Peter Westheimer is an artist who embraces music and visuals. His 6th album 'Tranzworld Express' and previous albums are innovative, chillout, electronic dance & worldbeat flavours of musical surprises. Contemporary,original video clips and original & provocative multimedia performances highlight music as an agent of change and joy, and make for refreshing & exciting listening and viewing experiences.
Peter has composed and been commissioned to compose music for many national television documentaries, two feature films, installations and for the 'Tranzworld Express' show.
Latest News
Byron Bay Multimedia performance and launch Sat. Feb 25th 2012.
The track 'Dancing Hearts Orchestra' from the 'Tranzworld Express' album is in the top 10 best instrumentals of 2011 by the Australian Songwriters association.
'Karma than Chaos' also from Tranzworld Express is semi-finalist in the 2011 International Songwriting Competition[ISC].
Peter Westheimer
Peter Westheimer's 6th album 'Tranzworld Express' is an innovative, chillout, electronic dance & worldbeat flavor of musical surprises. Contemporary multimedia video clips & performances highlight music as an agent of change and make for stunning & refreshing listening and viewing experiences.
Peter Westheimer's musical journey includes original & provocative multimedia performances , six music albums, acclaimed video clips, music for many television documentaries, two feature films, and installations. 'Tranzworld express' is now being presented as a multimedia performance with video clips to each track having been launched at the 2011 Sydney Fringe Festival.
He began experimenting with his own brand of synth-pop, electronica and dance in the early 80's influenced by New Wave, Kraftwerk ,The Cure and Peter Gabriel amongst other innovators of the time. He found success with the seminal 4 track EP 'Laminex Lovers', which received extensive airplay on JJJ nationwide in 1983. His video clip to the 1985 Move album was acclaimed one of the ten best Australian clips of the year.
His sound continues to evolve through projects and has embraced genres ranging from Electronica, World Beat, Instrumental, Electro - Orchestral, Asian/Middle Eastern House, Ambient and Neoclassical.
That Peter Westheimer has an ongoing passion for music ,art, politics and the environment and embracing positive change is an understatement. His recently released album of innovative music, Tranzworld Express with its varied textures, tones and references, effectively serves as a culmination of his cultural , political and above all his musical passions. As an independent musician & composer of film soundtracks for ABC & SBS TV documentaries , multi media installations and feature films since 1982 this is his first album since returning to music after being an elected councillor & Deputy Mayor of Byron Shire Council [Byron Bay area] from 2004 to 2008. During his term there he worked closely with the shire's Green's Mayor to develop a cultural plan for a shire rich in the arts and also helped embed biodiversity and sustainability in this beautiful & iconic part of Australia.
He initially composed the new album on a laptop while travelling on European trains in late 2009, exploring its' beauty, its' culture and its dark recent past. These experiences together with previous travels in Asia and the middle East shaped an album that is uplifting with a brilliant knack for adding and taking away tension while never losing momentum. Strong contribution from world class local producers and musicians has give the album and video clips an edge and quality that he has always aspired to.
In his 20's, Peter spent a lot of time in Indonesia and India. "I certainly don't sleep on concrete hotel rooftops in searing heat or on luggage racks of trains like I used to but the impressions, the issues, the smells, the feelings and ethnic culture still influence my music together with my formative time in bands , as an actor in avante garde/political theatre and as a violinist in the Australian Youth Orchestra.