Tim Shiel

Tim Shiel is a computer-based musician and radio broadcaster from Melbourne, Australia.

His music, released formerly as Faux Pas and now under his own name, combines experimental electronica, avant-garde pop and sample-based beats in a whirling mess of rhythm, harmony and detail. Tim is also the host of “Something More” on Double J & triple j radio, a weekly show focused on forward-thinking, experimental and outsider music from around the world.

Under the name Faux Pas, Tim released a series of EPs, albums and remixes that established him as one of the more idiosyncratic voices in Australian electronic music. He has been an active member of Melbourne’s independent music community for many years, as a broadcaster for one of the world’s most beloved public radio stations 3RRR FM. He has collaborated with Australian artists including Flight Facilities, Bertie Blackman, Luke Howard, Caitlin Park and Georgia Fields, is a former judge of the Australian Music Prize and has previously been longlisted for APRA’s Professional Development Award for songwriters.

Tim spent most of 2011 and 2012 travelling the world as part of Gotye’s Making Mirrors world tour, working in collaboration with Gotye to develop and maintain his technology-intensive live show in addition to his onstage role as a multi-instrumentalist. The Making Mirrors tour included over 120 shows at iconic venues such as Radio City Music Hall, Coachella Festival, Letterman, SNL, the Hammersmith Apollo and the Sydney Opera House, as well as shows in far-flung locations such as Seoul, Delhi and Dubai.

In 2013, Tim worked in collaboration with indie game studio Kumobius to compose music for their minimalist mobile game Duet, which went on to become both a critical success and a mobile gaming hit. Duet was later named as one of the games of the year by The New Yorker, Kotaku and on Apple’s own App Store, where Duet reached the top 10 charts in over 25 countries, including #1 in Australia and #2 in the US. Tim’s Duet soundtrack was recognised with “Best Audio” in Intel’s Level Up 2014 competition, and “Best Sound” the 2014 Australian Game Developer Awards. Duet has now been downloaded over five million times across iOS and Android platforms.

The success of Duet set the tone for a busy year for Tim in 2014 – a compilation of Duet remixes made by local Melbourne musicians (including Lower Spectrum and Friendships) was followed by the Time Shield EP, a collection of songs initially composed for an innovative interactive music app. Tim was also named as one of the six launch presenters for new digital radio station Double J, a new initiative launched by Australian youth radio network triple j. Since launching his weekly show “Something More”, Tim’s guests have included Gilles Peterson, Flying Lotus, Nils Frahm, Jon Hopkins and many more.

Starting in February 2015, “Something More” will also be broadcast on triple j on Sunday nights from 11pm. Meanwhile, Tim continues work on various film, game and music projects from his home studio in northern Melbourne.

Tim's official website