Ollie Olsen
Encyclopedia
Ollie Olsen 1958, Melbourne, Australia) is an Australia
n composer
, synthesist
and sound designer who has been producing and performing rock
, electronic
and experimental music
for the past thirty years. He is probably best known in the mainstream for his collaboration with Michael Hutchence
, Max Q in 1989.
. He has gone on to produce a large body of work, ranging from experimental work to film and television soundtrack
s, pop and dance music, installation projects and creating record label
s.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s. He formed a series of punk
and post punk bands, as leader and vocalist, as well as being a key figure in the Melbourne little band scene
. His punk bands included The Reals and The Young Charlatans (with guitarist Rowland S. Howard
). He formed a series of confrontational post-punk bands beginning with Whirlywirld
, which also began a long period of collaboration with drummer John Murphy
(from Whirlywirld through Hugo Klang, Orchestra Of Skin And Bone
, NO
and finally Max Q).
Olsen and Murphy lived in Europe
and Britain between 1981 and 1984 and attempted, unsuccessfully, to get Hugo Klang off the ground. Ollie returned to Australia in 1983 and continued Hugo Klang for a short time with Alan Bamford, Tom Hoy and Laughton Ellery. John Murphy eventually returned to Australia and he and Ollie began the Orchestra of Skin and Bone with David and Marie Hoy, Dugald McKenzie and Peter Scully. Ollie and Marie would then go on to form NO with Michael Sheridan and Kevin McMahon.
In 1984 film director Richard Lowenstein
approached Ollie to have Whirlywirld appear in the feature film Dogs In Space
. Ollie supervised the reforming of many of the 'little bands' and then worked on the production of music recordings for the soundtrack. The film was released in 1986. Shortly afterward, he and Dogs In Space star Michael Hutchence
collaborated on a musical project under the name Max Q, producing an album combining electronic music
with political paranoia
. The Max Q band included John Murphy and keyboard player Gus Till. After recording Olsen and Hutchence spent time in New York, USA mixing the tracks, and re-mixing with DJ Todd Terry
.
Olsen later returned to Australia and turned his attentions to trance music
, co-founding Australian electronic music label Psy-Harmonics
with Gus' brother Andrew Till and recording under the name Third Eye. From the 1990s onwards he has worked increasingly in film and TV sound design
.
Olsen has lectured on and taught electronic music at various universities and symposia and performed with a wide variety of artists from across the globe.
As of 2006, Olsen is worked on a number of recording projects, mostly electro-acoustic pieces, with artists from Australia, Japan
and South Africa
, for performance and release in 2006. He released the album I Am The Server through the Greek
record label Creative Space, and an electro-acoustic album, entitled Simulated.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, synthesist
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and sound designer who has been producing and performing rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
for the past thirty years. He is probably best known in the mainstream for his collaboration with Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
, Max Q in 1989.
History
Olsen began his forays into electronic music as a teenager in the mid 1970s, studying with Felix WerderFelix Werder
Felix Werder is an Australian-based German composer of classical and electronic music; also a noted critic and educator. The son of a distinguished liturgical composer, he has composed all his life; he has an international reputation and is one of Australia's most performed composers...
. He has gone on to produce a large body of work, ranging from experimental work to film and television soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s, pop and dance music, installation projects and creating record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s. He formed a series of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and post punk bands, as leader and vocalist, as well as being a key figure in the Melbourne little band scene
Little band scene
The Little Band scene is the name given to an experimental post-punk scene which flourished in Melbourne from 1978 until early 1981. This scene was concentrated around the inner suburbs of Fitzroy and St Kilda, and was characterised by large numbers of small bands, more concerned with artistic...
. His punk bands included The Reals and The Young Charlatans (with guitarist Rowland S. Howard
Rowland S. Howard
Rowland Stuart Howard was an Australian rock musician, guitarist and songwriter, he played electric guitar in the post-punk group The Birthday Party. Howard died of liver cancer in December 2009, aged 50 years....
). He formed a series of confrontational post-punk bands beginning with Whirlywirld
Whirlywirld
Whirlywirld was an Australian post punk band led by Ollie Olsen in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the first of his musical collaborations with drummer John Murphy...
, which also began a long period of collaboration with drummer John Murphy
John Murphy (musician)
John Murphy , sometimes credited as "Jonh Murphy", is an Australian drummer, percussionist and multi-instrumental session musician who has played in numerous Australian and British post-punk, ambient and industrial music groups...
(from Whirlywirld through Hugo Klang, Orchestra Of Skin And Bone
Orchestra of Skin and Bone
Orchestra of Skin and Bone were an Australian post-punk band who were active during the 1980s. The band consisted principally of vocalist Ollie Olsen, Marie Hoy and percussionist John Murphy. They released a self-titled mini-LP in 1986, and numerous cassettes on underground noise labels...
, NO
No (band)
No were an Australian band, active during the late 1980s. They blended electronic music with nihilistic punk rock, in a similar fashion to New York's Suicide. The band included Ollie Olsen, Marie Hoy, Michael Sheridan, and others...
and finally Max Q).
Olsen and Murphy lived in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Britain between 1981 and 1984 and attempted, unsuccessfully, to get Hugo Klang off the ground. Ollie returned to Australia in 1983 and continued Hugo Klang for a short time with Alan Bamford, Tom Hoy and Laughton Ellery. John Murphy eventually returned to Australia and he and Ollie began the Orchestra of Skin and Bone with David and Marie Hoy, Dugald McKenzie and Peter Scully. Ollie and Marie would then go on to form NO with Michael Sheridan and Kevin McMahon.
In 1984 film director Richard Lowenstein
Richard Lowenstein
Richard Lowenstein is an Australian film director. He has written, produced and directed the feature films He Died With A Felafel In His Hand, Dogs In Space, Say a Little Prayer, Strikebound and Ghost Story, as well as numerous ground-breaking and award-winning music videos for bands such as INXS...
approached Ollie to have Whirlywirld appear in the feature film Dogs In Space
Dogs in Space
Dogs in Space is a 1986 Australian film set in the "little band scene" in Melbourne in 1978. It was directed by Richard Lowenstein and starred Michael Hutchence as Sam, the drug-addled frontman of the fictitious band from which the film takes its name....
. Ollie supervised the reforming of many of the 'little bands' and then worked on the production of music recordings for the soundtrack. The film was released in 1986. Shortly afterward, he and Dogs In Space star Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
collaborated on a musical project under the name Max Q, producing an album combining electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
with political paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
. The Max Q band included John Murphy and keyboard player Gus Till. After recording Olsen and Hutchence spent time in New York, USA mixing the tracks, and re-mixing with DJ Todd Terry
Todd Terry
Todd N. Terry is an American DJ, producer, and remixer.-Career:Terry's productions extensively used samples blending the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago sound, and elements of hip-hop....
.
Olsen later returned to Australia and turned his attentions to trance music
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
, co-founding Australian electronic music label Psy-Harmonics
Psy-Harmonics
Psy-Harmonics is an Australian independent record label specialising in electronic music.When Psy-Harmonics began in 1993 it was the first local label to explore the sonic possibilities of the techno / trance sound...
with Gus' brother Andrew Till and recording under the name Third Eye. From the 1990s onwards he has worked increasingly in film and TV sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
.
Olsen has lectured on and taught electronic music at various universities and symposia and performed with a wide variety of artists from across the globe.
As of 2006, Olsen is worked on a number of recording projects, mostly electro-acoustic pieces, with artists from Australia, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, for performance and release in 2006. He released the album I Am The Server through the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
record label Creative Space, and an electro-acoustic album, entitled Simulated.
List of past bands
- The Reals
- The Young Charlatans
- WhirlywirldWhirlywirldWhirlywirld was an Australian post punk band led by Ollie Olsen in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the first of his musical collaborations with drummer John Murphy...
- Hugo Klang
- Orchestra Of Skin And BoneOrchestra of Skin and BoneOrchestra of Skin and Bone were an Australian post-punk band who were active during the 1980s. The band consisted principally of vocalist Ollie Olsen, Marie Hoy and percussionist John Murphy. They released a self-titled mini-LP in 1986, and numerous cassettes on underground noise labels...
- NONo (band)No were an Australian band, active during the late 1980s. They blended electronic music with nihilistic punk rock, in a similar fashion to New York's Suicide. The band included Ollie Olsen, Marie Hoy, Michael Sheridan, and others...
- Max Q
- Third Eye
- The Visitors
- Shaolin Wooden Men
- Psyko Disko
- Antediluvian Rocking HorseAntediluvian Rocking HorseAntediluvian Rocking Horse is an audio project maintained by two core artists credited as DJ2 and DJ3. DJ2 is Paul Wain, a sculptor and graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts. DJ3 is Susan King, a collage artist, writer and Anti-copyright advocate. Composer Ollie Olsen is also credited as a...
- I Am The Server
- Primitive Ghost
- Taipan Tiger Girls
- Spectral Electron Chromas
- Kitty Chrome
- Vanish from this state of Whatever
Recent collaborations & projects
- Nominated for Best Music Score for the movie Head On at the Australian Film Institute AwardsAustralian Film Institute AwardsThe Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
(AFI Awards, 2001); - Composed music and sound design for Troy Innocent’s interactive installation Semiomorph (2001);
- Contributed the electronic component to Australian composer Richard MillsRichard MillsRichard John Mills AM, DMus BA Qld, is an Australian conductor and composer. He currently works as Artistic Director of the West Australian Opera and Artistic Consultant with Orchestra Victoria...
' acclaimed opera Batavia. (2001); - Invited to be guest soloist with the Australian Art Orchestra (2002);
- Recorded with Japanese bands Boredoms and AOA (2001-2002);
- Performed original work Generative/Regenerative live at Sonic Residues with Andrew GartonAndrew Garton-History:Since the mid 1970s Andrew Garton participated in numerous independent and community media initiatives in Australia and South East Asia: from radio and public access video in his teens to computer networking in the late 1980s and 1990s with Pegasus Networks...
, Justina Curtis and John Power; - Composed sound for Andrew GartonAndrew Garton-History:Since the mid 1970s Andrew Garton participated in numerous independent and community media initiatives in Australia and South East Asia: from radio and public access video in his teens to computer networking in the late 1980s and 1990s with Pegasus Networks...
’s D3 installation at the Australian Centre for the Moving ImageAustralian Centre for the Moving ImageThe Australian Centre for the Moving Image, or ACMI, is dedicated to the moving image in all its forms. It is located in Federation Square, in Melbourne, Australia, across four levels of the Alfred Deakin Building...
(ACMI, 2003); - Created sound design fx for Zhang YimouZhang YimouZhang Yimou is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum....
’s film House of Flying DaggersHouse of Flying DaggersHouse of Flying Daggers is a 2004 wuxia film directed by Zhang Yimou. It differs from other wuxia films in that it is more of a love story than a straight martial arts film....
(2004); - Performed numerous concerts as a member of Damo Suzuki’s NetworkDamo Suzuki, universally known as Damo Suzuki , is a singer best known for his membership in the German krautrock group Can.-Biography:As a teenager, Suzuki spent the late 1960s wandering around Europe, often busking....
ensemble (2004-5); - Performed as a member of the Terminal Quartet featuring Andrew GartonAndrew Garton-History:Since the mid 1970s Andrew Garton participated in numerous independent and community media initiatives in Australia and South East Asia: from radio and public access video in his teens to computer networking in the late 1980s and 1990s with Pegasus Networks...
with Paul Abad and Ross Bencina (2006).
External links
- http://www.ollieolsen.com/Ollie_Olsen/o_o.html
- http://www.toysatellite.org/secession/artists/ollie_olsen.php