Biography
Dr. Vincent Sebastian is a musician and PhD musicologist with 25 years experience in music composition, production, and performance. With a PhD in Music and degrees in Psychology and Sound Design, he specialises in how music impacts consciousness and its function for health, connection, and spiritual transformation. His research explores ritual and psychology in Western and non-Western contexts, which he integrates in his writings, books, music, and workshops. His research has been featured in scholarly books and international academic conferences, while his music has been released on respected labels Defected and Atjazz Records. Notable accolades include an Aria nomination; supports of Santana, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Seun Kuti, and Manu Chao; and release of over 20 albums and singles. His work culminates in the Sound-Soul System, an innovative approach to music as soul work, integrating sound, ritual, and psychology for personal and collective transformative experience.
His PhD research explores how ritual music practices are evolving using contemporary music technologies. This work is important for understanding how music traditions develop across time and culture.
He holds a Bachelor of Psychology, and Bachelor in Music and Sound Design (First Class Honours) for which he received the University Medal from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Vincent’s studio is the creative space where he develops original works and collaborates with those pushing the boundaries of music. His music has been released on respected labels Defected, Imagenes, Prison Records, Vamos, United Music, Shika Shika, Groovescooter, Ocha Records, and Atjazz Record Company. Artistic collaborations include with artists Pepe Citarrela, Atjazz, Hallex M, Jorge Montiel, Myles Bigalow, Qvln, Oveous, Selomi, Barrio Lindo, Milan, Amaru Tribe, and Cosmos Midnight, and dancer/choreographer Daniella Zambrano.
His band Oyobi blends Latin rhythms with electronica, forging a unique sound that crosses genre boundaries. Oyobi’s music has topped the Traxsource charts on multiple occasions, and is frequently included in the Top Ten and ‘Best of the year’ categories. It has been featured on Late Night Tales, Bandcamp Weekly, radio stations around the world, and labelled “Nothing short of sublime…” by ToneDeaf Magazine, “Stunning !” by Laurent Garnier.
Vincent past accolades include an Australian Aria Award nomination for his songwriting with Watussi, and performances at major festivals Bluesfest, Woodford, Womadelaide, Adelaide Fringe Festival, Vivid, Opera House, Rainforest Festival (Malaysia), Bogota Festival De Teatro (Colombia), Ulsan Festival (Korea), Osaka Kokolo Festival (Japan), NOMA (Thailand), and Ku De Ta (Indonesia).
Memorable supports include: Santana, Seun Kuti, Ricky Martin, Los Amigos Invisibles, Los Van Van, Katy Perry, Earth Wind and Fire, Manu Chao, Juan Luis Guerra, and with electronic artists Ron Carroll, Love Tattoo, Rob Vission, Sandy Rivera, Chuck Love, & Richard Earnshaw.
Vincent was also the in-house percussionist for American television show 'Name that Tune' with Randy Jackson and Jane Krakowski filmed in Australia in 2022. Furthermore, he is endowed by some great brands including Toca Percussion, Wincent sticks, and Protection Racket.
In 2023, he was sponsored by Create NSW to give talks at Dancecult Conference in London, and at the Australasian Computer Music Conference in Sydney, where he presented his PhD research to an international panel, contributing to the international discussion on electronic music culture and ritual.
Vincent currently dedicates himself to creating, performing, researching, and sharing his Sound-Soul System. He releases his work and insights through his articles, books, podcasts, workshops, speaking events, and live performances.
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My Story
I’ve been drawn to music my entire life. More than simply performance or entertainment, I saw music as a deep mystery to be explored. I wanted to know why it can move us so profoundly, connect us to each other, and how it has the power to change our states of consciousness. That question became an obsession, leading me to the deep study of Latin American music traditions, especially those that used music as a bridge between physical and metaphysical worlds. In those traditions that used music for trance and altered states, I found a new way of conceptualising music as a vehicle for consciousness transformation.
Earlier in my career, I was immersed in the daily grind of working as a musician. I loved the travel, the sociability, the highs, and creativity—but eventually began to wonder, is this all there is to life? I felt there was more to life than pursuing pleasure, seeking highs, and moving from one relationship to the next. A deeper search began. I undertook a Bachelor of Psychology and threw myself into every spiritual path I could find—Buddhism, Indian philosophy, New Age, Jungian psychology, shamanism, self-development courses, Christian mysticism, divination and personality systems, and many others. I was hungry to understand who we are, why we’re here, and how we evolve. During this time, I had many spiritual experiences, including out of body experiences that changed the way I view myself and the world around me.
Then came the event that changed everything.
At the start of my PhD, during fieldwork within Cuban Santería rituals, I underwent a profound spiritual experience that shattered my experience of reality. It splintered my sense of self, triggering a three-day altered state of consciousness. This included a disassociation into two senses of self, a shifting of worldview, inner visions, and a new perception of physical reality. This happened so quickly and impactfully that my consciousness couldn’t handle it, and it took five long and painful years to integrate. During this time, I lost relationships, was betrayed and abandoned, and misunderstood by nearly everyone around me. I was experiencing a profound transformation in my sense of self and understanding of reality, as my life was literally being turned upside down.
But deep down, I sensed this was no accident. I believed this experience was a gift, a brutal but sacred experience that revealed the true power of music, ritual, and our nature as spiritual beings. I began the long path of healing, trying to understand what occurred to me during that ritual and its aftermath, while integrating everything I had learnt through my career and previous experience. I read everything I could find, from psychology, anthropology, religion, music, art, and science. I worked on myself, and slowly, painfully, I came back to life.
What returned was something deeper than before, an embodied sense of peace and new wisdom that could only emerge through direct experience. In my silence, I started to reimagine my relationship with music, not just as entertainment, but as a technology for healing, connection, and for understanding the deeper realities of spirit.
I integrated my learning into my life and performances, finding a common ground between music, science, psychology, and spirituality. I turned my life experiences and wounds into wisdom that today shapes my journey. Now my goal is to be of service by delivering powerful music and sharing my unique framework —The Sound-Soul System—a new approach that helps others experience music not just as art, but as soul work. I write, teach, perform, and travel the world sharing my insights, with a mission to trigger a paradigm shift in the way we view and use music.
