JAMES VADER

James Vader is a composer for film and television. His orchestral-electronic scores move between intimate, character-driven narratives and expansive dramatic settings.

His music combines atmospheric textures with strong thematic writing, shaped to each story’s emotional world. His scores often bring together piano, processed strings, analogue synthesis and acoustic instrumentation, combining intricate orchestration with dreamy, dark textural sound worlds. From quiet introspection and melancholy to the dread of impending doom, his scores follow the rhythm and narrative of the film.

James studied film and literature before spending 15 years as a cinema projectionist, developing a strong understanding of the relationship between music and image, and between rhythm and narrative.

Recent projects include On the Mend (2026), Luna (2026), Buried Truth (2025), Exception (2024), Speechless (2024), Fear & Trembling (2023), Goliath (2023), and the award-winning sci-fi film Riley (2022), which received Best Original Score at the Best Shorts competition.

James is based in Hobart, Australia.