Jan Skubiszewski

Jan Skubiszewski (pronounced /ˈskuːbiːˈʃɛz.skiː/; born 1981) is an Australian composer, record producer, songwriter and sound engineer from Melbourne, Australia.[1][2] 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[3] and numerous awards and nominations at ARIA, APRA, AIR, Film Critics Circle of Australia, Logie Awards, Screen Music Awards, National Indigenous Music Awards.[4][5][6][7][8]

## Early life

[edit]

Skubiszewski was born in Melbourne. After spending his early childhood in the Otway Ranges rain forest, he moved to the Melbourne suburb of East St Kilda. His musical education began early under the guidance of his father, acclaimed Polish-Australian film and TV composer Cezary Skubiszewski.[9]

## Career

[edit]

### Education and early work: first APRA award

[edit]

After studying fine art at the Victorian College of the Arts, Skubiszewski worked as a sound engineer and producer at Sing Sing Studio, whilst also writing and producing in his own right.[10]

In 1999 at the age of 18, Skubiszewski collaborated with his father Cezary to compose the score for Two Hands starring Heath Ledger, which won the APRA award for Best Film Score.[11]

### 2000-2010: Gold records, ARIA Award, number one records, Screen Music Awards, and AIR nominations

[edit]

Throughout the 2000s, Skubiszewski began to gain widespread recognition as a songwriter, producer and performing musician, securing awards and nominations at APRA, AIR and ARIA for songwriting and production work with Illy,[12] Phrase,[13] The Cat Empire[14] and Daniel Merriweather,[15] as well as his own band Jackson Jackson, a joint project with Harry James Angus that secured an ARIA nomination for Best Urban Album in 2007.[16]

In 2007, Skubiszewski worked with British producer Mark Ronson as an engineer on Ronson's album Stop Me, which reached number 2 in the UK singles charts.[17]

He also produced his first Gold Record for the Cat Empire.

During this period, Skubiszewski continued collaborated on film and television projects with Cezary,[18][19][20] including film and television hits such as Bran Nue Dae, Hating Alison Ashley, Book of Revelation, Serangoon Road (which won the APRA award for Best Music for a Television Series or Serial)[21] and Carla Cametti PD (which was nominated for Best Television Theme).[22][23]

### 2011-2020: Multiple number one records and gold discs, Screen Music Awards, ARIA Awards

[edit]

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.[24] The album debuted and peaked at number 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold.
* In 2014, Skubiszewski co-wrote and produced the single "On and On" on Cinematic with Illy,[25] which was nominated for Best Urban Album[26] 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 in the Best Music for a Television Series category.[27]
* In 2016 'Rising With The Sun' by The Cat Empire, 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's record Killer, was recognised when the album was nominated for three ARIA awards[28] and met with widespread critical acclaim, specifically for Skubiszewski's production,[29] including four stars from Rolling Stone.[30]
* In 2018 Skubiszewski won the APRA 2018 Screen Music Awards[31] 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.[32]
* 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 for Most Outstanding Children's Program.[33] The program featured Indigenous Australian stars such as Deborah Mailman, Miranda Tapsell, and Aaron Fa’oaso.
* Killer Under a Blood Moon, (produced and recorded by Skubiszewski)[34] was nominated for two ARIA awards in 2018[35] \- a collaboration between Dan Sultan, Gang of Youths' David Le'aupepe,[36] AB Original,[37] Camp Cope[38] and Meg Mac. It debuted at number 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
* Nali and Friends, a children's record released by ABC Music 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, and at number 22 on the ARIA chart.

### 2020-present

[edit]

* In 2021, Jan won the Screen Music Awards, Australia for Best Television Theme for Halifax: Retribution.[39]
* 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 for Most Outstanding Children's Program.
* In 2022, Jan composed the score for the documentary In the Water Behind the Lens[40]
* In 2023, Jan composed the music for season 4 of Little J and Big Cuz[41]
* In 2024, Skubiszewski composed the score for High Country season 1. High Country premiered on 19 March 2024 on Foxtel-on-demand service, Binge, followed by a television screening on Foxtel's Showcase.

### Red Moon Studios

[edit]

In June 2017, Skubiszewski and his wife opened Red Moon Studios, formerly The Stables, a music production studio in the Macedon Ranges specialising in high-end record production and film composition.[42][43]

## Personal life

[edit]

Skubiszewski lives in Brunswick with his wife Ilaria Walker and their two children.

An advocate of Indigenous Australian music,[44] Skubiszewski has worked with numerous celebrated Indigenous artists such as Archie Roach, A.B. Original[45] Yothu Yindi's founding members[46] Deadly Award winning Djolpa McKenzie, Dan Sultan and Music Victoria Award-winning Benny Walker, and has composed music for Indigenous TV shows and films including Little J and Big Cuz, High Country and Bran Nue Dae.[47]

When not composing or producing, Skubiszewski plays in bands, including The Counterfeit, which performs iconic film scores at venues including Thornbury Theatre, Brunswick Ballroom, Memo Music Hall and Theatre Royal, and headlined at Boogie Festival.[48]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Red Moon Rising". AudioTechnology. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
2. ^ "Daylesford Macedon Life - Winter 2022". issuu. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
3. ^ "John Butler Trio Review". Sblentertainment.com. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
4. ^ "2014 Screen Music Awards for Best Music for a Television Series". Apraamcos.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
5. ^ "APRA Music Awards for best film score". Apraamcos.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
6. ^ "Urban Cinefile article: SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS 2014 - WINNERS". Urbancinefile.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
7. ^ "2018 Screen Music Awards Winners Announced". Apraamcos.com.au. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
8. ^ Halifax: Retribution - IMDb, retrieved 8 June 2022
9. ^ Shedden, Iain (20 June 2013). "Sounds Just Like Home". Theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
10. ^ "Red Moon Rising". AudioTechnology.com. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
11. ^ "BEST FILM SCORE - TWO HANDS". Apraamcos.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
12. ^ "Urban Work of the Year". Apraamcos.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
13. ^ "APRA Award for Most Performed Urban Work". Apraamcos.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
14. ^ "The Cat Empire Seriously Can't Wait For You To Hear Their New Album". Themusic.com.au. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
15. ^ "Red Moon Rising". AudioTechnology. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
16. ^ "Best Urban Album ARIA AWARDS 2007". Ariaawards.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
17. ^ "stop me | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
18. ^ Shedden, Iain (20 June 2013). "Sounds just like home". The Australian. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
19. ^ "Cezary Skubiszewski scores Screen Music Awards trifecta and David Hirschfelder wins Feature Film Score of the Year". Urbancinefile.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
20. ^ "Screen Music Awards Winners". Apraamcos.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
21. ^ "Best Music for a Television Series or Serial". Apraamcos.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
22. ^ "Best Television Theme Nominations APRA AMCOS". Apraamcos.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
23. ^ "Nominations for Best Television Theme". APRA AMCOS. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
24. ^ McCabe, Kathy (27 November 2014). "All the ARIA Awards winners and action live". News.com.au. No. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
25. ^ "Australian Charts - Illy, On & On". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
26. ^ "Best Urban Album Nominees". Ariaawards.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
27. ^ "SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS 2014 - WINNERS". Urbancinefile.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
28. ^ McCabe, Kathy (10 October 2017). "Gang Of Youths, Paul Kelly, A.B. Originals, Amy Shark, Illy and Jess Mauboy lead ARIAs nominations". News.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
29. ^ Giuffre, Liz (25 July 2017). "Dan Sultan - Killer". Themusic.com.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
30. ^ Hipwell, Gareth (24 July 2017). "Dan Sultan - Killer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
31. ^ "2018 Screen Music Awards Winners Announced". Apraamcos.com.au. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
32. ^ "John Butler Trio's 'Home' Arrives at No. 1 in Australia". Billboard.com. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
33. ^ "Little J and Big Cuz Wins 2018 Logie Award". The Australian Children's Television Foundation. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
34. ^ Hartshorn, Tori. "Dan Sultan Announces Collaborative EP KILLER UNDER A BLOOD MOON + DROVER Feat. Dave Le'aupepe, Out Today". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
35. ^ "Aria Awards". Ariaawards.com.au. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
36. ^ "Dan Sultan - Drover feat. Dave Le'aupepe (Gang Of Youths) [Live at Red Moon Studios]". YouTube. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
37. ^ "Dan Sultan - My Kingdom feat. A.B. Original (Live at Red Moon Studios)". YouTube. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
38. ^ "Dan Sultan - Killer feat. Camp Cope (Live at Red Moon Studios)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
39. ^ Halifax: Retribution - IMDb, retrieved 8 June 2022
40. ^ Gonzales, Johnny, In the Water Behind the Lens (Documentary), Brian Bielmann, Jeff Divine, Dan Merkel, Oceans Productions, retrieved 18 April 2024
41. ^ "Little J And Big Cuz". ABC iview. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
42. ^ "Red Moon Rising". AudioTechnology.com. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
43. ^ "Daylesford Macedon Life - Winter 2022". issuu. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
44. ^ "Daylesford Macedon Life - Winter 2022". issuu. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
45. ^ "Dan Sultan - My Kingdom feat. A.B. Original (Live at Red Moon Studios)". YouTube. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
46. ^ "Red Moon Studios on Instagram: "East Arnhem Land in the house today. Beautiful songs with the founder of Yothu Yindi. #redmoonstudios"". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
47. ^ Bran Nue Dae (2009) - Awards - IMDb. Retrieved 18 April 2024 - via www.imdb.com.
48. ^ "Buy The Music of Ennio Morricone & the Spaghetti West - performed by The Counterfeit ft Freya Josephine Hollick tickets, VIC 2023 | Moshtix". www.moshtix.com.au. Retrieved 18 April 2024.

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