Nicole Skeltys

Nicole Skeltys
Background information
Also known asArtificial
OriginBrisbane, Australia
OccupationComposer
Years active1992–present
LabelsSony, Shock, Festival Mushroom, Creative Vibes, Psy-Harmonics, Inertia, Uh Oh, Nephilim, Mana, MUK
Websitenicoleskeltys.com

Nicole Skeltys is an Australian composer. From 1993 to 2003 she was part of B(if)tek, an electronica and dance act. Skeltys also released electronic music under the name Artificial during this period and was a member of Clan Analogue.[1] In 2002, she was the writer for the webcomic Pigeon Coup.[2] She co-composed the soundtrack for the first season of Lonely Planet TV series Lonely Planet Six Degrees.[3] In 2004, Skeltys expanded her musical repertoire beyond pure electronica .[4] She established a Melbourne-based band Dust,[5] consisting of vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass and drums, and which has been described as a "mixture of country twang, melancholy folk and urban scrawl, all with psychedelic overtones".[6] In late 2007, she established a psychedelic folk duo called The Jilted Brides with American filmmaker and photographer Tanya Andrea Stadelmann,[5] and in 2008 and 2009 took up a number of artist residencies across the United States.[7] In 2009, Skeltys became an artist in residence at Pittsburgh Filmmakers.[8] Nicole produced a short music mockumentary,[9] which won a platinum REMI award for group music video production in the 2012 Houston Worldfest international film festival.[10]

In 2011, Skeltys and Byron Scullin produced the soundtrack to the documentary film A Life Exposed.[11] In 2013, Skeltys released the compilation album Citizens United,[5][12] followed by Deal with Your Disenchantment in 2018.[13] About the latter album, she has been quoted as saying: "I wanted to reimagine myself looking at the world through Bob Dylan's eyes in the '60s/early '70s – only I'm a 21st-century woman, and the political and social issues are the ones we are dealing with now."[14] After release of Deal with your Disenchantment, Skeltys performed at venues in London,[15] the Northcote Social Club[14] and the Ealing Blues Festival.[16]

In 2019, while living in London, Skeltys became interested in local artist-activists who were critiquing financialization, highlighting some damaging social impacts of post-80s banking and finance practices.[17] Skeltys was inspired to start researching and composing a rock opera about London’s finance industry. The resultant work Canary Wharf: the Rock Opera was released as two albums (soundtrack[18] and full theatrical work[19] versions) in early 2023, with the support of La Trobe University where Skeltys is undertaking a Phd in creative arts.[20] Her film[21] to accompany the album premiered in Melbourne at Thornbury Picture House in April 2023.[22]

References

  1. ^ "Artificial | Clan Analogue". 12 April 2011.
  2. ^ "Pigeon Coup". www.vollutin.com.
  3. ^ "Six Degrees full cast". www.imdb.com.
  4. ^ "About". Nicole Skeltys.
  5. ^ a b c "Nicole Skeltys | Radio Black Forest". radioblackforest.com. January 2014.
  6. ^ "Terrascope Online Reviews for July 2007". www.terrascope.co.uk.
  7. ^ Sheridan, Patricia. "I Picked Pittsburgh: The Jilted Brides, up from Down Under". post-gazette.com. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  8. ^ "The Rebel Spirit, Pt 1". abc.net.au. 28 May 2010.
  9. ^ Nicole Skeltys; Lucy Foley (2010). "Skeltys and Foley: The Journey of the Band of Discovery". vimeo.com. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  10. ^ "HIFF Platinum REMI Award". imdb.com.
  11. ^ "A Life Exposed | Filmmakers". alifeexposed.com. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Citizens United". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Deal With Your Disenchantment". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  14. ^ a b Rose, Anna (30 January 2019). "Nicole Skeltys & The Disenchanted try to look at the world through Bob Dylan's eyes". beat.com.au. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Past Events". nicoleskeltys.com. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  16. ^ "Ealing Blues Festival – Day 1". ealingclub.com. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  17. ^ Daniel Edelstyn (2 May 2023). "Canary Wharf Rock Opera - with Nicole Skeltys". vimeo.com. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Canary Wharf: the Rock Opera - The Music". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Canary Wharf: The Rock Opera (full theatrical work)". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  20. ^ "Bio". latrobe.edu.au. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Canary Wharf_The Rock Opera". vimeo.com. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  22. ^ "CANARY WHARF: THE ROCK OPERA". thornburypicturehouse.com.au. Retrieved 3 May 2023.