Moutaiz Al-Obaidi, known professionally as Motez, is an Australian record producer, musician, installation artist and DJ. Motez was a refugee born in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

and moved to

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

in 2006. Motez's Song "The Future" featuring

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

was certified Platinum in Australia. He has won several South Australian Music Awards for Best Solo Artist (2021) and Most Popular Electronic Artist (2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021)

Touring

Motez has performed at many festivals including:

Splendour in the Grass Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...

Falls Festival Falls Music & Arts Festival (commonly known as Falls) is a multi-day music festival held annually in Byron Bay (New South Wales) and Fremantle (Western Australia), Australia over the New Year's Eve and January period. The festival hosts contem ...

, Warehouse Project and

Electric Forest Festival Electric Forest is a multi-genre music festival produced by Madison House Presents and Insomniac Events, with a focus on electronic music and jam band genres. Originally named Rothbury Festival in 2008, it is held in Rothbury, Michigan at ...

. He embarked on his own headline tour in 2017 with Tigerilla and Mickey Kojak as supports.

Soulitude

In the wake of lockdown restrictions and the cancelation of live events due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Motez released an introspective, ambient EP called Soulitude which was conceived as a "response to the global mindset of isolation". The project was touted as a "raw, minimal and emotive ambient work, encompassing his own experiences and the natural human responses to seclusion." To commemorate the release of Soulitude, Motez played and recorded a live set of the entire EP in Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia which was streamed online through United We Stream, the event was a set up to raise funds for Support Act. and garnered over 25,000 plays in the first day and won Best Video and Best Release at the 2020 SA Music Awards.

Coalesce

In 2023, Motez released the EP 'Coalesce', dubbed as a collaborative audio-visual project with multi-disciplinary Australian artist Dave Court and features the likes of

Elsy Wameyo Elsy Wameyo, also known as ELSY, is a Kenyan Australian singer-songwriter and rapper, whose style ranges from hip hop to the fusion of traditional African music with contemporary rap and R&B. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Wameyo was awarde ...

and DOOLIE. Inspired by the imagery of a crumbling city, Motez envisioned a surreal landscape for the EP's seven tracks. The visual companion set in an imaginary realm called the "hypercube," where the essence of "Coalesce" converges. Blurring the lines between the physical and virtual realms, the aim was to dissolve boundaries and merge tangible elements with digital art, infusing warmth into traditionally industrial sounds. Drawing inspiration from Marshall McLuhan's "The Medium is the Massage," the project emphasizes the significance of the creative process in art and music, reflecting on societal and philosophical implications amidst technological advancements. The video for Coalesce's lead single 'Make Way' featuring Elsy Waymeyo, directed by Court, was included in

RAGE Rage may refer to: * Rage (emotion), an intense form of anger Games * Rage (collectible card game), a collectible card game * Rage (trick-taking card game), a commercial variant of the card game Oh Hell * ''Rage'' (video game), a 2011 first- ...

's top 50 videos of 2023.

Live Show

Motez debuted his live show at

Womad WOMAD ( ; World of Music, Arts and Dance) is an international arts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance. History WOMAD was founded in 1980 by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, w ...

Festival on March 12, 2022. The show featured live instrumentation by string and brass sections, kids' choir as well as guest vocalists including

George Alice Georgia Mannion (born 25 March 2003), known professionally as George Alice, is an Australian singer-songwriter. In 2019, Mannion released her debut single "Circles", for which she won Triple J's Unearthed High competition. Early life and educ ...

. The show was subsequently broadcast on

Triple J Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...

as part of their 'Live at the Wireless' series which aired in May 2022. The show was dubbed as "a spectacular combination of powerful dance beats with a stunning light show" by ''

The AU Review Larry Heath is an Australian publisher, events organiser, and entrepreneur. He is the founder-owner of Heath Media, which publishes online magazine ''The AU Review'' and hosts the National Live Music Awards. Heath is associate producer at Soun ...

''. In an interview with

Roland Roland (; ; or ''Rotholandus''; or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was mil ...

, Motez said "I first attended Womadelaide soon after moving to Australia and I dreamt of playing there one day. I understood that the stakes were high, the calibre of musicianship and showmanship was incredible, so I thought if I ever put on a show there it must be more than just about music. It has to be an audio-visual experience matched with a lot of live instrumentation. I am a musician first and foremost, and so presenting my live show for the first time at Womadelaide I had go all out."

Installation Music & Other Ventures

In 2022, Motez along with long-time collaborators Mapped Design formed "Harsh Realities": an installation and art collective described as "a creative studio specialising in immersive audio-visual experiences that evoke thought, deconstruct ideas, and reveal beneath the surface.". Notable projects include ORBIT, showcased during

Illuminate Adelaide Illuminate Adelaide is an annual winter event held each July in Adelaide, South Australia. It includes free and ticketed events presented by local, national, and international artists and companies, encompassing "art, light, music, and technolo ...

, BREATHE, featured at Uni SA's

Museum of Discovery The Museum of Discovery, formerly the Arkansas Museum of Natural History and Antiquities, is located in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. The museum is housed in a historic building in the River Market District on the Arkansas River. The museum ...

, and PASSAGE, presented as part of

Adelaide Fringe Adelaide Fringe, formerly Adelaide Fringe Festival, is Australia’s biggest arts festival and is the world's second-largest annual arts festival (after the Edinburgh Festival Fringe), held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Between ...

's 'Natural Wonders' series within the

Adelaide Botanic Garden The Adelaide Botanic Garden is a public garden at the north-east corner of the Adelaide city centre, in the Adelaide Park Lands. It encompasses a fenced garden on North Terrace (between Lot Fourteen, the site of the old Royal Adelaide Hospit ...

. Motez also composed the score to the short film "Which Made This Place Home" (written and directed by Maddie Gramatopoulos.) as well as the experimental, dance short film "Strega" (directed by Tiah Trimboli) which launched as part of

Adelaide Film Festival The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF, formerly ADLFF) is a film festival usually held for two weeks in mid-October in movie theater, cinemas in Adelaide, South Australia. Originally presented wikt:Special:Search/biennial, biennially in March from 2 ...

Discography

Singles

* Raves Are Dead (2010) * A Trick Or Two / Makes Me Itch (2010) * Hard Times (2011) * Ride Roof Back / Take Off (2013) * Promise Me / Bodyrock (2014) * Own Up (2014) * Down Like This feat.

Tkay Maidza Takudzwa Victoria Rosa "Tkay" Maidza ( ; (born 17 December 1995) is a Zimbabwean-born Australian singer-songwriter and hip hop artist from Adelaide, South Australia. She has been nominated for and won many awards, and released two albums: '' Tk ...

(2016) * Praise / Fire Burning (2017) * The Future feat. Antony & Cleopatra (2017) * Roll Out (2018) * Steady Motion feat.

KWAYE Kwayedza Kureya, mononymously known by his stage name Kwaye, is a British-Zimbabwean singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. He has released two EPs and his songs have been featured in Netflix's ''Topboy'' and ''On My Block''. He ...

(2019) *Toggle (2019) *Where Have You Been (2019) * Patience (2020) * Slow Down (2020) * Give Your Heart Away (2020) *Andes (2021) *Give Me Space feat. The Kite String Tangle (2021) *ReSet (2021) *Submission (2022) *Get it Done feat.

Scrufizzer Amary Lorenzo, better known as Scrufizzer, is an English rapper, MC, singer-songwriter, and record producer from West London. He first gained recognition as a grime producer before building a reputation for his bashment-influenced flow and v ...

(2022) *Be Prepared *Make Way (feat.

) *Work Me (feat. DOOLIE) *Good 2 Go *Lemonade (feat. TANISHA) *Light in the Sky (feat. Lauren Ray)

EPs

* Call My Name EP (2013) * No Need To Panic (2014) * Vancouver (2015) * The Vibe EP (2016) * Late Thoughts EP (2018) * Soulitude (2020) *ReSet (2021) *Coalesce (2023)

Remixes

Anna Lunoe Anna Lunoe (born 26 May) is an Australian DJ, vocalist, songwriter and producer now living in Los Angeles, California. Lunoe has performed at music festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza, Ultra, TomorrowWorld and Hard Summer. She now hosts ...

- DBS (Motez Remix) *

Golden Features Thomas George Stell (born 1991), known professionally as Golden Features, is an Australian deep house / dance DJ and producer currently signed to Warner Bros. Records. Three singles, "Tell Me" featuring Nicole Millar, "No One" featuring Thelma ...

feat. Rromarin - Touch (Motez Remix) * Ninajirachi - Start Small (Motez Remix) *

Flume A flume is a human-made channel for water, in the form of an open declined gravity chute whose walls are raised above the surrounding terrain, in contrast to a trench or ditch. Flumes are not to be confused with aqueducts, which are built to t ...

feat.

Caroline Polachek Caroline Elizabeth Polachek (born June 20, 1985) is an American singer, producer, and songwriter. Raised in Connecticut, Polachek cofounded the indie pop band Chairlift while studying at the University of Colorado. The duo emerged from the late- ...

- Sirens (Motez Remix) * Client Liaison - Elevator Up (Motez Remix) *

Icarus (band) Icarus are a British band from London, England, specializing in electronic drum and bass with elements of experimental jazz and rich instrumentation. Formed in 1997 by cousins Ollie Bown and Sam Britton, the band's music has been described by ...

– Sirens (Motez Remix) *

Northeast Party House Northeast Party House is an Australian electronic band formed in Melbourne in 2009. The band's six members are Jack Shoe (guitar), Malcolm Besley (drums), Sean Kenihan (synth), Zach Hamilton-Reeves (vocals), Mitch Ansell (guitar) and Oliver Packa ...

- Shelf Life (Motez Remix)
Tensnake - Rules (Motez Remix)The Kite String Tangle - North (Motez Remix)
* Karma Fields - Colorblind ft.

Tove Lo Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson (born 29 October 1987), known professionally as Tove Lo (), is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She is known for her raw, grunge-influenced take on pop music. Referring to her autobiographical lyrics, ''Out (magazine), O ...

(Motez Remix) *

Peking Duk Peking Duk is an Australian electronic music band from Canberra, made up of disc jockeys and record producers Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles. The pair first garnered attention in 2012 with the release of a Passion Pit bootleg remix. Their biggest ...

– Wasted (Motez Remix) * Allen French – Nova Vida (Motez Remix) *

Flight Facilities Flight Facilities is an Australian electronic music production duo that also performs as Hugo & Jimmy. In 2009, they began mixing songs by other artists before crafting their own original material. The duo consists of Hugo Gruzman and James Lye ...

– Sunshine feat. Reggie Watts (Motez Remix) *

Sam Smith Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. In 2012, they rose to prominence when they featured on Disclosure (band), Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch (song), Latch", which peaked at number eleven on ...

– Leave Your Lover (Motez Remix) *

Disclosure Disclosure may refer to: Arts and media Film and television *'' CBC News: Disclosure'', a television newsmagazine series in Canada * ''Disclosure'' (1994 film), an American erotic thriller film based on the 1994 novel by Michael Crichton * ''Dis ...

– Omen (Motez Remix) eat. Sam Smith* Panama – Jungle (Motez Remix) *

– Clair de Lune (Motez Remix) *

Owl Eyes Brooke Addamo (born 2 January 1991), better known by her stage name Owl Eyes, is an Australian recording artist from Melbourne signed to the Illusive / Wunderkind Label with distribution through Universal Music Group. She released her debut stu ...

– Open Up (Motez Remix) * Tyler Touché – Heart in Motion (Motez Remix) *

Madison Avenue Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York, that carries northbound one-way traffic. It runs from Madison Square (at 23rd Street) to meet the southbound Harlem River Drive at 142nd Stree ...

– Don't Call Me Baby (Motez Remix) * Gary Richards – "All Nite" ft. E-40 & Too $hort (Motez Remix) *

Rufus Du Sol Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin ''rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include: Given name Politicians * Marcus Caelius Rufus, (28 May 82 BC – after 48 BC), orator ...

– Desert Night (Motez Remix) *

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer, songwriter, and activist. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single " Under the Sheets" through ...

– Beating Heart (Motez Remix)

Film Score

* Which Made This Place Home - Short Film (Directed, Produced and Written by Maddie Gramatopoulos) * Strega - Short Film (Directed by Tiah Trimboli)

Awards

South Australian Music Awards

The

South Australian Music Awards The South Australian Music Awards, also known as SA Music Awards, commonly SAM Awards, formerly Fowler's Live Music Awards (FLMA), are annual awards that exist to recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in the South Australian contemporary m ...

(previously known as the Fowler's Live Music Awards) are annual awards in the South Australian contemporary music industry. They commenced in 2012. , - , 2016 , Motez , Best Producer , , - , 2017 , Motez , Most Popular Electronic Artist , , - , 2018 , Motez , Most Popular Electronic Artist , , - , rowspan="3" , 2020 , rowspan="2" , "Soulitude" by Motez , Best Release , , - , Best Music Video , , - , Motez , People's Choice Electronic Artist , , - , rowspan="2" , 2021 , Motez , Best Solo , , - , Motez , Best Electronic , , -

References

{{authority control Living people Australian electronic musicians Australian house musicians Australian electronic dance music DJs Year of birth missing (living people)