Rhian Sheehan

Rhian Sheehan is a New Zealand composer and producer born in Nelson and now based in Wellington.

Career

Sheehan released his debut album Paradigm Shift in 2001. The album was released in the U.K almost two years later in 2003, and received praise from music critics. Sheehan was named "The Next Big Thing" in 2004 by U.K's Future Music Magazine. He has since released five albums and two EP's. His 2009 album Standing in Silence, 2011 EP Seven Tales of The North Wind and 2013's long player Stories From Elsewhere are a step away from his earlier ‘electronica' work into more of a shoegaze and post-rock ambient experimental direction.

Sheehan’s work has featured on variety of CD compilations, most notably the multi-platinum selling Cafe del Mar CD compilations (vol 10 & 11). Sheehan has also written music that has appeared regularly on UK BBC television programming, including the top rating Top Gear, as well as The Discovery Channel and the National Geographic channel. His music has also been heard in a variety of advertising, having written music for Google, Facebook, Nike and GoPro. In 2009 he composed the soundtrack to the British National Space Centre's We Are Astronomers, a 360° Full Dome Film (narrated by Doctor Who's David Tennant), and has been seen by an estimated one million people. In 2009 Sheehan composed the score to the 13 part prime-time TV Drama series The Cult, (for which he was awarded a Qantas Film & TV Award for best original score) and the Emmy Award winning series Reservoir Hill. [1] In 2012 Sheehan wrote the score for the UK 3D Planetarium documentary film "We Are Aliens" (narrated by Rupert Grint of Harry Potter Fame).

In July 2012 Japan's Preco Records released his most recent albums "Standing in Silence" & "Seven Tales of The North Wind" together as a limited edition double box-set that includes bonus material, including the remix of "Borrowing The Past" by American post-rock ambient luminaries "Hammock (band)".

In March 2013 American label Darla Records released Stories From Elsewhere. The album was also released in Japan by Preco Records, and in New Zealand and Australia by LOOP Recordings.

In October 2013 Sheehan completed writing the soundtrack to the US and UK produced Planetarium Fulldome Film Back To The Moon For Good. Commissioned by XPRIZE, The film is narrated by Tim Allen (Toy Story, Galaxy Quest). The 25-minute digital film highlights the history of exploring the moon and provides an insider's look at the teams vying for the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE, the largest incentivized prize in history. The film was produced by the UK National Space Centre, XPRIZE, and Robert K. Weiss (The Blues Brothers, Naked Gun).

In July 2015 Sheehan completed writing and producing the orchestral soundtrack for the UK produced 3D Planetarium Fulldome Film "We Are Stars" (narrated by Andy Serkis), for which Sheehan was awarded "Best Soundtrack" at The 2015 Fiske Fulldome Film Festival.

Album Discography

• Paradigm Shift (2001)
• Tiny Blue Biosphere (2004)
• Music for Nature Documentaries – remix album (2004)
• New Zealand Landscapes – Book/CD (2008)
• Standing in Silence (2009)
• Seven Tales of The North Wind - 7 track EP (2011)
• Stories From Elsewhere (2013)
• Live at The Wellington Opera House (2015)

Music Compilations featured on

• Café del Mar Vol.10 (Spain)
• Café del Mar Vol.11 (Spain)
• Barramundi – Together Vol.4 (France)
• Pacific Hotel (France)
• The Sound of Dub (Germany)
• Turtle Bay Country Club presents - Love Factory (Germany)
• LOOP Select 05 (Australia)
• Love Parade (Germany)
• Trance Forward (UK)
• Zen 4 (AUS)
• Lazy Sunday Vol 5 (NZ)
• LOOP Select 01 (NZ)
• Radio Active 25 Silver selections (NZ)
• Alpine Unity - Passenger (NZ)
• The Telecom CD (NZ)
• LOOP Select 03 (NZ)
• LOOP Select 06 (NZ)
• Green Room 4 – Hope (NZ)
• Various - Nuclear Free Nation (NZ)
• Eco Zen 2 - VA (Aus)
• Bridging The Pacific Vol 1 - VA (AUS)
• Festivus - VA (AUS)
• Silent Ballet - Volume XI: Wenn Ich Ein Eisbär Wäre (US)
• LOOP Select - KONO 02 (NZ)
• For Nihon (US) - V/A
• Ministry Of Sound Hed Kandi: Winter Chill - V/A (UK)
• Little Darla Has A Treat For You, Vol. 28 - V/A (US)

Also appears on the albums

• Applescal – For (2015)
• Jakob – Sines (2014)
• Helios – Remixed (2012)
• The Blush Response – Love Electric (2011)
• Raashi Malik – Self-titled EP (2010)
• Rosy Tin Teacaddy – The Homeward Stretch (2009)
• Rhombus – Onwards (Remixes & Archives) (2008)
• Richard Nunns & Hirini Melbourne - Te Ku Te Whe Remixed (2006)
• Antix – Twin Coast Discovery Remixes (2006)
• Antix – Twin Coast Discovery (2005)
• Module – Remarkable Engines (2006)
• The Nomad – Step 4th (2003)
• The Black Seeds – Pushed (2002)

Awards and nominations

• Winner "Best Soundtrack" Fiske Fulldome Film Festival (2015)
• Winner "Best Original Score" Qantas Film and Television Awards (2010)
• Finalist "Best Live Performance" Wellingtonista Awards (2009)
• Finalist "Best Animated Video" Animate Festival 2009 official selection (Director) for "Standing in Silence Pt3" (2009)
• Finalist "Best Electronic Album" at the bNet New Zealand Music Awards (2005)
• Finalist "Most Outstanding Musician" at the bNet New Zealand Music Awards (2005)
• Winner "Best Animated Video" Young Guns International Video Awards (2004)
• Runner up "Best Video" Handle the Jandal Music Video Awards for "An Afternoon on the Moon" (2003)
• Winner "Best Video" Handle the Jandal Music Video Awards for "Waiting" (2002)
• Finalist "Best Electronica Album" at the bNet New Zealand Music Awards (2002)
• Finalist "Best Electronica Album" at the New Zealand Music Awards (2002)

Film & TV Soundtracks

• We Are Stars - 3D Planetarium Dome Film (UK 2015)
• Belief: The Possession Of Janet Moses - Feature Film Documentary (NZ 2015)
• The Day That Changed My Life - Documentary (NZ 2015)
• L.A.91 - Short film (US 2015)
• Similo - Short film (Spain 2014)
• Back To The Moon For Good - Planetarium Dome Film (US 2013)
• Holding The Sun - Short film (NZ 2013)
• Naked Castaway – The Discovery Channel (US 2013)
• We Are Aliens - 3D Planetarium Dome Film (UK 2012)
• Cell, Cell, Cell - 3D Planetarium Dome Film (UK 2012)
• Siege - Film (NZ 2012)
• Geoff Duke - In Pursuit of Perfection – Documentary (UK 2012)
• Abiogenesis – Short film (NZ 2011)
• In Safe Hands – Short film (NZ 2011)
• The Banker, The Escorts and The $18 Million - Documentary (NZ 2011)
• Day Trip – short film (NZ 2010)
• Journey of Contrasts - 3D Planetarium Dome Film (UK 2010)
• Top Gear - Great Adventures 3 (UK 2010)
• Reservoir Hill – Series 2 (2010)
• Reservoir Hill – Series 1 (2009)
• We Are Astronomers – Planetarium Dome Film (UK 2009)
• The Cult – 13 part TV series (2009)[2]
• Huloo - Documentary (NZ 2008)
• Welcome home – Short film (NZ 2006)
• The Sunshine Man – Short film (NZ 2005)

Trivia

Rhian Sheehan appears in the final scene of James Cameron's film Avatar as a military engineer (dressed in red). The scene was filmed in Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand, in the same suburb Rhian lives.

Rhian is the nephew of New Zealand photographer Laurence Aberhart and the son of travel and landscape photographer/publisher Grant Sheehan

External links

• Rhian Sheehan on last fm
• Rhian Sheehan's official website