about
James Gales is a keyboardist, songwriter, composer & music producer living in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia.
With a world-class instrumental foundation from studying classical piano and performing hour-long recitals at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, James’ keen interest in pop music & experimental music led him to switch lanes immediately after graduating.
Soon discovered and quasi-mentored by Empire of the Sun / PNAU’s Nick Littlemore, James co-wrote, produced & performed keyboards on 5 songs for Jessica Mauboy’s album “Yours Forever”, which reached #1 on the Australian Albums chart and was nominated for Best Pop Release at the 2024 ARIA Awards. Continuing this streak, James has since co-written & produced songs for Kita Alexander (Warner Music Australia), including the 2025 ARIA-nominated “Holiday” for Tourism Queensland, string arranging for Matthew Ifield (Universal Music Australia), and more. As a session keyboardist, James has appeared on songs by Nick Murphy / Chet Faker, Cleopold, BIRDEE 王煒 and many more.
Simultaneously, James has seen success releasing experimental music as Jim Nopédie, expressing his classical piano training through an omnivorous curiosity about modern experimental music, internet culture, and the power of music to conjure fantasy worlds. Jim Nopédie has received attention from KEXP, Triple J, Double J & FBi Radio, as well as a ‘cult’ YouTube following, and seen releases on Steven Universe composer Aivi Tran’s label Infloresce Records, and underground Kyoto label Hoge Tapes. Jim’s most recent album “Keep It Rolling” was released in 2023, inspired by early aughts ambient & glitch music, and an attitude of lightness towards the present moment. “Another Childhood” was released in 2021, a concept album about famous videogame urban legends & secrets, in a ‘horror ambient’ style inspired by the music of Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and modern experimental music. Jim’s debut album “Minus Worlds” (2020) explored the stereotypes of environmental music in retro game soundtracks, through a playful lens of disruptive glitches, genre mashups and other trickery.
Embedded in Sydney & Melbourne’s vibrant artist communities, James has also collaborated extensively with filmmakers, comedians & theatre-makers on scores for multiple award-winning musicals, comedy shows, plays & short films over the years; including a longterm creative partnership with comedian Lou Wall, whose “Facebook Marketplace” sketch co-written with James went globally viral in 2025 and has received over 80 million views to-date; songs and score for Jean Tong’s acclaimed stage musical Romeo Is Not The Only Fruit (2017), nominated for 2 Green Room Awards; and Flat Earthers: The Musical (2024), an ambitious 2-hour work which sold out its original run at Sydney’s Griffin & Hayes Theatre and received 4-star reviews from Arts Hub, Time Out, Stage Door & the Sydney Morning Herald.