Portraits ©2025 Arlo Pyne
About Jai Pyne
Jai Pyne is a composer living and working on unceded Gadigal/Wangal land in Sydney.
Jai builds scores from real instruments and unusual ideas — chasing texture and grain over polish. A score doesn't need to be perfect to work; it needs to breathe. That approach has shaped his compositions for award-winning films, art installations, web series and contemporary dance, where the goal is always the same: support the story and let it be heard.
His composition for Facing The Numbers premieres at MIFF 2026, and he recenlty composed the music for the Specsavers x Fred Hollows Foundation TVC Atipalku Intjalki (2026). Other recent work also includes the score for contemporary dance work Kyklopsia (Impact Festival 2025) and the documentary The Truth About The Telegraph (2024), directed by Kieran Mpetyane Satour for Garuwa. He composed the sound installation Arkan & Irbela with artist Gabi Briggs at West Space, and Yamandirra, a visual poem installed at The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability with Nathan Mudyi Sentance and Kieran Mpetyane Satour. His score for Mate (dir. George-Alex Nagle) travelled with the film to take out the Grand Prix Best International Film at Clermont Film Festival, plus selections at Melbourne International Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival — all in 2022.
Before his work composing for screen Jai helmed his band The Paper Scissors (2006–2012) as lead singer, guitarist and songwriter. The band released several critically acclaimed records, played Falls Festival, Peat's Ridge Festival and other iconic Australian venues, and had music synced to Underbelly (Season 1) and a run of national ad campaigns. Their final album, In Loving Memory, was called "a feat of originality and discipline."
Jai has always been a film lover, watching classic films probably too young and lurking cult video stores. He continued this into his studies at AFTRS swapping the guitar solos for synth pads and spotting sessions, graduating Screen Music in 2012.
Selected credits: Sydney Film Festival · Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival · Flickerfest · Latin Film Market · Melbourne International Film Festival · Dumbo Film Festival · Wildscreen Festival · Far South Film Festival · Bondi Harvest · Matchbox Pictures · Curiousworks · Nook Studios · Eb & Bow Dance Studio · Australian Dance Awards · Level Two Music · Province Studio · Chau Chak Wing Museum · Powerhouse Museum · ABC Radio · FBi Radio
Alongside composing, Jai teaches. He's a regular collaborator with Songlab, running music production workshops — including recent sessions inside Reiby Juvenile Detention Centre. He currently holds the role of Senior Music Trainer at NAISDA Dance College, teaching music production and composition to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance students. He loves teaching composition to young creative people, handing over the tools to support their own stories and culture.INSTA / SOUNDCLOUD / FACEBOOK /IMDB