Michael J. Keplinger
An Austrian creative force who blends atmospheric music with visually striking filmmaking to craft immersive sensory experiences.
Born 1999 (age 27)·Austrian musician and filmmaker·Birthday: November 10·Generation Z
Biography
Michael J. Keplinger operates at the intersection of sound and image, a multi-hyphenate artist from Austria who defies simple categorization. As a musician, his work often leans into ambient and electronic textures, creating soundscapes that feel both expansive and intimate. This sonic sensibility feeds directly into his parallel work as a filmmaker, where he directs music videos and short films noted for their strong visual composition and mood. Rather than treating music and film as separate disciplines, Keplinger approaches them as interconnected parts of a single artistic expression, building worlds that audiences can both hear and see. He represents a contemporary, DIY-informed model of the auteur, building a cohesive aesthetic universe from the ground up.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Michael was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Did You Know?
He is based in Vienna, Austria.
His work often involves him composing the score for his own film projects, creating a unified audio-visual piece.
He frequently collaborates with other visual artists and musicians within the European creative scene.
“A film's sound should be a character you feel, not just hear.”
