Photo Brit Lucas
Dustin Bookatz is a South African-born composer and producer from Sydney, Australia, who specializes in indie-forward production that is characterized by a cinematic quality and an aptitude for playing real instruments and recording techniques informed by years on the road and in the studio as a session bass player and instrumentalist.
Having produced music for collaborative projects, TV and brands across many genres since 2017, Dustin recently has been scoring restored silent films for the Mary Pickford Foundation, with two features in the works that focus on a broader style of classical orchestration mixed with Baroque folk.
Dustin's recordings have been placed on shows such as 'Ellen', 'Extra', 'The Jennifer Hudson Show', 'Teen Titans Go!’, and ‘The Real' as well as digital productions including 'Lady Parts with Sarah Hyland'.
He has produced music for brand such as Vans, Big Bud Press and Flaunt Magazine and wrote the theme song for the award winning podcast 'The Night’s Watch' (News Ltd. 2020). He has also produced jingles for Wangki Radio and indigenous station based in Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia.
In a live capacity Dustin runs an improvised performance night called ‘Now Be Here’ in Los Angeles. The night began at acclaimed spot 1642 and now resides in DTLA at Archival Studios. It features some of the best studio and live musicians of local scene making up songs and improvising on the spot. Dustin’s bass playing can also be heard on recordings by artists such as Drugdealer and Pearl Charles.