamed of the Stars” uses the beauty of dream pop music to tell a dark story about child abuse. You literally lose yourself in the music, while the story almost drown you. The stark contrast evokes a response that sends shivers down your spine. Conversely, the musical composition conveys a sense of optimism and hope. Brendan McNamara draws on his own childhood experiences to bring the necessary sensitivity and authenticity to the story.
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As a survivor of this situation I finally wanted to address this subject through a song as my way of dealing with something that was buried a long way in my past. The song is an attempt to process this experience and deal positively with the trauma that you can experience in life and hopefully still come out the other side. I want to point out that I am not looking for sympathy with this tune. I have had a very good life and all the mistakes that I have made are my own and don’t blame them on anyone else. My experience is in no way comparable to the terrible things you see going on around the world and in war zones. I had a bad day as a little kid, but I can honestly say that I can count the bad days in my entire life on one hand.”
-Brendan-
The accompanying film clip by Nikita Kibirev, a renowned animation director, enhances the emotional impact of the story. Using a digital collage, he creates a visual world
inspired by German Expressionism. This visual interpretation demonstrates how a traumatic experience can be transformed into something positive and healing by finding a community that truly understands one’s experiences.
Janelle Barone, a talented illustrator and character designer from Melbourne, brings an atmosphere and style to the story that the audience can deeply identify with.
Overall, “The Boy Who Dreamed of the Stars” is an impressive example of how art can use various media and personal stories to convey difficult topics in a sensitive and creative way. It shows that even the darkest experiences can be transformed into something healing and beautiful through community and creative expression.
NenesButler - Indie Music Blog
