About Matt

Matt Hsu is a 2020 QLD Music Awards winning musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist based in Meanjin.
- One person orchestra
  
  Plays over 20 instruments incuding accordion, double bass, trumpet, drums, saw, banjo and shakuhachi.
- gesture
  Creative innovation
  
  Taking creative paths less travelled to create evocative intricately-crafted music, rather than 'samey' sounds.
- public
  Global inspirations
  
  Drawing from a diverse upbringing immersed in world music, his work explores spaces between cultures.
- all_inclusive
  Bands and ensembles
  
  Played on Triple J, ABC's Rage, and toured internationally as part of The Mouldy Lovers and Virginia Sook.

Shop

LOOPY! x Obscure Orchestra shirt

An ethical and organic wearable music release

The LOOPY! x Obscure Orchestra shirt accompanies the release of 'Welcome To The Neighbourhood' — a song addressing refugee rights, black lives and systemic racism in a collaboration with artists and activists of First Nations, refugee, immigrant and gender diverse backgrounds.

Designed by LOOPY!

Artwork by Taiwanese art duo LOOPY! who create cheeky whimsical art in Taipei.
Less harm, more good

Forgoing CDs that become waste, Matt chose Earth Positive and Stanley/Stella apparel who aim for the highest social, ethical and environmental standards.
Organic Cotton and eco ink

Made from 100% certified organic cotton with eco-friendly water-based screen printing inks that don't leach bad crap onto you or the world.
A living wage

Ethical labour practices at every stage of production, ensuring fair wages and improving labour condititions for garment workers.
Carbon neutral with renewables

Made in carbon neutral facilities that use only clean renewable green electricity from wind and solar – verified by the Carbon Trust.
Colours and inclusive sizes

Unisex sizing from XS to XXL. View size guide for Mango Yellow and Leaf Green and Roasted Orange shirts.

The Shirt Album

Eclectic music. Ethical release.

Music can be an act of defiance. This album is one of them, taking an unbeaten path with release of Matt's debut album on an organic ethical shirt.

Designed by Matt

Following Matt's offbeat DIY sensibilities, shirt artwork is hand designed by himself with an album download code on the collar.
Less harm, more good

Forgoing CDs that become waste, Matt chose Earth Positive clothing who aim for the highest social, ethical and environmental standards.
Organic Cotton and eco ink

Made from 100% certified organic cotton with eco-friendly water-based screen printing inks that don't leach bad crap onto you or the world.
A living wage

Ethical labour practices at every stage of production, ensuring fair wages and improving labour condititions for garment workers.
Carbon neutral with renewables

Made in carbon neutral facilities that use only clean renewable green electricity from wind and solar – verified by the Carbon Trust.
Inclusive sizes

Sizes range from women’s S with rolled sleeves through to unisex XXL. View size guide for women's and unisex shirts.

Stream

Composing work

Steeped in world music since childhood, Matt creates multilayered compositions that explore the grey areas between cultures, with an eclectic mix of instruments.
- Organic sounds
  
  Every composition created naturally with acoustic instruments and field recordings rather than eletronically.
- Award-winning creations
  
  QLD Music Awards winning music, as well as recognised by international film festivals, including being awarded Finalist at Los Angeles CineFest.
- Light and shade
  
  Evoking a dramatic span of moods. From dark to whimsical, grandiose to primal, ethereal to exuberant.
- Adventurous and original
  
  Music that resonates through daring creativity, rather than replicating trends and clichés.
- Soundscapes and foley
  
  Matt crafts aural environments that perfectly marry with visuals, and creates sound effects and foley.
- Bespoke music
  
  Works with a range of projects from film, TV, digital media, advertising, animation, theatre to video games.

Awards

In 2020, Matt won a Queensland Music Award for World Music for the song Make Everything, a collaboration with Taiwanese art duo LOOPY! and lo-fi dream pop musician apadalia. Make Everything celebrates creating things for the love if it rather than for fame, and features bilingual lyrics in English and Taiwanese.

Queensland Music Awards acceptance speech by Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra and apadalia, speaking about the importance diversity and representation in the Australian music industry.
'Make Everything’ celebrates creating things for the love if it, rather than for fame or gain. Featuring art duo LOOPY! and apadalia.

Film festival selections

In a collaboration with animator, illustrator and performance maker Ashleigh Djokic, the experimental short/music video Birdnest Hair is a celebration of scrappy optimism and womanhood. As of 2018, it has received recognition from 16 international film festivals.

Press coverage and authorship

Interviews, articles, exclusives and editorials by and about Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra.

Live performance

On stage, Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra transmutes into a stand-up comedy music act, leaning into the ridiculousness of playing dozens of instruments aided by a loop pedal with no 'undo' function, and peppered with witty misadventures and sharp anecdotes.

TEDxQUT

Perfomed at TEDxQUT as one person orchestra in Meanjin, September 2018.
Festival shows and comedy

Peformances at BIGSOUND 2017, Angry Mime (Backbone Arts) and DIY Festival.
One person orchestra

Sweeping soundscapes from scratch with twenty instruments and a loop pedal.

Collaborations

Working with an ever growing circle of collaborators including internationally-renown icon Tenzin Choegyal, Kenta Hayashi, Ben Ely of Regurgitator, Leanne Day-Simpson of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, circus performer Ellen Grow, mandolin player and vocalist Hannah Ryder and multi-instrumentalist Andre Bonetti.

Tenzin Choegyal

Tibetan artist, composer, activist and festival director. Tenzin has collaborated with the acclaimed Philip Glass.

Tibet
Kenta Hayashi

Japanese singer-songwriter and 'loop pedal ninja' creating sound by layering vocals, guitar, effects and percussion.

Japan
Leanne Day-Simpson

Violinist for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Leanne has toured Europe twice as a soloist.

United States
Janita Billingham

Queensland harpist and chamber musician. Appeared with prominent artists Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli.

Australia

Soundscape

In Matt's travels, he makes field recordings to capture the spirit of these places, combining the sounds of nature, pastoral life and urban eclectica into a pastiche of soundscapes.
- Taiwan
- Japan

Clients

Scoring bespoke music for feature film, short film, telelvision, games, theatre productions, advertising, digital media, dance, events and cross-disciplinary projects.

Brisbane Festival:
A Curious Arcade

Composer for Imaginary Theatre's 2020 Brisbane Festival theatre installation A Curious Arcade, at Brisbane Powerhouse.
La Boite Theatre Company:
The Neighbourhood

Live-scoring and co-composing for The Neighbourhood, exploring migrant, refugee and Indigenous experiences.
MELT Festival: Brood

Composer for MELT Queer Festival 2020 interactive media installation Brood at Brisbane Powerhouse by Sophie Reid-Singer/Clunkk.
We See Each Other:
Digital Narrative Project

Composer for digital narrative project by Dr Freya Wright-Brough and authors of refugee backgrounds.
The Legend of the Lost Pearl

Worked with composer Hayden Riley providing trumpet, clarinet and percussion performances for an animated film.
Queensland Government

Composed music for six 30 second adverts Queensland Government Office of Fair Trading national campaign.

4ZZZ Radio Reversal program

Provided music for the Cracks in the Concrete oral histories project by Meanjin-based politics and philosophy talk show.
TEDxQUT 2018

Engaged to perfom at TEDxQUT as a 'one person orchestra', creating a multi-layered composition with 20 instruments live.
Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri

Provided a library of music for Gabba Ward Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri in creating digital media resources.

The Mouldy Lovers

Matt is a founding member of QMusic Award nominated folk-punk troupe.

Japan tour

In 2017, The Mouldy Lovers toured across Japan with indie luminaries OreskaBand, Bloodest Saxophone, Cavemans, Gaka and Walkings.
Music festivals

From summer festivals to charity grassroots events, we have played Falls Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and QLD Music Festival.
International supports

Supported international icons such as The Original Wailers, The Skatalites, Neville Staple, Kenta Hayashi and Babylon Circus.
QMusic Award Finalist

In 2017, The Mouldy Lovers were nominated for a Queensland Music Award in the World Music category.

Other band projects

Side projects, guest musician contributions and partnerships.

Gabriella Cohen

Recorded with internationally acclaimed Australian artist Gabriella Cohen for her 2018 album Pink is the Colour of Unconditional Love.
Virginia Sook

Matt joined French-Australian folk group Virginia Sook as a multi-instrumentalist and arranger in 2017. Now based in Europe.
Apakatjah

Joined Indigenous Australian band Apakatjah to perform at Woodfold Folk Festival 2017/2018, forming strong and lasting bonds.
Amela

Matt has recorded and performed with Bosnian-Australian singer-songwriter Amela on her singles Better Off and Uniforms.

Drop me a line anytime

obscureorchestra(at)gmail(dot)com

Download EPK

About Matt

One person orchestra

Creative innovation

Global inspirations

Bands and ensembles

Shop

LOOPY! x Obscure Orchestra shirt

Designed by LOOPY!

Less harm, more good

Organic Cotton and eco ink

A living wage

Carbon neutral with renewables

Colours and inclusive sizes

The Shirt Album

Designed by Matt

Less harm, more good

Organic Cotton and eco ink

A living wage

Carbon neutral with renewables

Inclusive sizes

Stream

Composing work

Organic sounds

Award-winning creations

Light and shade

Adventurous and original

Soundscapes and foley

Bespoke music

Awards

Film festival selections

Press coverage and authorship

SBS News

SBS News: "This incredible Brisbane musician is an orchestra of one" 4 Dec 2018

ABC Radio Brisbane

ABC Radio Brisbane interview with 'Afternoons with Kat Feeney' discussing cultural appropriation and Matt's new single 'In Colour'.

#1 on 4ZZZ Weekly Top 20

Single 'In Colour' reached number 1 on 4ZZZ's Weekly Top 20 during week of 30 Nov 2018.

Sydney Morning Herald / Brisbane Times

News story on Brisbane Times, extended nationally to Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WA Today and The Canberra Times.

West End Magazine

Interview covering musical inspirations, the West End music community and multi-instrumental projects.

Fleet Foxes' Morgan Henderson

Artist-on-artist interview between Matt Hsu and Morgan Henderson, multi-instrumentalist for Grammy nominated Fleet Foxes.

QUT News

QUT News story: One-man band celebrates racial diversity.

QUT Creative Lab panel

In conversation with Matt Hsu featuring Ben Ely (Regurgitator), LÂLKA and Tenzin Choegyal.

4ZZZ interviews

Frequent interviews with 4ZZZ shows including The Slubberdegullion Show, Ozone, Ecoradio and What's Good.

Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre

Featured artist feature through the Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre (BEMAC).

Happy Magazine

Interview covering diversity in music, composing and the origins of Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra.

Music Is My Muse

Interview with grassroots Meanjin/Brisbane online music magazine Music Is My Muse (MIMM).

Live performance

TEDxQUT

Festival shows and comedy

One person orchestra

Collaborations

Tenzin Choegyal

Kenta Hayashi

Leanne Day-Simpson

Janita Billingham

Soundscape

Clients

Brisbane Festival: A Curious Arcade

La Boite Theatre Company: The Neighbourhood

MELT Festival: Brood

We See Each Other:Digital Narrative Project

The Legend of the Lost Pearl

Queensland Government

4ZZZ Radio Reversal program

TEDxQUT 2018

Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri

The Mouldy Lovers

Japan tour

Music festivals

International supports

QMusic Award Finalist

Brisbane Festival:
A Curious Arcade

La Boite Theatre Company:
The Neighbourhood

We See Each Other:
Digital Narrative Project