Support Material

Gail Priest – National Artist in Residence, November 2022
Gail is a Sydney/Katoomba-based artist with a multi-faceted practice in which sound is the key material of communication and investigation. During her residency, Gail used the vast MESS collection of instruments to gather sounds for an upcoming release.

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – International Artist in Residence, January 2023
Acclaimed US-based artist Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith engaged with MESS as an artist in residence during her Australian tour in January 2023. In addition to recording new sounds in the studio, MESS hosted an intimate Q&A with Kaitlyn attended by over 50 people.

Sabine Brix – Commissioned Artist 2022
Melbourne-based artist and MESS Professional Development Course alumni, Sabine was commissioned to create a soundtrack to score the Summer/Autumn seasonal brand reel for ACMI. This commission program is part of a collaboration between MESS and ACMI.

Vijay Thillaimuthu – Local Artist in Residence 2022
Vijay is a Tamil-Australian electronic musician and audio-visual artist. During his residency, Vijay composed new work using some of MESS’s most rare and iconic instruments in a culmination of synthesis techniques developed over the course of his career. This work was performed live at a MESS show.

Naretha Williams – MESS at the Bowl, March 2021
A First Nations Wiradjuri woman of mixed lineage, Naretha works across contemporary music, composition and sound design. A MESS artist in residence during 2020-21, Naretha performed her newly developed work at MESS’s electronic sound showcase at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

MESS Synthesiser Orchestra – MESS at the Bowl, March 2021
Three members of the MESS Synthesiser Orchestra, ĀN JÍ, Romy Fox and Justin Ashworth, performing live for a 1200+ strong audience at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

Erkki Veltheim – Sonorous III, November 2021
MESS commissioned artist Erkki Veltheim performs his new multichannel work for violin and electronics for a sold-out audience at The Substation.

Sara Retallick – MESS Residents Reveal, November 2022
Melbourne artist, Sara Retallick, performs new work developed during her MESS residency at the annual Residents Reveal concert. Sara is using instruments from the MESS collection as part of this performance, held at Miscellania.

Warren Burt – Sonorous VI, October 2022
Pillar of the experimental music scene in Australia, Warren Burt performs a new multichannel work commissioned by MESS at The Substation.

MESS Exhibition at the Australian Music Vault, April 2022-June 2023 
MESS was engaged by the AMV to curate a case that explores the history of electronic music in Australia. The exhibition shares just some of the incredible electronic sound stories, artists, works and inventions to come out of Australia.
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