Darren Seltmann

Darren Seltmann
Birth nameDarren Richard Seltmann
BornMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
GenresElectronic
OccupationMusician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
  • guitar
  • drums
Years active1994–present

Darren Richard Seltmann is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He co-founded Australian electronic music group the Avalanches in 1997 and appeared on their debut album, Since I Left You (2000). At the 2016 APRA Music Awards, he and his wife Sally Seltmann won Best Original Song Composed for the Screen for "Dancing in the Darkness", which was used in the TV comedy series The Letdown (2016).

Biography

Darren Richard Seltmann,[1] on drums, was a member of indie rock groups Gigantaur, and Charlie Marshall and the Body Electric in the early 1990s.[2][3][4] He joined Ripe on drums in late 1992 and is recorded on their second album, The Plastic Hassle (1993).[5] As a band member he toured North America with Ripe and left the group upon return to Australia.[5] Seltmann on vocals, formed Alarm 115 in Melbourne in 1994 as a noise punk outfit inspired by Drive Like Jehu, The Fall, and Ultra Bide.[6] His fellow members were Robbie Chater on keyboards and Tony Di Blasi on keyboards, bass guitar and backing vocals.[3]

Seltmann on keyboards, brass, design, guitar, and mixing, together with Chater and Di Blasi, were co-founders of electronic music group, the Avalanches, in 1997.[2] Their debut album, Since I Left You, was released in November 2000.[2] Seltmann and Chater, as Bobbydazzler, produced the album and their early singles.[2] Seltmann broke both of his legs while on tour promoting that album, one in Brisbane and the other in the United Kingdom.[7][8] At the ARIA Music Awards of 2001 the Avalanches won Breakthrough Artist – Album and Best Dance Release for Since I Left You, Breakthrough Artist - Single for "Frontier Psychiatrist", while Bobbydazzler won Producer of the Year for their work on the album.[9]

Since I Left You's lead single, "Electricity" (September 1999), had included backing vocals by Sydney-born vocalist, Sally Russell.[10] Russell relocated to Melbourne and began performing as New Buffalo in 2000. She released her debut five-track extended play, About Last Night, in September of the following year.[11][12] Seltmann produced the EP for his then-fiancée.[12][13] In 2003 Seltmann married Russell and initially the couple lived in suburban Yarraville.[14]

While working on the Avalanches proposed second album, Seltmann had left by 2006, according to Chater in July 2016, "It was... around 10 years ago that we stopped working together, or more. I was always making stuff and getting on with it, and the new record wasn't materialising quickly. He had a kid, a family, and I guess he realised before I did that it was going to take a long time."[15] Seltmann provided drums and vocals for New Buffalo's second full length album, Somewhere, Anywhere (March 2007) and also co-wrote a track, "Stay with Us".[16] From late 2009 Russell performed and released material under her married name.

From 2016 Seltmann and Russell provided the score for the comedy series The Letdown (2016–17, 2019).[17][18] They co-wrote "Dancing in the Darkness" for the show.[18][19] At the APRA Music Awards: Screen Music Awards of 2016 they won Best Original Song Composed for the Screen for the track.[17][18] Darren and Sally Seltmann issued a soundtrack album, The Letdown (Music from Seasons 1+2), in March 2020.[20] The release was nominated for Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album at the 2020 ARIA Music Awards.[21]

Personal life

He married Sally Russell, who performed as New Buffalo, in 2003. He left the Avalanches in 2006 after the birth of their first child.

Awards and nominations

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[22]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2020[23][24] The Letdown (Music from Seasons 1+2) (with Sally Seltmann) Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album Nominated

References

  1. ^ "'Pablo's Cruise' at APRA search engine". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 27 August 2020. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  2. ^ a b c d McFarlane, Ian (2017). "Encyclopedia entry for 'The Avalanches'". The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Jenkins, Jeff (Foreword) (2nd ed.). Gisborne, VIC: Third Stone Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-9953856-0-3.
  3. ^ a b Holmgren, Magnus. "The Avalanches". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 26 December 2004. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  4. ^ Morris, Samantha (25 January 2017). "90s reborn: The Body Electric at Dust Temple". Blank Gold Coast. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b * [on-line]: McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Ripe'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 20 August 2004.
    • [off-line]: McFarlane, Ian; Jenkins, Jeff (Foreword) (2017). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Ripe'". The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop (2nd ed.). Gisborne, VIC: Third Stone Press. p. 399. ISBN 978-0-9953856-0-3.
  6. ^ Wilde, Austin. "Artist Profile – Avalanches". EMI. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  7. ^ Palathingal, George (5 July 2002). "Classical gas". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Powderfinger Dominates Oz's ARIA Awards". Billboard. 3 October 2001. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  9. ^ "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2001: 15th Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Sally Seltmann – Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  11. ^ Seltmann, Sally. "About". Sally Seltmann Official Website. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  12. ^ a b "New Buffalo". Music Australia (National Library of Australia). 24 February 2003. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  13. ^ Stacey, Dan (March 2003). "New Buffalo – Like Suzanne Vega on Downers, Apparently". ID Magazine. Archived from the original on 31 July 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  14. ^ Blackman, Guy (24 October 2004). "Buffalo Girl Finds Her Range". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  15. ^ staff writer (7 July 2016). "The Avalanches reveal that founding member Darren Seltmann left the band 'around 10 years ago'". FasterLouder. Archived from the original on 10 July 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  16. ^ Mason, Stewart. "Somewhere, Anywhere - New Buffalo | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Best Original Song Composed for the Screen". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society) | Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC). 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  18. ^ a b c Zuel, Bernard (26 September 2016). "Screen Music Awards 2016: Surprising new faces among nominations". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  19. ^ "'Dancing in the Darkness' at APRA search engine". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 22 April 2020. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
  20. ^ "The Letdown (Music from Seasons 1+2) by Sally Seltmann & Darren Seltmann". Apple Music. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  21. ^ "And the 2020 ARIA Awards Go To…". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  22. ^ "25th Anniversary ARIA Awards – 2011". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
  23. ^ "ARIA Awards 2020 Nominees". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  24. ^ "And the 2020 ARIA Awards Go To…". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2020.