Nicholas Vines’ compositional approach is firmly rooted in the technical resources of the Western classical canon, from plainsong and sixteenth-century counterpoint to recent advances in instrumental technique and electroacoustic technology. At the same time, every opportunity is taken to embrace sounds and ideas from popular, experimental, Australian and non-Western traditions. This combination of rigour and pluralism – stemming from the composer's own heritage, his wide-ranging interests and the communities in which he lives and works – gives rise to music both vectored and kaleidoscopic. Nostalgia, sentimentality and farce are often the result of this friction.
At their best, Nicholas Vines’ compositions evoke a sense of naïve idealism at loggerheads – for better or worse – with the world. The music often loses itself in simple physicality or elaborate fantasy, blithely avoiding reality’s bleakness. Sometimes, however, it can’t escape, leading to stretches of self-denial, self-mockery, decay and decadence. Occasionally, this can lead to an uncomfortable, even frustrating listening experience. It is hoped, nonetheless, these intellectual and psychological challenges make the music's visceral, emotional and ethical impact all the more powerful.