Peter Westheimer “Cool Change” (1981-1993, Left Ear Records)
What do you need to know about Peter Westheimer? Well, he’s a medical doctor, played violin in the Australian Youth Orchestra, he’s been an actor, a former deputy mayor, a street theatre performer and a documentary soundtrack composer.
Peter has led such a rich life that it is no wonder that the music which pours out of him is equally diverse and detailed. The tracks compiled on “Cool Change” were put down across more than a decade between 1981 – 1993. Popular music landscapes were cultivated and subsequently redeveloped many times over during that period and certainly Peter’s sound evolved, but each track on “Cool Change” maintains a certain indescribable quality; a timbre that whispers Westheimer.
If you walk into a record store you might discover Peter’s recordings filed under the usual headings: Electronic, Ambient, Experimental or New Age. Peter has long loved blending sounds from around the globe, with both Asian and European classical influences often finding comfortable spaces beside his synth pop sensibilities within his soundscapes. In the record stores of our minds you might also file some of Peter Westheimer tracks like ’Walking On The Edge’ or ‘Elastic Smiles’ under Mutant Disco or Divergent Dance Music.
In 1985 Peter released Move, his debut album. The music on this record sounded unlike anything else of the time blending Peter’s unique brand of synth work outs with a distinct Australian aesthetic. Peter’s second and third LPs were similarly unique with Sooner Than Laughter 1986 and Transition 1992. Those 3 releases cover the period for this release with 6 previously unreleased tracks included on this compilation.
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