François Tétaz

François Tétaz
Background information
Born1971 (age 54–55)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genrespop, experimental, classical, world music, industrial, electronic, rock
InstrumentsPercussion, Violin
Years active1992–present
LabelsSony/ATV, Rubber Records

François "Franç" Tétaz (born 1971) is an Australian film composer, music producer, and mixer. Early in his career, he was a member of the band Shinjuku Thief.

As a producer he has worked with Gotye, Kimbra, Architecture in Helsinki, Lior, and Bertie Blackman. He won an ARIA for his work on Gotye's Making Mirrors album in 2011, and also won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for "Somebody That I Used to Know" (Gotye, featuring Kimbra) in 2013.

Early life and education

François Tétaz was born in Australia in 1971, a second-generation Australian of French Swiss descent.[1]

He attended Geelong Grammar School, graduating in 1988.[2][3] After finishing school, he did not study music formally at university, but chose his own teachers, including Graeme Leak, who was artist in residence at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music at the time.[1] He initially focused on violin and percussion.[4]

Career

In 1992, François Tétaz, along with Charles Tétaz and Darrin Verhagen, formed Shinjuku Thief, a Melbourne-based industrial and experimental music group.[5] They released four albums by 1995, and Verhagen continued to use the moniker for his further projects.[6]

Tétaz released a solo album in 1997.[1] In his early twenties, Tétaz scored student short films, and tried his hand at writing songs. After writing and producing music for some years, he moved on to mastering in his mid-twenties.[7][1] In 1998 he set up his own studio[1] in an old chocolate factory in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Richmond,[4] which became Moose Mastering, where he was able to "do all the different things I wanted to do with my own music, and also mix and master other people's projects".[1][7][4]

In 2003 he composed and was sound designer on a dance work by Chunky Move with Lucy Guerin, Michael Kantor, and Gideon Obarzanek called Tense Dave, which won the 2005 Bessie Award for Outstanding Choreography/Creation.[8] He has also composed other works for Chunky Move[9] and Guerin.[10] In 2004, he composed the score for the film Thunderstruck.[11]

Tétaz has written and/or produced music for several installations by Australian multi-media artist Patricia Piccinini, including her work titled We Are Family, exhibited at the 2003 Venice Biennale.[12] He also wrote soundscapes for her 2009 installation Perhaps the World is Fine Tonight[13] and her diorama The peace between lightning and thunder, which was installed at QAGOMA in Brisbane in 2018.[14]

He composed the score for the 2005 horror film Wolf Creek,[4] which won the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) / Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) 2006 Feature Film Score of the Year Award.[15] He did some mixing on American rapper Kool Keith's 2006 album The Return of Dr. Octagon.[16]

In his music making, Tétaz has been influenced by the work of two neuroscientists, Daniel Levitin (This Is Your Brain On Music, 2006) and David Huron (Sweet Anticipation: Music And The Psychology Of Expectation, 2006).[1] He has worked extensively with his friend audio mastering engineer Lachlan Carrick, who works as a producer with electronica outfit Velure.[4][17] In 2007 Tétaz and Carrick remastered The Triffids' 2007 album Calenture.[18]

Tétaz has collaborated extensively with Lior. He produced and co-wrote Lior's 2008 studio album Corner of an Endless Road, arranging Lior's songs for various instruments and voices.[4][19] He collaborated on the Lior song "Safety of Distance", which was performed at the ANZAC Centenary dawn service at Gallipoli.[20]

He scored Nash Edgerton's debut feature The Square (2008), which also incorporates songs by Ben Lee.[4] He scored Luke Doolan's short film Miracle Fish (2009),[21] and in 2012 scored the music for Underground: The Julian Assange Story,[22] which was nominated for Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie in the APRA Music Awards of 2013.[23]

Wally De Backer (Gotye) and Tétaz worked together on the Gotye albums Like Drawing Blood (2006)[1] and Making Mirrors (2011). It was Tétaz who suggested Kimbra for the song Somebody That I Used to Know,[24] which was produced by De Backer and engineered and mixed by De Backer and Tétaz. Tétaz won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 55th annual Grammy Awards for the song,[25] and it was voted number one in the triple j Hottest 100 for 2011. Also in 2011, he produced Moment Bends for Architecture in Helsinki, which was released in April 2011. The album was reposted on Double J as a "Classic Album" in November 2021.[26] Tétaz wrote, produced, or mixed a total of seven songs in the triple j Hottest 100 for 2011 (announced 26 January 2012), including the number one that year, "Somebody That I Used to Know".[27]

In 2009 he collaborated with Bertie Blackman on her third album, Secrets and Lies,[28] and in 2012 co-wrote and produced Bertie Blackman's her fourth studio album, Pope Innocent X.[29]

In August 2012, he moved to Los Angeles and started working in a studio there, which included work with Australian artists who came over to work with him. In 2013, he worked with Spiderbait on a new album, which was recorded in Australia.[7] In 2013-14 he co-produced Architecture in Helsinki's final studio album, Now + 4eva.[30] Also in 2013 and 2014, Tetaz collaborated with American musician Lo-Fang on his album Blue Film.[31][32][33] Later in 2014, he co-produced the track in which Lo-Fang provides the vocals, for a "mini film" advertisement for Chanel No. 5 by Baz Luhrmann. Lo-Fang sings a cover rendition of "You're the One that I Want", the classic from the 1978 film Grease.[34]

Tétaz wrote the score for the 2024 film The Surfer, starring Nicholas Cage, which was ARIA-nominated. The US music and entertainment magazine Paste compared it to a score by the famous Italian composer Ennio Morricone, calling it a "terrific score [that] carries strains of Morricone in its mythic propulsion".[2]

Working with Lachlan Carrick, Tetaz produced some of the tracks for the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann's 2022 Elvis,[35][17] for which he was nominated for a Grammy as music producer.[36] Among others, he worked on "Power of My Love", a duet with Jack White and Elvis Presley.[2] Carrick and Tétaz are credited as mastering engineers on "Vegas" by Doja Cat, which samples the song "Hound Dog".[37]

Tétaz created the score for the 2026 Netflix TV series of My Brilliant Career.[38][39] On the same day as the release of the series, 13 August 2026, two soundtracks were released; one of these was the 31-track soundtrack credited to Tétaz, with many of the tracks featuring Molly Lewis.[40] Tétaz created the score, which was recorded at SynthTemple in Melbourne, featuring Lewis whistling and Kate Miller-Heidke on vocals, along with musicians Luke Carbon and Melina van Leeuwen playing a large number of instruments between them.[41]

Also in 2026, he co-produced, with Luke Howard, the EP Way of the World by the Australian singer Tina Arena, also recorded at SynthTemple. The record includes covers of songs by artists such as New Order, Max Q, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, and Frank Ocean, using orchestral arrangements, prepared piano, analogue synthesisers, and digital layers.[42]

Other activities

Tétaz has been a member of APRA AMCOS since 1992, and as of 2025 is an ambassador for the organisation.[20]

On 30 September 2025, he appeared by videolink before the Australian Parliament's Environment and Communications References Committee on National Cultural Policy, along with Adam Briggs, Paul Dempsey, Holly Rankin (aka Jack River), and Daniel McNamee. The Committee comprised Senators Varun Ghosh, Sarah Henderson, and David Pocock. The musicians urged the government to respect the intellectual property of musicians and other creatives and protect it against theft by AI by strengthening the Copyright Act 1968. Tetaz had previously had a meeting with (Arts Minister) Tony Burke about the topic of the theft of intellectual property.[20]

Recognition and awards

The soundtrack for Thunderstruck, which Tétaz composed with David Thrussell, was nominated for the AFI Award for Best Original Music Score in the 2004 Australian Film Institute Awards.[11]

Tétaz was nominated for the AFI Award for Best Original Music Score in the 2005 AFI Awards for the Wolf Creek soundtrack,[43] and, along with Ben Lee, was nominated in the same category for The Square in the 2008 AFI Awards.[44]

In the APRA Music Awards of 2009, Lior and Tétaz were nominated for the Blues & Roots Work of the Year award, for "Heal Me".[45]

In the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in 2013, "Somebody That I Used to Know" won Record Of The Year, with credits to Wally De Backer (Gotye) as producer; De Backer & Tétaz as engineers/mixers, and William Bowden, mastering engineer. The song also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance as performed by Gotye and Kimbra.[46] Making Mirrors took home the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, with Gotye credited as producer and Tetaz as engineer/mixer.[47]

The soundtrack of Underground: The Julian Assange Story was nominated for Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie in the APRA Music Awards of 2013.[23]

Tétaz was a guest presenter at the 2019 APRA Music Awards, along with Tina Arena, Briggs, Tim Rogers, Megan Washington, G Flip, and others.[48]

Tetaz' score for the 2019 film Judy and Punch won the AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score[49] as well as Best Soundtrack Album in the APRA Music Awards of 2020.[50][51]

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2006 Wolf Creek (soundtrack) Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album Nominated [52][15]
2011 François Tétaz for "Somebody That I Used to Know", by Gotye featuring Kimbra Engineer of the Year Won [53]
2012 François Tétaz for "Making Mirrors", by Gotye Engineer of the Year Won [54]
2025 The Surfer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album Nominated [55][2]

Personal life

Tétaz has three daughters.[20]

In August 2012, he moved to Los Angeles and started working in a studio there.[7] As of 2025 he lives in Melbourne.[20]

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected details
Title Details
The Motionless World of Time Between
  • Released: 1997
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Dorobo (DOROBO 014)
Beautiful Cyborg
(with Philip Brophy & Darrin Verhagen)
  • Released: 2002
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Sound Punch Records (HURT-04)
Under the Radar (Original Motion Picture Score)
(with David Thrussell)
  • Released: 2004
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Mana Music (CD20020)
Thunderstruck (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  • Released: 2004
  • Format: promo CD (four tracks also on various artists commercial CD)
  • Label: Shock (20019)
Wolf Creek (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  • Released: 2005
  • Format: CD and MP3
  • Label: Rubber Records (RUB214)
Rogue (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  • Released: 2007
  • Format: CD and MP3
  • Label: Rubber Records (RUB238)
Judy and Punch (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  • Released: 2020
  • Format: LP and MP3
  • Label: Rubber Records (RUB3--)
The Surfer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  • Released: May 2025
  • Label: Rubber Records

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Tingen, Paul (July 2012). "Mixing Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used To Know'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "News of OGG - April 2026". The Old Geelong Grammarians Online Community. 24 April 2026. Archived from the original on 21 August 2026. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "Light Blue December 2012". Geelong Grammar School. December 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2026 – via Issuu.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tétaz, François (4 April 2008). "Storm the Studio: Francois Tetaz interview by Jon Tjhia". Cyclic Defrost (Interview). Interviewed by Tjhia, Jon. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara; Paul McHenry (2002) [1987]. "SHINJUKU THIEF". The Who's Who of Australian Rock. Noble Park, Vic.: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2010. Note: [on-line] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.
  6. ↑ "Shinjuku Thief Discography: Vinyl, CDs, & More". Discogs. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Tétaz, François (4 August 2013). "Gotye Engineer/Producer François Tétaz On Pursuing Weird & Wonderful Work". SonicScoop (Interview). Interviewed by Boddie, Bo. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Tense Dave 2003". Chunky Move Archive. 23 July 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Chunky Move". New York Public Library Research Catalog. 11 October 2001. Archived from the original on 22 August 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Dance Theater Workshop presents Lucy Guerin Company" (PDF). Dance Theater Workshop. 4 March 2003. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Winners & Nominees". AACTA. Archived from the original on 11 July 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Piccinini, Patricia (22 August 2026). "Patricia Piccinini" (Interview). Interviewed by King, Natalie. Ocula. Retrieved 22 August 2026. completely immersive sonic element, composed by Franc Tétaz(sic).
  13. ↑ Piccinini, Patricia (2009). "Essay". Patricia Piccinini. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "The peace between lightning and thunder: Watch as we install Patricia Piccinini's diorama". Queensland Art Gallery. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  15. 1 2 "APRA|AMCOS : 2006 Winners". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 26 April 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  16. ↑ "Dr. Octagon – The Return of Dr. Octagon – CD (Digipak, Album), 2006 [r1370572]". Discogs. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Melbourne studio features state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos set-up starring Neumann studio monitors". CX Network. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "The Triffids – Calenture – 2 x CD (Slipcase, Album, Reissue, Remastered), 2007 [r5318857]". Discogs. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Corner of an Endless Road - title version". NFSA. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "Environment and Communications References Committee - 30/09/2025 - National Cultural Policy". Parliament of Australia. Hansard Display. 30 September 2025. Archived from the original on 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Miracle Fish (S) (2009)". FilmAffinity. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  22. ↑ Jagernauth, Kevin (16 September 2012). "TIFF Review: 'Underground' A Lean, Compact Look At The Early Life Of Julian Assange". The Playlist. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  23. 1 2 "Screen Music Awards 2013". APRA AMCOS. 1 January 2013. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  24. ↑ Adams, Cameron (17 August 2011). "Gotye: Anatomy of a No.1 single". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  25. ↑ "55th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners". Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  26. ↑ Tran, Caz (15 November 2021). "Moment Bends was the album Architecture In Helsinki always wanted to make". Double J. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  27. ↑ "Hottest 100 Archive". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  28. ↑ Bertie Blackman. JPlay Profile (archived 2016)
  29. ↑ Smith, Michael (19 November 2014). "The Pop View". The Music. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  30. ↑ "Architecture In Helsinki Reveal New Album Release Details And Tour Dates ♫ Latest news at theMusic.com.au". The Music. 23 January 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  31. ↑ "Lo-Fang – Blue Film". Discogs. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  32. ↑ Adams, Gregory (12 November 2013). "Lo-Fang Reveals Debut LP for 4AD, Shares New Video │ Exclaim!". Exclaim! Media Inc. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  33. ↑ "Lo-Fang: Blue Film". Chaos & Croissants. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  34. ↑ "Peruvian Composer Sergio Díaz de Rojas collaborates with multi-instrumentalist Lo-Fang on new track". Nettwerk Music Group. 27 January 2023. Archived from the original on 13 May 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  35. ↑ Sandberg, Phil (27 October 2023). "'Elvis' Soundtrack Engineer Lachlan Carrick Monitors Atmos with Neumann". Content + Technology. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "Aussies and Kiwis figure in to 2023 Grammy Award nominations". APRA AMCOS. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  37. ↑ "Vegas" (From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ELVIS) on YouTube
  38. ↑ "'My Brilliant Career' Netflix Period Drama Series: Release Date, Cast, Plot & Everything We Know". What's on Netflix. 21 July 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  39. ↑ Buckmaster, Luke (12 August 2026). "My Brilliant Career review – Netflix's take on this Australian classic is sassy and steamy – but a tad syrupy". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  40. ↑ "'My Brilliant Career' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. 12 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  41. ↑ SynthTemple (14 August 2026). ""The soundtrack for the 6 part Netflix series, My Brilliant Career, is out this week. François Tétaz's beautifully crafted score captures the emotion, character and spirit of the reimagined series giving it its own distinctive musical voice. Recorded at SynthTemple and featured throughout the 6 episodes: Molly Lewis whistling; Kate Miller-Heidke vocals; Luke Carbon on the flute, piccolo, bass flute, oboe, cor anglais, Bb clarinet, Eb clarinet, bassoon and alto tenor and baritone saxophones; Melina van Leeuwen on her Lyon & Healy 2008 concert grand Salzedo harp..." Instagram. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  42. ↑ "Tina Arena announces covers EP 'Way of the World', shares 'True Faith'". The Music Network. 7 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  43. ↑ "Winners & Nominees". AACTA. Archived from the original on 2 July 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  44. ↑ "Winners & Nominees". AACTA. Archived from the original on 6 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  45. ↑ "APRA Music Awards 2009". APRA AMCOS. 24 March 2009. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  46. ↑ "55th Annual Grammy Awards 2013". Grammy. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  47. ↑ "Best Alternative Music Album 2013 Winners & Nominees". Grammy. 7 May 2026. Archived from the original on 31 July 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  48. ↑ Cashmere, Paul (30 April 2019). "Sarah Aarons wins Four APRA Awards The Complete Winners List". Noise11 Music News. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  49. ↑ "Winners & Nominees". AACTA. Archived from the original on 11 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  50. ↑ "Screen Music Awards: Full List of Winners & Nominees". APRA AMCOS Australia. 2020. Archived from the original on 27 December 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  51. ↑ "2020 Screen Music Awards winners announced". APRA AMCOS. 1 December 2020. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021.
  52. ↑ ARIA Award previous winners. "History Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  53. ↑ "2011 ARIA Awards Winners". ARIA. Archived from the original on 11 June 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  54. ↑ "2012 ARIA Awards Winners". ARIA. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  55. ↑ "ARIA Award nominations 2025: Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla, Amyl & The Sniffers lead the pack". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
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