previous clients & collaborators
1tbsp, 700feel, A3 Festival, A.Girl, Adobe, Andy Garvey, ARCAN, Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Aurora Halal, Bag Raiders, Botsu, Charlotte de Witte, Chase Atlantic, Close Counters, Club 77, Daine, Dark MOFO, Darkroom Co, David Grey, DJ Love, Dust, EPROM, EQ, Etapp Kyle, FBi Radio, Field Day, Fritz, Future Classic, Gauci, Haiku Hands, Hard Summer, Index, Ioakim, Jesswar, Joeyy, John Summit, KAVARI, Kilat, Killbourne, Left Hand, Lolapalooza, Machine Girl, Mason Dane, Mietze Conte, Ninajirachi, NLV Records, Nuxe, Powerhouse Museum, RamonPang, Roza Terenzi, Sabukaru, Seoul Community Radio, Shady Nasty, Shed Theory, Shoreline Mafia, Sidney Phillips, Skin on Skin, Soft Centre, Soichi Terada, SOLSA, Sony Music, Struggle Session, Sydney Opera House, Tabloid Recordings, Teether & Kuya Neil, These New South Wales, Vallis Alps, Việt Tài Chính, VIVID Festival Sydney, Wata Igarashi, Wildlands Festival

about
Australia’s subterranean music spaces thrive thanks to a community of hard-working, passionate creatives. One of the scene’s most talented and accomplished creatives is Australian via Saigon visual artist, VJ, director, teacher, and animator Passive Kneeling (aka Tom Vanderzeil). Working with both cutting-edge Australian artists, and a selection of innovative international acts, Passive Kneeling deftly builds on the sonic worlds musicians create on stage, producing custom-made and collaged imagery that sticks in the minds of gig goers long after the last note rings out.

His list of collaborators reads like your friend that’s always spinning a weird and wonderful tale about what they do for work — except Passive Kneeling’s actually done this all. He’s helped elevate the live shows of Wata Igarashi, Chase Atlantic, Etapp Kyle, Charlotte De Witte, These New South Whales, Shoreline Mafia, Joeyy, Eprom, and Machine Girl. Closer to home, he forms a key part of the live shows of Australian festival mainstays like Bag Raiders, Ninajirachi, 1tbsp, Vallis Alps, and Roza Terenzi, and next up acts like Sidney Phillips, Lil Ket, and Bayang Tha Bushranger. Passive Kneeling weaves together dystopian yet hypnotic backdrops, building out landscapes and cities that exist purely for a fleeting moment during a live gig. He’s VJ’d both in Australia and overseas, at festivals like Hard Summer, Soft Centre, Field Day, Wildlands and Lollapalooza, captivating music lovers worldwide.

VJ’ing isn’t his only connection with the music scene, however — he’s also become a go-to music video producer, working with some of Australia’s most eclectic and exciting artists to bring their music into a visual space. His videography builds on the ideas expressed through his VJ’ing, at times creating glossy, psychedelic video treatments, while at others creating raw and rugged clips that give the artist’s music an undeniable edge. He’s crafted unforgettable music videos for the likes of Bag Raiders, Left Hand (VN), HEVA (LKR), Ninajirachi, Sidney Phillips and more, deftly matching and refining the way some of Australia’s most innovative artists approach music videos.

In the same spirit as his roots as a budding horticulturist, he’s branched out in recent times, proof of his ability to master any discipline he enters. Collaborating closely with brands and organisations like Art Gallery NSW, Sony Music Australia, and Adobe, he’s written and directed a hit musical, CONTENT.NET: THE MUSICAL, creating 55 video assets for the performance, and turning some of Australia’s most innovative rappers into stars of the stage (of a different kind). He’s also started passing on the knowledge and skills he’s acquired along his journey, putting on workshops like Embodying Online Aesthetics for budding Tasmanian cloud rappers, and running VJ 101: The Art of Live Visuals for Sound School. Whether he’s teaching a new generation of visual artists how to thrive, directing a rising star’s showstopping music video or overhauling your favourite artist’s live visuals, Passive Kneeling’s shaping the visual palettes of music lovers and artists alike, both in Australia and across the globe.

testimonies
“I first met Tom through his work on a 3D venue mapping gig for a VIVID show I was running. When Bag Raiders needed a fresh new look for their live show visuals, I knew that Tom was the perfect fit and his style matched the aesthetic we were after. Not only did he deliver the assets in record breaking speed, but the quality of the content was exceptional and we have had the luxury of adding Tom to our tour party as Bag Raiders’ official VJ. We love him!”
Paul Stix / Bag Raiders Manager / Undr Ctrl

“Tom is one of the most creative people I've worked with in the industry. Using his totally unique vision, high quality execution and kind spirit he brought our vision to life in a way we couldn't have come close to alone.”
Vallis Alps

“Passive Kneeling is an efficient, succinct and extremely talented video artist. He is able to expertly integrate his work into a musician's vision and tastefully set the mood of the event.”
Eastern Margins

press + extra
mixmag artist spotlight
Sabukaru feature
stinga tour diary
recompost mix
deep scan technologies (music label)

A person with blonde hair and tattoos behind their neck sitting at a desk with two monitors, a laptop, and audio equipment, working in a colorful, neon-lit environment.

A person sitting on a chair with their chin resting on their hand, wearing a black cap, white oversized t-shirt, dark wide-leg pants, and sneakers, in a minimal studio setting with a bright light source to the right.

Passive Kneeling is an Australian VJ and visual artist specialising in live visuals, concert visuals, custom stage content and audiovisual experiences for artists, festivals and live events. Available as a VJ and touring visual artist across Sydney, Melbourne and Australia, as well as for international tours and events.