MADS DAVEY
Composer//Instrumentalist//Vocalist
Mads Davey is a composer, instrumentalist and vocalist with a focus on analogue synthesis. Mads formally studied composition at Victorian College of the Arts, where she honed her craft writing for orchestras, string quartets and various other ensembles, before delving deep into the world of analogue synthesis.
In her work Mads explores a widened centre of pitch, harmony and dissonance. Her arrangements contrast old and new worlds, pairing traditional analogue instruments, like pedal organs, woodwind or strings with 20th century analogue synthesizers.
As a composer she has written for TV, film, theater, dance, installations and arts festival commissions, and permanent artworks.
Mads is one third of composer collective STATHIS//DAVEY//KIM, who create large scale site-specific installations and live performance works. STATHIS//DAVEY//KIM major works include ‘All Mountains Moved’ for the MESS Synthesizer Orchestra and Melbourne Town Hall Grand Organ. ‘All Mountains Moved’ premiered at Now Or Never Festival in 2023. ‘Chairway to Heaven’ a symphony in the sky, of 20 moving voices on a chairlift, which premiered at Mona Foma 2021. ‘Hypnos Cave’ with Robin Fox and Soma Lumia. Hypnos cave was a psychedelic sound and light work, which premiered in 2020. The current work in development is A Fleeting Chorus, A multi-channel composition, carried by a fleet of boats across the Yarra.
As a performer, Mads leads experimental electronic art-rock duo Warplane and performs in experimental analogue synth trio SDK. As a keyboardist and backing vocalist Mads has toured and/or recorded for various Australian artists including Ella Hooper, Gena Rose Bruce, Single Twin, The Verses and more. Mads has toured in support of international artists such as Fleetwood Mac, The Counting Crows, Sarah McLaughlin and others.
Mads is member of new project Golden Sands Ensemble, which features Madeleine Flynn, Biddy Conner, Pru Rees-Lee, Sooji Kim and Kat Stathis. Golden Sands is an Electro Acoustic ensemble, featuring analogue synthesizers, strings, flute, bowed saw, and many other instruments.
Mads is also a Member of the MESS Synthesizer Orchestra, and performed in the debut performance of Mat Watson’s Magnitudes at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in 2021.
Image by Kylie Coutts 2019