Matt Hsu is a Taiwanese-Australian musician and composer who records and performs as Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra. Hsu was born in 1986 to immigrant Taiwanese parents in Brisbane. As a child he listened to metal and punk music, in an effort to distance himself from Asian stereotypes, but later embraced his Taiwanese heritage, using music to express overcoming internalised racism. In 2020, he became a Queensland Music Awards winner in the world music category and has been identified as "one of the freshest feeling projects in Australian music right now." Matt is also known as the co-founder, trumpet player and songwriter for the

folk punk Folk punk (known in its early days as rogue folk) is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was popularized in the early 1980s by the Pogues in England, and by Violent Femmes in the United States. Folk punk achieved some mainstream success in ...

band The Mouldy Lovers. Matt's 2019 debut album 'The Shirt Album' is notable for having been released "in the form of an organic fair-trade T-shirt in place of a CD" with the aim of reducing potential

plastic waste Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g. plastic bottles, bags and microbeads) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat. Plastics that act as pollutants are catego ...

. The album features collaborations with noted

Tibetan musician The music of Tibet reflects the cultural heritage of the trans-Himalayan region centered in Tibet, but also known wherever ethnic Tibetan groups are found in Nepal, Bhutan, India and further abroad. The religious music of Tibet reflects the p ...

Tenzin Choegyal Tenzin Choegyal is a musician from Tibet. Biography As a child, he listened to his mother's songs in the style of Tibetan nomads, and he attributes much of his passion to his mother. In 1997, he moved to Australia where he made his debut in ...

Triple J Unearthed Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...

Sprung Hip Hop winner Blaq Carrie, and Japanese musician Kenta Hayashi. As a 'one-person orchestra' he has performed at

TEDx TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

and Australia's BIGSOUND Festival, and has been featured on

SBS World News ''SBS World News'' is the news service of the Special Broadcasting Service in Australia. Its flagship nightly bulletin is broadcast at on SBS with additional weeknight 'late' bulletins from on SBS. ''SBS News'' is the name of the news app ...

Awards

Queensland Music Awards

The

Queensland Music Awards The Queensland Music Awards (commonly known as QMA and known as the Q Song Awards from 2006 to 2010) are annual awards celebrating Queensland's emerging artists. They commenced in 2006. Each year, the QMA Song of the Year is immortalised in a ...

(previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating

Queensland, Australia ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006. (wins only) ! , - ! scope="row", 2020 , "Make Everything" , World Award of the Year , , , - ! scope="row", 2022 , "Welcome to the Neighbourhood" (Taiwanese: 就當家裡) , World Award of the Year , ,

Live ensemble

Formation

In 2020, Matt established a live ensemble consisting of Brisbane indie musicians, hip-hop artists, classically trained musicians, and multi-disciplinary artists. Also referred to as Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra, the ensemble is "underpinned by gender equity, inclusivity and visibility", and currently comprises 20 core members and frequent guest vocalists, which include culturally diverse, First Nations, disabled, transgender and non-binary artists.

Members

* Yvette Ofa Agapow - * Kathryn Bermingham - * Laura Hjortshoj-Haller - * Lisa Kelly - * Jen Horn - * Matt Hsu - * Andrew Humphreys - * Courts Lovell - * Fin Nicol-Taylor - * Lucie Pegna - * Katie Randall - * Hannah Reardon-Smith - * Saro Roro - * Jodie Rottle - *

Jonathan Sriranganathan Jonathan Sriranganathan ( ; Sri) is an Australian activist and politician. He was the first ever Queensland Greens councillor, representing The Gabba Ward on the Brisbane City Council from 2016 to 2023. Early life and education Sriranganathan ...

- * Kaya Tominaga - * Caroline Townsend - * Fiona Wheeler - * Flora Wong -

Past members

* Aimee Harris - * Steph McIntyre - * Maja Salamon - * Alice Wheeler -

Guests and collaborators

* apadalia - * Ashleigh Djokic - * Blaq Carrie - *

- * Kenta Hayashi - *

L-FRESH the Lion Sukhdeep Singh Bhogal (born 12 October 1988), better known as L-FRESH The LION is a hip hop artist and producer from Sydney, Australia. The acronym F.R.E.S.H. stands for Forever Rising Exceeding Sudden Hardships, while the L and LION refer to his ...

- * Loopy! 鹿皮 - * Mack Ridge - * Naavikaran - * Anisa Nandaula - * Nardean - * Nima Doostkhah - * Rina - * Sachém - * SOLCHLD -

References

{{Reflist 21st-century Australian singers Living people 1986 births Australian people of Taiwanese descent Australian male singer-songwriters Musicians from Brisbane