Career
Messenger has released three albums, with songs from those albums appearing on several compilation albums, including Pure Chill Out (2002) which debuted at No. 19 on the U.S. Billboard Top Electronic Albums Chart. [4]
Messenger's songs have also had television placements in ABC's Miss South Sudan Australia, Bad Girls Club, and Thomas Banks: Quest for Love. [5]
In 2006 The New York Times’ listed Messengers' song “Look Up, Look Down” as being included on the Top 5 playlists of songs heard in U.S. Restaurants. [6]
Messenger has performed at Australian venues including: Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne Recital Centre, Montsalvat, Paris Cat Jazz Club, The Vanguard and The Basement. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
Messenger has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, [12] Alexis Bistro Ampang in Malaysia, [13] Burg Wilhelmstein with Manfred Leuchter, and on the Midnight Sun Train across Finland with Iiro Rantala. [14]
Messenger has performed as a session singer for artists Manfred Leuchter and Geoff Kluke and the Changes. [15] [16]
As a producer, Messenger remixed Australian band, Not Drowning, Waving’s song “Palau” for the Sonic Maps EP. [17]
Messenger's works “Myamisumi,” “Glitter” “Lover Come Back” and “Stripped” have been remixed by producers Razoof, Rubbasol, Salz, Mod X, Charly H. Fox, Raubrec Team, Chris B, Peter Haze, and The Icons South Beach. [18] [19] [20] [21]
Ferry Corsten released a remix album of Twice in a Blue Moon , including the track co-written by Messenger, Black Velvet which was remixed by DJ Mind & Jerry Ropero. [22]
German electronic music magazine, GROOVE has written about and reviewed Salz's remix of Messenger's “Myamisumi” and “Lover Come Back” as well as her collaborations with Whirlpool Productions and Marcus Worgull. [23] [24] [25] Groove commented that “Julia sings into your heart and mine, truthfully so lovingly it rivals that of singer Nicolette.” [26]
Sue Wilson of The Scotsman has written of Messenger's vocal talent: "…through the full spectrum, from fragile candied sweetness to a scorching soul-diva holler – echos of Mouth Music, Annie Lennox, Horse, Sinéad O'Connor…". [27]
Messenger is featured and interviewed in the book "A Singers Companion: Personal Wisdom from the Global Music Industry" by Australian singer Christine Sullivan and Monika Roleff, sharing experiences and guidance as an international musician. [28]
Collaborations
As vocalist and composer, Messenger has collaborated on many works with Klaus Schulze, a German composer and musician. [29] The significance of her collaborations with Schulze are widely acknowledged and referenced in reviews internationally. [30] [31] [32] [33]
Klaus Schulze released limited box set editions of non-album material, of which Messenger collaborated on Contemporary Works I as a composer and featured vocalist, and Contemporary Works II as a featured vocalist. [3] [34]
| Work | CD | Title | Role/s |
|---|
| Contemporary Works I | CD #2: The Crime of Suspense | Good Old 4 on the Floor | Composer, Vocalist |
| Overchill | Composer, Vocalist |
| CD #8: Ballett 3 | My Ty She | Composer, Vocalist |
| CD #10: Adds & Edits | Vox ‘N’ Harmony | Composer, Vocalist |
| Contemporary Works II | CD #1: Virtual Outback | | Vocalist |
| CD #2: Timbres of Ice | | Vocalist |
| CD #3: Another Green Mile | | Vocalist |
| CD #4: Androgyn | | Vocalist |
| CD #5: Cocooning | | Vocalist |
Greg Allen's book, “Klaus Schulze, Electronic Music Legend,” features Messenger as a collaborator of Schulze, writing about her compositions and performances as well as interviewing her regarding “The Crime of Suspense” of which she co-wrote two compositions and was featured as a vocalist. [34] [35] Allen comments on her performance of "Overchill" stating, "Julia Messenger and Thomas and Kagermann are both very creative and spirited musicians... adding a stunning new dimension to Klaus’s music." In writing about the title "My Ty She" Allen states, "The combination of your (Thomas Kagermann) ethereal vocals with Julia‘s makes it an extraordinary work." [36]
Messenger's collaborations with Schulze's from Contemporary Works I and Contemporary Works II were re-released as independent albums under different record labels. [37] [38] [3]
| Year | Album | Labels |
|---|
| 2006 | The Crime of Suspense | Revisted Records (SPV GmbH) |
| 2007 | Ballett 3 | Revisted Records (SPV GmbH) |
| 2008 | Virtual Outback | Revisted Records (SPV GmbH) |
| 2016 | Another Green Mile | MIG Music |
| 2017 | Androgyn | MIG Music |
|
| 2018 | Cocooning | MIG Music |
| 2019 | Timbres of Ice | MIG Music |
Messenger also collaborated as a composer of “KS/Jay M.D” from Essential Edits Promo (2000) and performed as a vocalist on Shadowlands (2013), alongside Lisa Gerrard and Crysta Bell. [39] [40]
