Hear My Eyes brings James Cameron's sci-fi masterpiece back with Peter Van Hoesen and MESS Synthesiser Ensemble
Remember when liquid metal villains were the coolest thing ever?
Back then, the idea of machines achieving consciousness and turning against humanity felt like pure science fiction.
Fast forward to 2025 and those fears don’t seem quite so distant anymore, so it’s the perfect time for Belgian electronic artist Peter Van Hoesen to reimagine the film’s sonic blueprint with vintage synthesisers, modular systems and a laser show that’ll light up two of Australia’s most prestigious concert halls.
Hear My Eyes is bringing Terminator 2: Judgment Day back to Australian stages with an all-new live electronic score. The cult event series returns to Arts Centre Melbourne and Sydney’s City Recital Hall in February and March respectively, marking the 35th anniversary of James Cameron’s landmark sci-fi action film with a 4K screening of the original theatrical cut.
Van Hoesen will perform his reimagined score live alongside the Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (MESS) Synthesiser Ensemble, while audio-visual artist Robin Fox creates a perfectly synchronised laser show. The production transforms Van Hoesen’s typically solo live set into an expansive six-person ensemble piece, powered by MESS’s collection of rare vintage synthesisers and modular systems.
Hear My Eyes: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- 26 February, 7pm, Hamer Hall, Melbourne
- 27 February, 7pm, Hamer Hall, Melbourne
- 28 February, 2pm and 6pm, Hamer Hall, Melbourne
- 7 March, 7pm, City Recital Hall, Sydney
- Melbourne tickets here
- Sydney tickets here
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
No problemo: how Hear My Eyes built a cult following
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Hear My Eyes artistic director Haydn Green has spent ten years curating and directing live score events, building a devoted following through collaborations that pair iconic films with bold Australian artists. Previous productions have included Chopper with Springtime and Mick Harvey, Suspiria with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and Wake in Fright with Surprise Chef and Pan’s Labyrinth with Sleep D. This Terminator 2 production marks the series’ most ambitious project yet, expanding to both Melbourne and Sydney venues.
“Sound is so essential to the way we receive cinematic images,” Green explains. “The Hear My Eyes project re-visions the films we know and love by changing that key aspect of the sensory experience. What I love about the way they do it is the respect that they still have for the original score. It is never about making a ‘better’ score – it’s more like an experiment in meaning making, an opportunity to reimagine through sound.”
The choice of Terminator 2 reflects both the film’s cultural impact and its thematic resonance with contemporary anxieties around artificial intelligence. Released in 1991, James Cameron’s sequel set new standards for visual effects and action filmmaking, winning three Academy Awards and dominating the box office. The film’s exploration of consciousness, humanity and technology feels increasingly relevant as AI occupies more of our daily lives.
I’ll be back: what makes Terminator timeless
The film itself tells the story of a reprogrammed T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her son John (Edward Furlong) from the advanced, shape-shifting T-1000 (Robert Patrick). Set eleven years after The Terminator, the sequel raised questions about predetermined fate and whether humans are programmed to destroy themselves. Linda Hamilton’s transformation into a hardened warrior made her one of cinema’s earliest depictions of the female body as functional rather than decorative, paving the way for a generation of action heroines.
“The thing about Terminator 2 is that it excites all movie goers – cinephiles, arthouse lovers, film buffs, mainstream audiences, those who have been obsessed since it came out, as well as young audiences who haven’t seen it, but have always wanted to watch it because they know it’s one of the greatest films of all time,” Green continues.
“It has this reputation because it’s both accessible and cerebral. It makes you think deeply and feel true emotion, while keeping you very entertained. I’ve known this about Terminator 2 for a long time but have long been plagued by the question: “What artist could possibly collaborate with this artistic masterpiece? Who will be able to make music so complex, and at the same time be equally entertaining and easy to engage with?”
Come with me if you want to live: bringing the film to life
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“For this special performance, Peter will be joined by the Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (MESS) Synthesiser Ensemble, transforming his typically solo live set into an expansive ensemble piece,” Green says. “This collaboration sees Peter conducting and performing alongside MESS’s collection of rare vintage synthesisers and modular systems, creating a unique fusion where his precision sonics meets the raw, unpredictable character of analog machinery.”
“I guess there are two elements which play a role here,” Van Hoesen says. “First of all, the fact that I am being given the opportunity to write a new score to a legendary movie and secondly, the fact that this will be performed live. The performative aspect really gives this project its unique identity in my opinion. It is one thing to write a score but having the opportunity to play it live in front of an audience is very special.
“I find everything about Terminator 2 extremely on point: the acting, the pace of the movie, the storytelling: it just works. It is a classic movie and has stood the test of time perfectly in my opinion.”
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne.
