Julia Messenger

Julia Messenger
OriginAustralia
GenresElectronica, chillout, jazz.
InstrumentSinger
Years active1997 to present
LabelsThreespace, Rainhorse Records, Groove Attack Productions, EMI, Capitol, Universal Records
Websitehttp://www.juliamessenger.com

Julia Messenger is an Australian singer-songwriter and producer best known for her work in the electronica, chill-out and jazz genres.[1][2] She has performed, recorded and collaborated with Klaus Schulze, Henning Schmitz, Ferry Corsten, Klaus Waldeck, Manfred Leuchter and Scott Rockenfield.[3]

Career

Messenger has released three albums, with songs from those albums appearing on several compilation albums, including Pure Chill Out (2002) which debuted at No. 19 on the U.S. Billboard Top Electronic Albums Chart.[4]

Messenger's songs have also had television placements in ABC's Miss South Sudan Australia, Bad Girls Club, and Thomas Banks: Quest for Love.[5]

In 2006 The New York Times’ listed Messengers' song “Look Up, Look Down” as being included on the Top 5 playlists of songs heard in U.S. Restaurants.[6]

Messenger has performed at Australian venues including: Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Recital Centre, Montsalvat, Paris Cat Jazz Club, The Vanguard and The Basement.[7][8][9][10][11]

Messenger has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival,[12] Alexis Bistro Ampang in Malaysia,[13] Burg Wilhelmstein with Manfred Leuchter, and on the Midnight Sun Train across Finland with Iiro Rantala.[14]

Messenger has performed as a session singer for artists Manfred Leuchter and Geoff Kluke and the Changes.[15][16]

As a producer, Messenger remixed Australian band, Not Drowning, Waving’s song “Palau” for the Sonic Maps EP.[17]

Messenger's works “Myamisumi,” “Glitter” “Lover Come Back” and “Stripped” have been remixed by producers Razoof, Rubbasol, Salz, Mod X, Charly H. Fox, Raubrec Team, Chris B, Peter Haze, and The Icons South Beach.[18][19][20][21]

Ferry Corsten released a remix album of Twice in a Blue Moon, including the track co-written by Messenger, Black Velvet which was remixed by DJ Mind & Jerry Ropero.[22]

German electronic music magazine, GROOVE has written about and reviewed Salz's remix of Messenger's “Myamisumi” and “Lover Come Back” as well as her collaborations with Whirlpool Productions and Marcus Worgull.[23][24][25] Groove commented that “Julia sings into your heart and mine, truthfully so lovingly it rivals that of singer Nicolette.”[26]

Sue Wilson of The Scotsman has written of Messenger's vocal talent: "…through the full spectrum, from fragile candied sweetness to a scorching soul-diva holler – echos of Mouth Music, Annie Lennox, Horse, Sinéad O'Connor…".[27]

Messenger is featured and interviewed in the book "A Singers Companion: Personal Wisdom from the Global Music Industry" by Australian singer Christine Sullivan and Monika Roleff, sharing experiences and guidance as an international musician.[28]

Collaborations

As vocalist and composer, Messenger has collaborated on many works with Klaus Schulze, a German composer and musician who has been described[by whom?] as an electronic music pioneer.[29] The significance of her collaborations with Schulze are widely acknowledged and referenced in reviews internationally.[30][31][32][33]

Klaus Schulze released limited box set editions of non-album material, of which Messenger collaborated on Contemporary Works I as a composer and featured vocalist, and Contemporary Works II as a featured vocalist.[3][34]

Work CD Title Role/s
Contemporary Works I CD #2: The Crime of Suspense Good Old 4 on the Floor Composer, Vocalist
Overchill Composer, Vocalist
CD #8: Ballett 3 My Ty She Composer, Vocalist
CD #10: Adds & Edits Vox ‘N’ Harmony Composer, Vocalist
Contemporary Works II CD #1: Virtual Outback Vocalist
CD #2: Timbres of Ice Vocalist
CD #3: Another Green Mile Vocalist
CD #4: Androgyn Vocalist
CD #5: Cocooning Vocalist

Greg Allen's book, “Klaus Schulze, Electronic Music Legend,” features Messenger as a collaborator of Schulze, writing about her compositions and performances as well as interviewing her regarding “The Crime of Suspense” of which she co-wrote two compositions and was featured as a vocalist.[34][35] Allen comments on her performance of "Overchill" stating, "Julia Messenger and Thomas and Kagermann are both very creative and spirited musicians... adding a stunning new dimension to Klaus’s music." In writing about the title "My Ty She" Allen states, "The combination of your (Thomas Kagermann) ethereal vocals with Julia‘s makes it an extraordinary work."[36]

Messenger's collaborations with Schulze's from Contemporary Works I and Contemporary Works II were re-released as independent albums under different record labels.[37][38][3]

Year Album Labels
2006 The Crime of Suspense Revisted Records (SPV GmbH)
2007 Ballett 3 Revisted Records (SPV GmbH)
2008 Virtual Outback Revisted Records (SPV GmbH)
2016 Another Green Mile MIG Music
2017 Androgyn MIG Music
2018 Cocooning MIG Music
2019 Timbres of Ice MIG Music

Messenger also collaborated as a composer of “KS/Jay M.D” from Essential Edits Promo (2000) and performed as a vocalist on Shadowlands (2013), alongside Lisa Gerrard and Crysta Bell.[39][40]

Awards

In 2003, Messenger's songs “Do I Know You” and “Fresh On The Edge” were finalists in the Dance/Electronica category of the Australian Songwriters Association National Songwriting Contest. “Fresh On The Edge” was further recognised in the Top 10 finalists for the category.[41]

In 2007, Messenger was a semi-finalist of the International Songwriting Competition in the AAA (Adult Album Alternative) category for "And We Danced” and in the Performance category for "So Complicated.” In 2016, Messenger was a finalist in EDM (Electronic Dance Music) category with her song “Stripped,” which was later awarded an Honourable Mention.[42]

Artist discography

Year Album Label
2003 Julia Messenger[43] Water Music Records/ UMRG
2010 Productions & Collaborations Skip Sister Records
2011 Live At Bennetts Lane Skip Sister Records

Songwriting discography

Messenger has had multiple cuts with artists Whirlpool Productions and Ferry Corsten, regularly performing as a vocalist on the recordings and being credited as a featured artist.[3][34]

Year Album Label Artist Song
2018 Lost Cascade Records Darwin Glitter feat. Julia Messenger
2013 Goodbye Lover[44] Detail Recordings LYNX and Hellrazor Goodbye Lover
2008 Twice in a Blue Moon Flashover Ferry Corsten Black Velvet feat. Julia Messenger
2008 This is Not Jazz Ice And Spice Records Mod X Glitter feat. Julia Messenger
2007 Ice Moodfood Records Moodfood Pain feat. Julia Messenger
For the Love of You
Butterflies
2007 Something To Say[45] Moonray Records PFL (Pre Fade Listening) When You Love
Rise and Fall
Something To Say
Planet
Cool For Cats
2006 Every Heart Is A Revolutionary Cell SPV Recordings Fury In The Slaughterhouse Where You Fly
2003 Has It Come to This? Water Music Records ORG Lounge Butterflies – Org Lounge remix
2003 Blue Dubsessions Elektrolux PFL (Pre Fade Listening) For the Love of You feat. Julia Messenger
Bird on a Wire feat. Julia Messenger
Set in Stone feat. Pickadelic & Julia Messenger
2002 Lover Come Back Salz Salz Lover Come Back feat. Julia Messenger[46]
2001 Ole EP Spectrum Works Marcus Worgull Havin’ a Dig feat. Julia Messenger
2001 Kyrios In-akustik Thomas Kagermann Bathing in Salt Water
2000 Lifechange Warner Elektra Atlantic Whirlpool Productions A Game to Play

Selected Compilation discography

Messenger's songs have been included on many compilation albums released under U.S. and European labels.[3][34]

Her song "For the Love of You" released with PFL also appeared on a compilation DVD entitled, Flowmotion (Visual Pleasure Volume 3.0) released by General Electric Music.[47]

Year Compilation Album Label Artist/Song Role/s
2020 Isolation (New Collaborative Electronic Music)[48] ZyXyZ Music Julia Messenger with Mark Jenkins - The Lightning in Her Eyes Artist, Co-writer
2018 Clubbers Culture: Sunday Chill Out Selection Clubbers Culture Julia Messenger – I Gave You My Heart Artist, Co-writer
2016 The Best of House On The Beach - 30 Sexy Chillout Tunes Time Tools Julia Messenger – Give This Up Artist, Co-writer
Senso feat. Julia Messenger – Love With A Time Limit (First Love) Featured Artist, Co-writer
Julia Messenger – I Gave You My Heart Artist, Co-writer
2015 Sunset Chill Out Lounge Vol. 5[49]   Time Tools Julia Messenger – You're My Wonderland Artist, Co-writer with PFL (Felix Wolter) and Peter LaSalle
Julia Messenger – Is It Me Is It You Artist, Co-writer with PFL (Felix Wolter) and Wolter LaSalle
2014 Alpine Grooves Vol. 3 Musicpark Records Senso feat. Julia Messenger – Love With A Time Limit (First Love) Featured Artist, Co-writer

Note: Peaked at No. 16 on the Apple Music Top 100 Electronic Charts in Vietnam.[50]

2011 Ritmo de la Playa - 20 finest latin house tunes Time Tools Julia Messenger – Give This Up Featured Artist, Co-writer
2010 Lingerie Lounge - 30 Top Chillout Tunes[51] Time Tools PFL feat. Julia Messenger – For the Love of You Featured Artist, Co-writer with PFL (Felix Wolter)
2006 Hotel Chill[52] Water Music Records/ UMRG Julia Messenger – Telepathy Artist/Writer
2005 The Future is My Melody, Vol 2 Elektrolux PFL with Julia Messenger – Bird On A Wire Featured Artist, Co-writer with PFL (Felix Wolter)
2004 Melbourne – The Sex, The City, The Music[53] Petrol Julia Messenger – Look Up Look Down Artist, Co-writer with Thorsten Vogel and Henning Schmitz
2004 Spectrum Work - Evolution In Standard[54] Nebula Marcus Worgull – Havin' a Dig Singer, Co-writer with Marcus Worgull
2003 Dinner at Eight[55] Water Music Records Julia Messenger – Telepathy Artist/Writer
2003 The Future is My Melody, Vol 1 Elektrolux PFL feat. Julia Messenger – For the Love of You Featured Artist, Co-writer with PFL (Felix Wolter)
2002 Pure Chill Out[56] Water Music Records/ UMRG Julia Messenger – I Miss You Artist/Writer

Note:Debuted at No. 19 on Billboard Top Electronic Albums Chart[4]

2002 Chilled Sirens[57] Water Music Records/ UMRG Julia Messenger – I Miss You Artist/Writer
2002 Sub Zero (The Essential Chill Out Collection)[58] Water Music Records PFL feat. Julia Messenger – For the Love of You Featured Artist, Co-writer with PFL (Felix Wolter)
Julia Messenger vs Rubbasol – Myami Sumi Version Featured Artist/Writer
2002 Ambient Lounge, Vol. 3 Globe PFL feat. Julia Messenger – For the Love of You Featured Artist, Co-writer with PFL (Felix Wolter)
2001 Coffeeshop Vol. 4[59] Edel Records PFL feat. Julia Messenger – For the Love of You Featured Artist, Co-writer with PFL (Felix Wolter)

References

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