Jan Skubiszewski (pronounced ) (born 1981) is an Australian multi-award-winning composer, record producer, songwriter and sound engineer from
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia. He is also a professional multi-instrumentalist. His work as a record producer and composer for film and television has resulted in numerous gold and number one records, won critical acclaim and a raft of awards and nominations at
ARIA
In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
,
APRA,
AIR
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
,
Film Critics Circle of Australia
The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) is an association of cinema critics and reviewers. It includes journalists in "media, television, major national and state papers, radio, national and state, online and freelance writers, Australian ...
,
Logie Awards,
Screen Music Awards,
National Indigenous Music Awards
The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA), also known as the NT Indigenous Music Awards from 2004 to 2008, are music awards presented to recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians in ...
and others.
Early life
Skubiszewski was born in Melbourne. After spending his early childhood in the
Otway Ranges
The Great Otway National Park is a national park located in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia. The national park is situated approximately southwest of Melbourne, in the Otway Ranges, a low coastal mountain range. It conta ...
rain forest, he moved to the Melbourne suburb of
East St Kilda
St Kilda East is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Glen Eira and Port Phillip local government areas. St Kilda East recorded a population of 1 ...
. His musical education began early under the guidance of his father, acclaimed Polish-Australian film and TV composer
Cezary Skubiszewski
Cezary Skubiszewski is a Polish-born Australian film and television composer. Among others, he has composed film scores for '' Red Dog'', '' Two Hands'', '' The Sapphires'', and TV series '' Picnic at Hanging Rock''.
Career
Skubiszewski first m ...
.
Career
Education and early work: first APRA award
After studying
fine art
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...
at the
Victorian College of the Arts
The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) is the arts school at the University of Melbourne in Australia. It is part of the university's Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. It is located near the Melbourne city centre on the Southbank campus of the ...
, Skubiszewski worked as a sound engineer and producer at
Sing Sing Studio, whilst simultaneously becoming a prolific writer and producer in his own right.
In 1999 at the age of 18, Skubiszewski collaborated with his father Cezary to compose the award-winning score for ''
Two Hands'' starring
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor and music video director. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to ...
, which won the
APRA award for Best Film Score.
2000-2010: Gold records, ARIA Award, number one records, Screen Music Awards, and AIR nominations
Throughout the 2000s, Skubiszewski began to gain widespread recognition as a songwriter, producer and performing musician, securing awards and nominations at
APRA,
AIR
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
and
ARIA
In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
for songwriting and production work with
Illy
Illycaffè S.p.A. (branded and stylised as illy) is an Italian coffee company specializing in espresso, headquartered in Trieste. Illy markets its coffee globally in silver and red pressurized, oxygen-free cans; operates a network of cafes on s ...
,
Phrase
In syntax and grammar, a phrase is a group of words or singular word acting as a grammatical unit. For instance, the English expression "the very happy squirrel" is a noun phrase which contains the adjective phrase "very happy". Phrases can consi ...
,
The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire are an Australian jazz/funk band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1999. For most of the band's duration, the core members were Felix Riebl (lead vocals, percussion), Harry James Angus (trumpet, vocals), Will Hull-Brown (drums), ...
and
Daniel Merriweather
Daniel Paul Merriweather (born 17 February 1982) is an Australian R&B recording artist. Merriweather's debut solo album, '' Love & War'', was released in June 2009. It entered the UK Albums Chart at number two. It was preceded by two sing ...
, as well as his own band
Jackson Jackson
Jackson Jackson is a hip hop group from Melbourne, Australia consisting of Harry James Angus (vocals/trumpet; The Cat Empire, The Conglomerate) and Jan Skubiszewski (producer, phrase, and composer; APRA Award winner Two Hands, The Rage in Pla ...
, a joint project with
Harry James Angus
Harry James Angus (born 11 June 1982 Melbourne) is an Australian singer-songwriter, trumpet player and guitarist. He was one of the lead vocalists in the Melbourne band The Cat Empire along with Felix Riebl. He joined the group in early 2000 a ...
that secured an ARIA nomination for Best Urban Album in 2007.
In 2007, Skubiszewski worked with British producer
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...
as an engineer on Ronson's album
Stop Me, which reached number 2 in the UK singles charts.
He also produced his first
Gold Record
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
for the
Cat Empire.
During this period, Skubiszewski continued to garner acclaim for film and television collaborations with Cezary, including film and television hits such as
Bran Nue Dae
__NOTOC__
''Bran Nue Dae'' is a 1990 musical set in Broome, Western Australia, that tells stories and of issues relating to Indigenous Australians. It was written by Jimmy Chi and his band Kuckles and friends, and was the first Aboriginal Aust ...
,
Hating Alison Ashley,
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of ...
,
Serangoon Road
''Serangoon Road'' is an Australian-Singaporean television drama series which premiered on 22 September 2013 on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and HBO Asia. It is a detective noir drama set in the 1960s, revolving around Serang ...
(which won the APRA award for Best Music for a Television Series or Serial) and
Carla Cametti PD (which was nominated for Best Television Theme).
2011-2021: Multiple number one records and gold discs, Screen Music Awards, ARIA Awards
Skubiszewski's status as one of Australia's top producers was consolidated by a stream of awards, nominations, number one hits, gold records and critical acclaim throughout the 2010s. Some key milestones were:
* At the
2014 ARIA awards, Skubiszewski was recognised for producing the
ARIA-award winning record
Flesh & Blood by
John Butler Trio
The John Butler Trio are an Australian roots/ rock band led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler, an APRA and ARIA-award-winning musician. They formed in Fremantle in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums, Gavin Shoesmith on bass and John Butler on ...
. The album debuted and peaked at number 2 on the
ARIA Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
and was certified gold.
* In 2014, Skubiszewski co-wrote and produced the single "On and On" on
Cinematic
Cinematic describes anything related to ''cinema''. It may refer to: any movie updates, cinema nights, cinematic review
Film-related
* Cinematic cutscene, a sequence in a video game that is not interactive
* Cinematic music, original music writt ...
with
Illy
Illycaffè S.p.A. (branded and stylised as illy) is an Italian coffee company specializing in espresso, headquartered in Trieste. Illy markets its coffee globally in silver and red pressurized, oxygen-free cans; operates a network of cafes on s ...
, which was nominated for Best Urban Album at the ARIA awards and which garnered critical and commercial success upon release, debuting at number four on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart.
* The same year, Skubiszewski and father Cezary won the
APRA Screen Music Award for ''
Serangoon Road
''Serangoon Road'' is an Australian-Singaporean television drama series which premiered on 22 September 2013 on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and HBO Asia. It is a detective noir drama set in the 1960s, revolving around Serang ...
'' in the Best Music for a Television Series category.
* In 2016 '
Rising With The Sun' by
The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire are an Australian jazz/funk band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1999. For most of the band's duration, the core members were Felix Riebl (lead vocals, percussion), Harry James Angus (trumpet, vocals), Will Hull-Brown (drums), ...
, produced and recorded by Skubiszewski, debuted at number one on the ARIA and AIR charts in Australia, staying in the AIR top 20 for 21 weeks.
* In 2017, Skubiszewski's production on
Dan Sultan
Daniel Leo Sultan (born 1983) is an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, actor and author. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album for his second album, '' Get Out While Y ...
's record ''
Killer
A killer is someone or something that kills, such as a murderer or a serial killer.
Killer may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
* Killer (''Home and Away''), a character from ''Home and Away''
* Killer Kane, ...
'', was recognised when the album was nominated for three ARIA awards and met with widespread critical acclaim, specifically for Skubiszewski's production, including four stars from ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''.
* In 2018 Skubiszewski won the
APRA 2018 Screen Music Awards for the score of ''
Picnic at Hanging Rock'' (another collaboration with father Cezary)
* In 2018,
John Butler's record '
Home', which Skubiszewski produced, debuted at number one on the Australian charts.
* In 2018,
Little J and Big Cuz (an Indigenous children's television, which Skubiszewski wrote the music for with his father Cezary) won the
Logie Award
The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...
for Most Outstanding Children's Program. The program featured Indigenous Australian stars such as
Deborah Mailman
Deborah Jane Mailman (born 14 July 1972) is an Australian television and film actress, and singer. Mailman played the character Kelly Lewis on the Australian television series ''The Secret Life of Us'' and Cherie Butterfield in the Australian c ...
,
Miranda Tapsell
Miranda Tapsell (born 11 December 1987) is an Aboriginal Australian actress of both stage and screen, best known for her role as Cynthia in the Wayne Blair film '' The Sapphires'' and her 2015 performance as Martha Tennant in the Nine Network d ...
, and
Aaron Fa’oaso.
* ''Killer Under a Blood Moon'', (produced and recorded by Skubiszewski) was nominated for two
ARIA awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austra ...
in 2018 - a collaboration between
Dan Sultan
Daniel Leo Sultan (born 1983) is an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, actor and author. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album for his second album, '' Get Out While Y ...
,
Gang of Youths
Gang of Youths are an Australian alternative rock group from Sydney based in London. The band consists of principal songwriter David Le'aupepe (lead vocals, guitar), Max Dunn (bass guitar), Jung Kim (lead guitar, keyboards), Donnie Borzestowski ...
' David Le'aupepe,
AB Original,
Camp Cope
Camp Cope are an Australian alternative rock trio formed in 2015 in Melbourne, Victoria. The group consists of lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Georgia "Georgia Maq" McDonald, bassist Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich, and drummer Sarah "Thomo" Thomp ...
and
Meg Mac
Megan Sullivan McInerney (born 6 July 1990 in Sydney), known by her stage name Meg Mac, is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. She signed to littleBIGMAN records in 2014, locally, and 300 Entertainment in United States.
Early career ...
. It debuted at number 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
*
Nali and Friends, a children's record released by
ABC Music
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
by Dan Sultan which Skubiszewski produced, won the 2019 ARIA award for Best Children's record after it debuted at number one on the children's chart, beating
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins, as well as supporting members Evie Ferris, John Pearce, ...
, and at number 22 on the ARIA chart.
* In 2021, Jan won the Screen Music Awards, Australia for Best Television Theme for
Halifax: Retribution.
* In 2022
Little J and Big Cuz (an Indigenous children's television, which Skubiszewski wrote the music for with his father Cezary) won its second
Logie Award
The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...
for Most Outstanding Children's Program.
Red Moon Studios
In June 2017, Skubiszewski and his wife opened Red Moon Studios, formerly
The Stables, a music production studio in the
Macedon Ranges
The Macedon Ranges is a region in Central Victoria, known for its expansive native forests, vibrant arts scene, thriving food and wine industries (including weekly farmers' markets) and natural attractions such as Hanging Rock and Mount Macedon. It ...
specializing in high-end record production and film composition.
Personal life
Skubiszewski lives in the
Macedon Ranges
The Macedon Ranges is a region in Central Victoria, known for its expansive native forests, vibrant arts scene, thriving food and wine industries (including weekly farmers' markets) and natural attractions such as Hanging Rock and Mount Macedon. It ...
, with his wife Ilaria Walker and their two children.
An advocate of
Indigenous Australian music
Indigenous music of Australia comprises the music of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, intersecting with their cultural and ceremonial observances, through the millennia of their individual and collective historie ...
, Skubiszewski has worked with numerous celebrated Indigenous artists such as
Archie Roach
Archibald William Roach (8 January 1956 – 30 July 2022) was an Australian singer, songwriter and Aboriginal activist. Often referred to as "Uncle Archie", Roach was a Gunditjmara and Bundjalung elder who campaigned for the rights of Abori ...
,
A.B. Original Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi ( Yolngu for "child and mother", pronounced ) are an Australian musical group with Aboriginal and '' balanda'' (non-Aboriginal) members, formed in 1986 as a merger of two bands formed in 1985 – a white rock group called the Swam ...
's founding members
Deadly Award winning
Djolpa McKenzie,
Dan Sultan
Daniel Leo Sultan (born 1983) is an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, actor and author. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album for his second album, '' Get Out While Y ...
and Music Victoria Award-winning Benny Walker, and has composed music for Indigenous TV shows and films including ''Little J and Big Cuz'' and ''
Bran Nue Dae
__NOTOC__
''Bran Nue Dae'' is a 1990 musical set in Broome, Western Australia, that tells stories and of issues relating to Indigenous Australians. It was written by Jimmy Chi and his band Kuckles and friends, and was the first Aboriginal Aust ...
''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skubiszewski, Jan
1981 births
APRA Award winners
ARIA Award winners
Australian audio engineers
Australian film score composers
Australian people of Polish descent
Australian record producers
Australian television composers
Blues record producers
Hip hop record producers
Living people
Male film score composers
Male television composers
People educated at St Michael's Grammar School
People from St Kilda, Victoria
Victorian College of the Arts alumni
Musicians from Melbourne