Ollie Olsen 1958-2024

November 8, 2024 8:34 AM

Ollie Olsen, visionary Australian post-punk and electronic music innovator, died on 16 October aged 66. Best known for his collaborations with the late Michael Hutchence of INXS, he made an extraordinary contribution to the Australian music scene and in particular its more avant-garde corners. ABC obituary, Guardian obituary, Ollie’s instagram, Wikipedia, Video memorial by Richard Lowenstein.

And now for some music:

The Young Charlatans - Shivers 1978 (best known as the song that propelled the Boys Next Door [later known as The Birthday Party] to fame)

Whirlywirld – Window to the World 1979

Whirlywirld – Signal 1979

Hugo Klang – Beast of Fat 1982

Orchestra of Skin and Bone – Deadeyes 1986

Michael Hutchence – Rooms for the Memory 1986 (written by Ollie Olsen for the Dogs in Space soundtrack, which he also produced)

Marie Hoy, Ollie Olsen and friends – Shivers 1986 (also from Dogs in Space)

NO – Glory 1987

Max Q – Way of the World 1989

Shaolin Wooden Men – Are You Ready to Go? 1995

Antediluvian Rocking Horse - Rigorous Doughnut 1995

Psyko Disko - Kondativita 1997

Primitive Ghost – Skin 1998

Ollie Olsen – Vanish from This State of Whatever 2011

Taipan Tiger Girls - Live At The Melbourne Town Hall 2017 (full live album set)

Ollie’s youtube channel

posted by goo (9 comments total)

.
posted by limeonaire at 10:24 AM on November 8

.
posted by HearHere at 12:04 PM on November 8

Way of the World
"those who govern hold the gun to your head with religions, corporations, proud of the blood they've shed. whether it's god or the bomb it's just the same".

Still fits pretty well today.

RIP.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:44 PM on November 8 [4 favorites]

.

An underappreciated giant! The Orchestra of Skin & Bone LP is an all-time forgotten classic. My now unplayable copy of Hugo Klang's "the Final Akt" is still a prized part of my collection.
posted by remembrancer at 3:31 PM on November 8 [1 favorite]

additional note: Ollie's longtime collaborator and all-around fabulous talent John Murphy passed away in 2015.
posted by remembrancer at 3:34 PM on November 8 [1 favorite]

I could highly recommend Dogs in Space (1986 film) as the most accurate depiction of growing up in the late 70s punk/post-punk era, except it might be hard to find these days.
posted by ovvl at 4:02 PM on November 8 [3 favorites]

Ollie Olsen's "Win/Lose" from the soundtrack to Dogs in Space is great.
posted by mydonkeybenjamin at 9:51 PM on November 8 [1 favorite]

.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:24 PM on November 9

Vale Ollie

Also his PsyHarmonics record label and Psychic Harmony club night very important for Melbourne / Australia techno and trance music.
posted by zog at 4:54 AM on November 11 [1 favorite]