Peter Westheimer is an Australian independent musician, composer, producer, videographer, and artist who embraces socio-political and environmental themes expressed in intuitive, realistic, and abstract ways.
Multi-cultural and adventurous in using instrumentation and sounds
from around the globe with strong Asian & European contemporary
and classical influences often finding comfortable spaces next to
Synth Pop /Rock/New Wave sensibilities. In response to climate
change, political change and system change he composes songs
about renewable energy, change, peace, history, freedom, identity
and even virtual enlightenment where he mixes concern with
humour, surrealism and sometimes not taking oneself too seriously.
He lives, works and creates in the hinterland [Bundjalung country] of
Byron Shire taking constant inspiration from actively restoring
Subtropical Lowland Forest [an endangered Ecosystem],
experiencing ever evolving shapes, designs, sounds, colours and
inspiration from nature.
Through tree planting, bush regeneration and local organisations he
enhances the biodiversity of the local landscape creating a wildlife
corridor to help his local region become a more sustainable
landscape.
He was one of the early Australian home-based independent music
composer/producers, acknowledged in the book ‘The Power the
Passion’ by Lesley Sly.
He continues to mix artistic, political, spiritual and environmental
passions.
He feels that "The essence of nature, music and people can
transcend time and social difference to touch our souls”.
Jan 11th , 2026: “The way we live our lives, how we communicate,
connect and express our creativity and original systems thinking,
how we treat our environment and each other, and how we embrace
positively and progressively to the inevitability of change are the key
challenges or perhaps art forms or songlines of the 21st Century.
They are certainly the tracks that I want to journey along. My sentiment is there and my age makes it an imperative”. PW
Seven albums [4 CDs and 3 Vinyl LPs], one vinyl EP, four singles, and four digital collections [volumes 1-4] of original music. Worldwide distribution via CDbaby.com. Available on streaming services & downloading sites. Vinyl & CDs via contact tab.
His music spans many genres - world, electronica, chill, ethno-ambient, dance, new wave, neo classical, synth-pop, reggae and rock instrumentals and songs.
Soundtracks for feature films, television documentaries, installations & multimedia.
In 2012 he showcased the album Tranzworld Express with multimedia performances at Splendour in the Grass, one of Australia’s largest music festivals, and was also awarded Best Australian Independent Music Video of the year for the opening track Change Now.
Fans describe his music as cool and clear, intertwining musical textures and rhythms, quirky and inventive, warm and inviting, exciting and intriguing. His more recent releases have been 3 music videos for popular older
tracks and 3 new digital single music video releases:
‘I know you Like it’ [2022], ’Iguazu’ [2020], and ‘Take me to Your Future’ [2019].
An actor, co-writer and co-director for cutting edge theatre groups in Melbourne 1970s, his live sets continue to combine his own original music with theatrical techniques & gestures, masks, social commentary and vocal overlays with a large screen video.
Peter’s music, videos, and paintings continue to evolve out of the adventure and fun of creative exploration.
At age 18 he was a violinist in the Australian Youth Orchestra and leader of the Victorian Junior Symphony Orchestra.
Later, he moved into contemporary music in a new wave band, composing & producing multi-track recordings and screen composition.
Positive personal, environmental and political change have always been integral to Peter’s life and work.
From 2004-2008 and 2021-2024 he was a progressive independent councillor for Byron Shire Council in Northern NSW including 18 months as Deputy Mayor, during which time he co-wrote Byron Shire’s Cultural Plan and spearheaded the major renovation of Mullumbimby’s Civic Hall in 2008.
His creative career paralleled, early on, his work as a holistic medical doctor in Occupational Health & Rehabilitation and over recent years, his activities in biodiversity and ecological repair.
To Peter, music and video are agents of joy and change - playful, bold, surreal, textural, spiritual, political & humorous - inspired by creativity in music, film, art, ideas, design, people and nature.
Peter views music video as a contemporary art form linking his own compositions and videos.
A mix of the abstract & real with the starting point being the visuals or the music & sometimes only a vaguely hinted-at narrative.
Created and produced over thirty music videos encapsulating varied & bold interplays between music and visuals with neither entirely beholden to each other and often shot in iconic locations.
Change Now won Best Music Video of the Year and Best Electronic/Dance/Techno video at the Australian Independent Music Video Awards 2012.
Move, an animation clip set to Peter’s music, was acclaimed as one of the ten best Australian clips of 1985. That early success encouraged him to continue to conceive and create a prolific body of work throughout his career.
Overview:
Peter's work is suited to being presented as a video installation at festivals, music events and galleries with performance possibilities.
The award winning music and videos are featured throughout the website.
'Laminex Lovers' 1982 4 track Vinyl EP, first recording release, still receiving acclaim as one of Australia's cutting edge synth pop records.
'Move' 1985 Vinyl Album - video clip ‘Move’ acclaimed as a top 10 video.
‘Sooner Than Laughter’ 1986 Vinyl Album - video clip “State of Summer”.
'Transition' 1992 CD Album - video clip – ‘Big Living’.
'Balance ' 1994 CD Album - released in Australia, Japan and the USA
'Music Sculptures' 2004 CD Album - 50 track, 75 minute multi genre journey of selected 1982 - 2003 works with mood & instrumentation notes.
'Tranzworld Express' 2011 CD & web album - video clip for each track, new international music - edgy, lively electronic dance music and global sounds with laid back and trance like feels - inspirational and even disquieting.
'Cool Change' 2017 International Vinyl 12 track [6 previously unreleased] compilation released by Melbourne label Left Ear Records [covering 1982-1993].
'Take Me To Your Future' 2019 internationally released digital single & music video – view on YouTube , or listen via Apple music and Spotify.
'Iguazu' 2020 internationally released digital single & music video – view on YouTube or listen via Apple music and Spotify.
'I know you like it' 2022 internationally released digital single & music video – view on YouTube or listen via Apple music and Spotify.
Collections [4 Volumes] - released in 2016
Volume 1: 1982-84
Volume 2 : 1984-85
Volume 3 : 1986-88
Volume 4 : 1989-97
Morpheus: in depth review of 'Tranzworld Express' Album.
CAREER TIMELINE/BIOGRAPHY:
2026 Work in progress on a music video creative documentary of his bush regeneration activities.
‘Healing Byron’s Landscapes- ‘environmental article for Rusty’s Byron Guide publication. 2025 Release of music videos for ‘Elastic Smiles’, ‘Cool Change’ and ‘Give
and Take’.
Live gig - Set with new singles presented at Holiday Maker Records
Summer Bash at Repentance Creek Hall.
'Elastic Smiles' - 2025 semi-finalist Seattle Film Festival.
2022
Release of digital single and video clip ‘I know you like it’ celebrating street culture in Spain and France.
2021
Live performance for Holiday maker Records at Burleigh Bazaar Gold Coast. Feature interview on 4ZZZ FM Brisbane.
2020
Release of music track & video ‘Iguazu’ - dance electronica celebrating and paying homage to one of earth’s greatest natural wonders 'Iguazu Falls' Brazil & Argentina.
2019
Release of the music single 'Take Me To Your Future'- world dance electronic fusion with its video filmed in Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia & Vietnam.
2018
Repressing of ‘Cool Change’ vinyl after first pressing sells out..
2017
Release of Europa 16 – ten short music videos from a Europe & Iceland tour.
Release of ‘Cool Change’, a vinyl LP compilation of 80’s to early 90’s tracks on the Left Ear record label.
Elastic Smiles from the new Cool Change album is included in 2017 French CD compilation Nova - Haute Musique II
2016
Release of six video clips ‘Miracles Happen’, 'Band Together’, ’Warm Dreaming’, ‘You & Me’, 'Cadaghi Dreaming', 'Personality Change'.
2015
Series of new paintings, ABC radio album of the month.
2013
‘Change Now’ - Best Music Video of the Year and Best Electronic/Dance/Techno - Australian Independent Music Video Awards for 2012, Canberra.
2012
'Tranzworld Express’ multimedia CD launch Byron Bay.
Splendour In the Grass' International Music festival - Byron Bay, Australia
– 2 performances of ‘Tranzworld Express’ album show - music/video/theatre/vocals/ social commentary/masks/costumes.
Winner best electronic music for ‘Peacedance’ - North Coast Entertainment Industry Dolphin awards & performance, Lismore Starcourt theatre.
Best music video Byron Bay Film Festival for ‘Tranzworld Express’ clip.
2011
International release of 6th album ‘Tranzworld Express’ featuring ten music videos, one for each track.
First performances of ‘Tranzworld Express’ show at Sydney Fringe Festival, NORPA Lismore NSW & Bar Luna Ubud, Bali
Semifinalist : International songwriting competition Nashville for ‘Karma than Chaos’
Australian Songwriters Association Instrumental of the Year- 10th place for ‘Dancing Hearts Orchestra’.
Radio National ABC programs “Roots & All”, “Rhythm Divine”, “Sound quality”. Album of the week ABC North Coast, Album of the month RTRFM Perth.
Soundtrack for ‘Northern Rivers Foodlinks' corporate documentary. Video of the month [October] Skope TV
2010
Finalist, Electronic Dance, Chill & Ambient category - Dolphin Awards, North Coast Entertainment Industry Association
2008
Documentary soundtracks for 'Threaded Connections' and 'The Life World', ABC National TV Australia
2004-2008
Politics: Deputy Mayor [2005-2006] & elected councillor - Byron Shire Council- focus on biodiversity, cultural development, transport & renewable energy
Screenworks Northern NSW – Board member and deputy Chair.
2004
5th Album - 'Music Sculptures' 50 track compilation of tracks 1982–2003
1994
'Balance' Album released on CD internationally
Soundtrack music for documentary - 'The Last Whale' - Olivia Newton John narration, screened at the UN & International Whaling Commission Mexico
Musical Director - multimedia event 'Cyberspace', Epicentre, Byron Bay, Australia
1993
Documentary soundtrack - 'Behind The Mask' [Indonesia] - by Paul Lockyer for Channel 9 Australia
Documentary soundtrack - 'Centennial Park' [underground] Reservoir - H2O Productions
Features in ‘The Power & the Passion’ – a guide to the Australian Music Industry - home studios
1992
'Transition' Album released on CD with clip for ‘Big Living’
Album launch exhibition & CD sleeve features personal paintings for each album track. These featured in the American publication 'Musicians as Artists' with 52 others including John Lennon, Miles Davis, Joan Baez, Yoko Ono and David Bowie
Extensive airplay of album on television, radio and Qantas airlines
Installation soundtrack 'Metaphors for Memory' with artist Lucille Martin exhibited in Sydney & Perth
Documentary soundtrack 'Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend' - ABC national television Australia
Documentary soundtrack 'Kids in the Melting Pot' - SBS national television Australia
1991
TV Documentary ‘When Friends were Enemies' – Australian Film Institute award nomination - UN peace award finalist New York Film & TV Festival
Short film/documentary 'Freshwater' – major award United Nations Association Australia
1990
Television commercials Perth Western Australia
Perth Festival multimedia installation at Lawrence Wilson Gallery [Uni of WA] - 'Myopia' soundtrack & content highlighting major environmental themes
1989
Documentaries 'Mythos and 'Old Songs in a New Land' [finalist New York International film and TV Festival] – SBS television
Documentary series theme ‘Breakthrough' – Film Australia
Documentary soundtrack 'A Hand in the Dark' - SBS television
Soundtrack for installation 'Origins’ [a multicultural Australia] with artist Lucille Martin - Sydney & Perth
1988
Composed the musical score for two feature films: 'Kadaicha' and 'Out of the Body'
Committee member [4years] AGSC- Australian Guild of Screen Composers
Documentary soundtrack three-part series – 'A Change of Face' – SBS national television
Short drama 'Silk Dreams' SBS TV Sydney
1986–1987
'Sooner than Laughter' 2nd record album release [vinyl]– with guest artist Zoe Carides.
Video clip and vinyl single –'State of Summer'
'One Room to Let' soundtrack – SBS television
1985
First record album release – 'Move'
Video clip for 'Move' track - award of Merit Australian Video Festival Sydney and acclaimed as one of the ten best Australian clips of the year
'Chunk' - Composition & coproduction of film and soundtrack album for band 'Cut the Cheese' – AFI Australian Film Institute award nomination.
1984
Composer in residence - Australian Playwrights Conference Canberra for writer/director Peter Carey [Booker prize winner] and Mike Mullins.
1983
'Laminex Lovers' - 1st record release - vinyl 4 track EP [self produced] - extensive airplay on Radio JJJ nationwide and charted highly on independent radio
First screen composer music credit for Film Australia documentary 'Pictures that Post'
1977 - 1982
Keyboardist, guitarist, vocals with new wave band 'Sodavision' Melbourne
Overseas travel,cross experimentation with modern, classical and Asian music.
Audio production course at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
1974–1976
Tai Chi & cultural/spiritual studies – Java, Indonesia
Sitar - Indian music studies and performance
Member of the Portable Players 6 person theatre/musician group funded by the Australia Council and the Metalworkers Union.
1973
Completed a Medical degree at Melbourne University
1970
Overland travel from Australia through Asia to Europe travelling through 21 countries
1968–1973
Actor/musician for theatre, street theatre, film and television Melbourne Australia
1967
Violinist - Australian Youth Orchestra
Leader - Victorian Junior Symphony Orchestra
Move Videoclip
...voted as one of the Top 10 music videos 1985 Australia by Beatbox ABC producer Mark Fitzgerald
Westheimer's lyrics......are as funny as they are pessimistic and the songs themselves are quirky and inventive... intriguing, promising first album.
Rolling Stone July 1985 – Ed St John - 'Move’ vinyl album
...manages to escape rotten rock cliches for something vastly more worthwhile.
Stiletto Magazine 24th June 1985
...Cool and clear, warm and inviting they take you in, spin you around oh so gently and lead you out the way you came, a slightly altered state of mind being the only side-effect! Canberra Times April 19, 1987 - Sooner than Laughter album.
... an album of distinct quality and subterranean charm.
Countdown Magazine 1987 Sooner Than Laughter Vinyl album
This is a record of synth. based music which reminded friends of mine of a wide range of calibre electro groovers – Yello, Philip Glass, Brian Eno, Moroder, Kraftwerk etc in both instrumental and vocal form.
On the Street newspaper June 1987 - Sooner than Laughter album.
His first album 'Move' from 1985 had one of the most imaginative videos ever.... not only to come out of this country but to come out of the 80's video boom.
Juke magazine Australia 1987
.. 'Sooner Than Laughter' works the musical turf bearing the hoofprints of Kraftwerk, Ryuichi Sakamoto and the Flying Lizards.
Australian Penthouse 1987 Jeremy Cooke'
This beautifully packaged CD........could be loosely described as world/ambient ......Occasional conga patterns, a piano solo, and a chilling sample of a woman laughing twist this ambient cruise......Impressive.
Sonics Magazine by Lesley Sly August 1992 Transition CD.
Creating a space for sound rather than engaging in ego priming posturing, the Transition CD is a relaxing change from the everyday. Sometimes exciting often intriguing.......
Who Weekly by Rob Johnson 1992
His music not only presents the listener with a great variety of melodic and rhythmic themes and musical textures intriguingly intertwined, but also a huge chunk of personality which turns the sum of the parts to a cohesive and musically vibrant whole. 'Balance' and the previous album 'Transition' are gems and would be a valuable addition to any musical collection.
Byron Shire Echo Sept. 21, 1994, Balance CD
The compositions will open unrestricted mental vistas and imaginary journeys.
Conscious Living no.29 June/July 1994 Balance CD
Wonderful musical textures and moods. Peter is a conceptual artist who creates aural instrumental sculptures rather than songs with traditional structural forms. ... fresh, inspiring and laced with magical moments. ......will appeal to anyone who appreciates music that reaches deep within one's being to touch the soul.
What's on the Planet newspaper Dec/Jan 1994 –1995 Balance CD
With a theatrical and ambitious live show, Peter himself acts as a shaman of sorts, offering up synthesized vocals and plenty of visuals to feast your eyes on, making for either a psychedelic or spiritual experience, depending on your inclinations. There is also a “through the looking glass” element of surrealism in Peter’s work, and he appears to be just as fascinated with this aspect as he is with the music/spirit. This makes for work that is both daring and intriguing. Check out the Live Showreel.
A Romero World Music central.org 2012 Tranzworld Express
“Dancing Hearts Orchestra” from Australian dance/worldbeat producer Peter Westheimer is the perfect title for electro-instrumental anthems track that sets frantic piano and various synthesized instruments against spiritual, wordless calls from a female vocalist and an enormous, booty-shaking beat. It breaks down at all the right moments, only to smack you in the face with its video game-esque awesomeness a few seconds later.
” Dancing Hearts Orchestra” is a definite contender for instrumental of the year at this point. God, I love it.
Jordy Kasko The Tune Tranzworld Express album 2012
Westheimer spiced his unique brand of synth pop with Dadaist lyricism and Japanese tonalities, arriving at a future primitive sound which casually slipped between electronic, ambient, experimental and new age. Westheimer delivered batshit synth pop, humid new age, and future primitive heat in his 80s heyday, and this retrospective compilation gives us the lot.
2017 Picadilly records review Cool Change Album on the Left Ear label
2012 Full REVIEW of Tranzworld Express album by Morpheus music.
STYLE:
Global psychill journey album.
Tranzworld Express is a transporting experience that whisks the listener away from home on a speeding dream train breezing across musical, cultural and technological borders. The pace is mid-tempo - a comfortable dance groove with a locomotive-like regularity suggestive of casual speed and passing vistas. Western soul sounds and club elements get the party going, but soon the scene shifts and a Middle Eastern dub beat drives Peacedance further from home. The sense of the exotic is heightened as the album progresses: international instrumentation and diverse voices interwoven among bright recording effects, vocoder snatches and lush strings. Peter Westheimer clearly enjoys a rich melting pot of music without the encumbrance of genre restrictions. China India (as you might deduce) fuses the colours of these two evocative Asian sources of mystique - bells trees and electronica; er-hu and sitar; expressive tablas and programmed beats; piercing pipes and soft female vocals. The binding factor for the album is the relatively consistent beat - wheels on tracks, hypnotic patterns, express rhythm.
INDEPTH:
Peter Westheimer brings a sense of global responsibility to his music, dealing with such important themes as the planet's growing population, finite resources and climate change challenges; East-West relations and the struggling of peace processes; religious enlightenment, fundamentalism and media control; ecologically friendly transport modes and natural energy sources. These serious concerns thread the music of Tranzworld Express with a dynamic urgency: stirring beats, driving basslines and insistent melodies. The tightly woven multinational instrumentation (Westheimer himself plays a wide range of instruments, ranging from keyboard to sitar, with much in between) highlights a vision of potential global harmony and cooperation. That said - this is by no means merely a gloomy presentation of cerebral ideals - the music is full of emotion: ranging from the blissfully ecstatic through lively, vivacious and inspirational to somewhat threatening and disquieting. The artist's website explains that he sees music as an agent of change - unlike much of today's 'worldbeat' music this is an album with an authenticity born from genuine passion and actual familiarity with many of the locations aurally conjured "inspired by travels through Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the USA in 2009. Its' rhythmic energies and perspectives come from the moving scenery of contemporary communities both rural and urban, and a retracing of family history."
TRACK by TRACK:
Change Now: The album opens with a flush of multinational warmth - plucked strings, Western and Eastern, fusing together, leading into the train track beat that will draw the listener throughout the journey. As lush orchestral bowings flow in layers a female voice whispers, "Change the world" signaling Westheimer's underlying theme. The mood is upbeat, positive and lively - throbbing bassline driving the central section of the track. The melodic motifs are taken up in varying forms by different instruments - Eastern organic, Western electronic - with lush washes & pads.
Dancing Hearts Orchestra:
Whilst maintaining the rhythm established by Change Now, this track has more of a Western soul dance floor vibe. Piano stabs, disco guitar chord flicks and deep synth patterns form the backbone whilst a female voice wordlessly soars and further piano melodies dance above. It feels as if we are still not so far from home, hints of the city still glimpsed through the window as the journey gets well under way.