Ben St Lucian - composer, moving round in the control room of Film Sonic studios

Australian film composer Ben St Lucian Chase continues his cinematic journey crafting evocative scores that resonate deeply with audiences.  His filmic career took off with award winning projects such as “Violett” (2023), “Brush with Death” (2017) and “God Squad” (2014), where his music added layers of emotion to the storytelling.  At the core of his work lies his ability to blend hybrid orchestral music with contemporary sounds to create cinematic works to vision.

Film Sonic – Purpose Built Studio

In 2010 Ben St Lucian established a purpose-built studio with 7.1.4 immersive monitoring and a full suite of analog and digital processing. Here he operates under the business name Film Sonic as well as the music label “Rebel Bard Records” 

Feature Films

Ben St Lucian began working with director Steven J Mihaljevich in 2020, doing the mix and sound design on “the Xrossing” feature film. New sounds and audio gear were introduced to accommodate film mixing in immersive Atmos surround and music mastering.

When a film score opportunity comes along, the other projects have to take a back seat, whilst the film runs its course. 

In 2022, such an offer arrived: to compose for the full length feature film “Violett” with director and co-composer Steve Mihaljevich. The score to “Violett ” is haunting and evocative, encapsulating the film’s tense and eerie atmosphere. Dissonant chords and minimalist piano motifs echo the film’s themes of paranoia and isolation. The score is pivotal in guiding the audience through the film’s chilling narrative, enhancing the emotional depth of the characters’ experiences and the unsettling nature of the story’s progression. 

“Violett” was completed in late 2023, along with a major overhaul of Ben’s composing rig and studio at Film Sonic. 

From Theatre to Film

Let’s rewind to the late 1980s, where Ben St Lucian’s musical career began in the performing arts:

  • Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, Fremantle Western Australia (1987 – 1991)
    • “Singa the Lion
    • “Crash Bang Wollop”.
    • Play a Tune for me (performer only)
  • Nexus Dance Group’s Rhythmic Canvas (1992)
    • “My Dinosaurs,”
  • WA Youth Theatre Company’s 
    • “ Mad Forest”

Short Form and Series

Ben St Lucian’s contributions to the world of dramas include scores for critically acclaimed films, where his ability to convey the nuances of complex emotions through music has earned him accolades and a loyal following.

  • “An Artists Curse” (2024) directed by Steven Mihaljevich, is currently doing the festival circuit around the world with great accolades.
  • “Gifted Thumbs” with director Peter Templeman
  • Short Films: Julian Argus’s “Abandon” and Randal Lynton’s “Ransis and Alee” 
  •  “Control Down” Working with Soundstage Australia
  • Animation Scores: With David Downie’s cult cartoon “Sick Dog” and “Hansard” series on SBS
  • Dreamtime Stories (2006): animation series on ABC

Documentary Soundscapes:

  • “Vegiwars” 
  • “7 Days”
  • “Try it for Five”
  •  “Brush With Death” (2017): Award winning true story about overcoming the obstacles associated with a lifelong disability

Commercials

Early in his career, BenSt Lucian’s foray into the realm of commercials saw him create memorable jingles and background scores that elevate brand narratives to new heights.  With a knack for capturing the perfect tone for any project, his compositions for commercials are both iconic and effective, leaving a lasting impression on viewers and elevating brand narratives. Examples include the following:

  • FatCat to Bed: Children’s bedtime jingle
  • Scitech’s “Who Dunnit”
  • Lotto’s “It’s lotto time”
  • Mazda’s “Parkie” and “Brightie”: the heartbeat of Mazda’s well-known commercials

Animations

  • Crewjo’s “CharlieGribble” (2010)
  • Zactoons’ “Des Demona” Series (2013)
  • “God Squad” (2015): Edgy and cult-worthy adult comedy animation series. Awarded Ben two WA Screen Awards, best music and best sound for shortform in 2015

Bands and Projects

As a keyboard player since his teens, Ben St Lucian’s music had its roots in the vibrant Perth band scene. He collaborated with various artists to create a fusion of sounds that became the hallmark of his early career.

  • The Vajatones (1982 – 1986): Punk roots
  • Existence (1986 – 1991: Alternative rock
  • Core Element (1996 – 2003) – Alt Electronica
  • Leftwood (1999 to present): Ben’s solo project, a canvas for alternate acoustic to progressive rock with guest performers such as Paul Wosseen, Carl Holroyd, Daniel Susnjar, Simon Blake and Malcolm McKintosh.
  • Myriad and Pollster (2002 – 2004) : Alt Hip-hop meets soul funk
  • Tribal Jury (1995 – 2015): World jazz fusion
  • Smo King Motor (2002 – 2006: Guitars blazed, drums thundered. Rock ‘n’ roll swaggered through smoke-filled rooms.
  • Astronaut (2004 – 2007): In 2004, Ben boarded a cosmic ship and joined Astronaut with Lee Jones and Rhys Watson. Their album, “This is my Lazer Gun,” launched into orbit in 2006.
  • Electric Tramps (2002-2004): new aged rock.
  • Minds of Sonic Design (mos-d) (1996 to present): Electronic, eclectic and alternative solo tracks and collaborations with James Twentyman (fellow member of Smo King Motor), Kody Ponds, Riyaana Harman
  • The Wildings (2018 to present): Keyboards and backing vocals in the house band for a live music recording show called “Live at Central Beat” directed by Pat OConnor (fellow member of The Vajatones and Existence). Collaborating with artists such as Carl Holroyd, Ziggy Atwell, Nick Wilding, Kevin James, Ric Spencer, Dan Taylor, Wayne Green, Chris Baker, Scott Aitkin, Lauralee Faith and Lee Sapho.

Leftwood

The latent alternate music “baby project” of Bens, “Leftwood” has been a long time in the making. Yet has brought Ben some of the most joy in making. Bringing in various artists such as James Twentyman and bassists Paul Woseen, Carl Holroyd. Guitarists Malcolm Mackintosh and Simon Blake and the awesome drumming of Daniel Susnjar to play on album 1 “Break This Silence” (rerelease) and new album 2 for a planned Leftwood release in late 2024.

Musical Collaborations

Beyond his own compositions, Ben St Lucian has produced music for a plethora of artists, helping them realise their vision.  During the years spanning 1994 to 2009 under the business name of “Ben Chase Productions”, Ben St Lucian wove a rich tapestry of musical collaborations with diverse artists…

Dean Anderson (fellow member of Electric Tramps), James Twentyman, Trilby Temperley and Paradigm Shift, Samantha Jade. Rachael Claudio, Cleone Wotten, Samanta Ray, Ebonnie, Eva Moyle, Wesley Fuller,  Nick Reid, Tony Pace, Jay Winter, Lee Jones, Paul Black and Seychelles artist Sonny Morgan, Paul Woseen (Screaming Jets), Riyaana Harman (fellow member of Myriad and Pollster), Matt Branton, Jade Crompton, Dave McKinney (Flow Dynamics/Rhibosome), Danny Susnjar, Vince Linardi, Daniel Susnjar.

Albums

  1. “Break This Silence” (Re-release coming in late 2024)
    • A timeless collection of melodies with their own hidden narratives.
  2. New Album
    • Leftwood prepares for its second album. Scheduled for release in late 2024

Ongoing Journey

Ben St Lucian Chase’s career is a testament to his versatility and dedication to the craft of music composition, making him a distinguished figure in the Australian music and film industry.

He is currently working on a new film score for a full feature to be released this Christmas 2024.