Snob Scrilla
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Snob Scrilla

| INDIE

| INDIE
Band Alternative Hip Hop

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"Live at the East Brunswick Club for Farewell Monkey Tour"

The ‘Farewell Monkey Tour’ kicked off at the East Brunswick Club in Melbourne bringing three of the most promising Australian acts of the year. In a month long tour in support of his debut album Day One, Snob Scrilla, an alias for Sean Ray, an American expat turned Aussie, was accompanied by Victorian wunderkinds, Dash and Will and Sydney sensation, Amy Meredith.

To initiate the tour, Amy Meredith ascended the stage albeit unfortunately, to an undeservingly small audience. This fact however, did not dampen the raw energy and excitement the band brought to the evening. After the self titled release of their EP in early 2008, Amy Meredith scored support slots alongside such international artists as Hard-Fi, Silversun Pickup’s as well as a month long co-headlining residency alongside Melbourne rock n roll revivalists, Little Red. Front man Christian Lo Russo’s impressive vocals were the driving force behind the band’s set list, giving each track as individual a feel as the next. Evident from the opener Closer the as well as other tracks, Young At Heart and Lying, demonstrated the versatility of their sound. New material such as Porn Star, Violent, Carry On and Kiss Me Quick gave the progressively swelling crowd an insight into the sound of the future debut album sound. Their final song for the night Black Eyes is perhaps their most popular and most successful single and was the only track played from their EP. With an album release scheduled for some time in the near future, this five piece are worth keeping an eye on, as success is sure to follow behind.

Alternative singer/songwriter duo from Melbourne, Dash and Will, gained many fans from the success of their debut EP. This became apparent from the very first song, Pick You Up, their debut single, which had the crowd singing along. As the set list continued, so did the recognisable tunes. Backed by a three piece band, Too Young, Too Dumb, Fighting Over Nothing, Error Error and Out Of Control , not only had the crowd enchanted by the vocal stylings and catchy alternative pop tunes but also expressed the group’s diversity. Their new single Painful was an instant crowd hit, and again, another familiarity. With the airplay they are beginning to receive on more commercial stations and an album very close to being released, this band is one with an exciting future.

With a diverse mix of rock, pop, hip hop and electronica, it seems the only possible way of placing Snob Scrilla into a genre, would be to define him as genre blurring. He is contemporary without being restricted to a paradigm. His EP release The Day Before and his most recent Day One debut album release, show him constantly experimenting with his sound. When the time had arrived for Snob Scrilla to take the stage, a now packed East Brunswick Club waited in anticipation. Backed by a three piece band consisting of CSK OK (Electro DJ/Producer) on keyboards, Ardie Worsley (drummer for punk band Seven Steady) on drums and on the decks DJ Wax Motif , to bring his album across to a live performance, was ultimately a success. And from the very first song, Alienation , it was clear the crowd were in for an exciting night.

Snob Scrilla conversed with the crowd, telling he loved to “vibe” with the crowd at his shows, before descending into what became a mosh pit with his mere presence. While performing Chasing Ghosts, predominantly from the audience, he jumped around like most other fans around him. What is already such a rare event to see artist to crowd interaction, this physical interaction along with the constant laughing and conversing with the audience throughout the show, is paramount not only to Snob Scrilla as a live act, but also to his down to earth personality and his honest music.

In continuing the show, Mr Officer came at the crowd with a relentless energy that they were more than happy to return. It was obvious that Snob Scrilla was feeding off the energy of the crowd and registered a complete command over it. Perhaps his largest hit, There You Go Again which achieved initial success from triple j’s Unearthed Competition, took the show to its most special place yet. The crowd sung along every word while the band backing Snob Scrilla played with as much energy as they had all evening. Their dedication became apparent at the completion of the song when Snob Scrilla declared to the crowd that the keyboardist needed to replace his fallback and that the drummer had literally ripped through his snare drum. In a show of professionalism, while the necessary instruments were being replaced, Snob Scrilla and DJ Wax Motif remained on stage, announcing they were going ‘electronic’ and added an extra song, Space Man, to the set list.

After the minor interruption, the show continued with Mr Whatever, Gasoline Dreams and It’s On You, which continued the crowd jumping and dancing, bursting with the energy coming from the music. But it was the final track Heartbreak Scorsese, another successful si - FasterLouder


"Day One Album Review"

In the world of hip hop, rife with sub-categories (West Coast, G-Funk, Backpacker) and multiple personas (Yeezy, Weezy and Jeezy), its probably a lot easier to divide the plethora of MCs taking up our iPod space into two easy-to-remember groups: those who are from our planet, and those who aren’t.

Snob Scrilla has the unique privilege of blurring these lines, with a debut album indebted as much to space travel as it is to bitchy ex-girlfriends. This dualism extends to his diametrically opposed birthplace (California) and workplace (Sydney), and a wide range of sounds and influences works in his favour to shape a uniquely entertaining record. The kind of guy who is liable to embrace his inner weirdness without giving a shit about what anybody else thinks, Snob Scrilla may be the torch Aussie rap needs to guide them through the dark ages.

That being said, this isn’t purely a rap album. Rather, Day One is a multi-genre mash-up of ballads, electro-funk freak-outs, rock shuffles and even a drum’n’bass number for good measure. It surprises the listener at every turn, with the chief architect constantly reinventing himself. Lead single Houston, with that amazing chorus and driving drum groove is a good reference point. Every song on this debut features live instrumentation, deft lyricism and even some great singing. The fact that this man doesn’t allow guest vocalists is testament not only to creative vision but also the oft-abused principle, “If you got it, flaunt it.” The most beautiful song, Already Gone – half trip-hop, half-torch anthem – is a fantastic example of a supremely talented artist just starting to spread his wings.

Amidst the hyperbole, Scrilla delivers some hilariously bizarre tunes about interplanetary exploration ( Spaceship ), alien-politician metaphors ( Alien Invasion ) and not being able to dance ( It’s On You). It generally enhances pretty much any type of day you might be having. Seriously impressive and seriously accomplished, this is one CD you need this year.

Snob Scrilla’s Day One is out now. - FasterLouder


"Day One Album Review"

Fusing hip hop, indie and electro with old-school Cazal glasses and a Nintendo fetish, Snob Scrilla is exploring uncharted territory. His debut album, 'Day One', is a neon lit blast through outta space with the headphones strapped on tight. We sit down for a chat with Snob to talk trendsetting, woman haters and remixes (radcakes!).

On your blogspot, you describe yourself as a “radcake quality inspector.” What exactly is a ‘radcake’, and how does one inspect it?

Well a radcake can take many forms, because it's a word I stole from a little kid in my friend's class and made my mission to spread as far as possible. And when I did that I pretty much decided I would make it whatever I wanted, so really a radcake is a combination of anything that equates to excitement or brings you the satisfaction of eating an actual radcake. And as far as inspection goes … that's a secret.

You once famously announced that you would only go for a girl who was into Nintendo DS. I have twin cousins who are addicted to theirs, but here’s the catch; they’re 11. Would you still go it?

Wow, you did proper research and that kind of makes me feel like a proper artist … radcakes! But, alas, I (obviously) really wouldn't go for them. I stick to dating older women for the most part. In high school when I was a junior (year 11), I went out with a freshman (year nine) for, like, a week. But I never lived it down and I copped so much slack for it that it scarred me for life. Now I have a complex: must be older women. But, I’d be more than happy to play DS with them; although they may get annoyed ‘cause they are probably more mature than I am.

Your breakout hit ‘There You Go Again’ is pretty angry, especially towards people who “kill your dreams.” Have you managed to eliminate hater women from your life (and is this something to do with your DS addiction?)

Ha! Yeah, I'm sure that my game addiction probably contributed to the appearance that I was not going places. Anyway, happy to say there are no hater women in my life at the moment. That's not to say there aren't women in my life who don't hate me though; I’ve got a few of those, and what do ya know, I wrote a song about it. Ineptness in relationships seems to be good for the career, aye?

Songs like ‘Houston’ have a real, old-school gospel vibe about them. I assume you didn’t pick that up in Sydney?

Funny you say that; I actually think that my biggest gospel influence is from Sydney. He's a gentleman by the name of Gary Sterling and he is bloody amazing. Check out www.garysterling.com. I think just hearing him sing a few times was probably a big influence on the track. But you'd be surprised how soulful some spots in Sydney are, and I think that is a big part of it as well. Must be ‘cause when I was living in Cali I was anything but a choir boy.

Hip hop acts performing with live bands are usually considered a spectacle by Aussie audiences - assigned to big names like Snoop and Kanye. How vital is your group to the definition of your live act?

When I first started conceptualising the project I hadn't thought about having a live band because it wasn't something that I was used to, coming from a hip-hop background. But once we finished the majority of the tracks, we realised that this was not something we could make translate to the audience by just using the classic ‘two turntables and a microphone’, even if for many emcees that's where it's at. So, in short, the band is a must. I refuse to perform without them now and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to how I performed before. They bring an energy and vibe to the show that could never be replaced by just me and a DJ.

It seems like everyone’s rocking those big-framed designer specs (a la Hot Chip) at the moment, so I have to ask; are yours prescription? Does it piss you off that being nerdy is in vogue at the moment?

Hell yeah, it pisses me off, cause just when I’m trying to do my thing and make my own mark, everything about me is what everyone else is pretending to do. I've had these thick frames since Kindergarten, I'm OG with the coke bottle steez and all these suckas need to stop going and buying the Run DMC cazals to try and get their Urkel on. That's been done and it's dead, and we don't do that anymore, so move on. And, yes, mine are prescription. And yes they are fly ass throwback Dior Monsieurs from the '60s. And, no, you will not be able to find them, so don’t try. And to answer your question again, yes, YES, this trend is pissing me off.

Your tracks are attracting quite a lot of remixes and becoming club bangers for the indie set. Was this part of your master plan, or it’s just a nice spinoff to your career?

Oh, yeah, that was always part of my plan. I've always been a big fan of reinterpretation and remixes, and that aside I also think it's crucial for any indie artist to take advantage of as many possible opportunities to get your music heard. Plus, every time someon - MTV


"Next Big Thing"

Snob Scrilla is to Surry Hills what Michael Franti is to Oakland but on There You Go Again he mixes a hooky guitar line with uplifting vocals to create a chorus too big for his own suburb. "A couple of years ago I started the Snob Scrilla project because I got bored with making regular hip-hop," he says. "I initially didn't think anyone was going to like it but then Triple J started playing There You Go Again on high rotation and everything snowballed from there. I signed with Ivy League Records and started touring like there was no tomorrow." He describes the sound as "electro clash hip-hop mixed with experimental indie rock influenced by Andre 3000, The Knife and Tokyo Police Club". We describe it as "impressive". In March, Snob Scrilla releases his debut album, Day One. - Sydney Morning Herald


"Triple J Review"

‘‘adds a different dimension to hip hop in Australia…somewhere between Outkast & K-Os’’ -Jmag
- J Magazine


"Day One Album Review"

**** “electro-hip-hop at its finest”
-Rolling Stone
- Rolling Stone Magazine


"Live Review"

“…. the guy tore down the house at Falls Festival by introduced his new song 'Heartbreak Scorsese' which inspired all the mosh kids to chant the chorus "I'll never change, I'll never change"! If the reaction of the crowd is anything to go by it, this has the potential to be one of the biggest hits from a local act in 09……
-MTV.com.au
- MTV.com.au


Discography

Album:
Day One

Houston
iTunes Single of the Week

Heartbreak Scorsese
Single & Video Clip added to: triple j, NOVA, Take 40, Channel V, MTV and Video Hits

......... (The Song with No Title)
# 14 Australian iTunes,
#45 Aria Charts without official release
NOVA radio nationally

EP:
The Day Before (Released October 2008)

There You Go Again
Single & Video Clip added to: triple j, NOVA, Take 40, Channel V, MTV and Video Hits
Chasing Ghosts
Single & Video Clip Added to:
triple j, NOVA, Take 40, Channel V, MTV and Video Hits

Photos

Bio

Snob Scrilla was the moniker taken up by 25-year-old California-born genre blurring MC Sean Ray when he hit Australian shores back in 2002. Now based in Sydney, Snob Scrilla released his EP The Day Before¨ in 2008, with singles 'There You Go Again' and 'Chasing Ghosts' creating a stir at triple j, NOVA, Take 40, Channel V, MTV and Video Hits.

Not only did Snob blitz our airwaves and tv screens, but also our stages, sending crowds into a frenzy at Homebake, Parklife and Falls Festival as well as supporting the likes of Matisyahu, Public Enemy, Pnau & Faker.

Snob Scrilla writes lyrics that matter, cloaked in hip hop beats and electro wails with an indie rock sensibility, while always maintaining his sense of underlying nerdy fun. His mixed bag of genres is reflected in the eclectic crowds at his live shows. From the rock kids moshing down the front and often invading the stage, to the hip hoppers hanging at the back, and the indie crowd somewhere in the middle, Snob Scrilla live is a frenetic mix which is enhanced by his live band.

Snob's debut album Day One (released in Australia) has already spawned the unstoppable singles 'Heartbreak Scorsese' and '......... (The Song With No Title)'. The latter was featured on Channel Ten's promo for drama series Rush and debuted at #45 on the Aria Charts and #14 on the iTunes charts without an official release. It is now heating up radio stations across the country and featured as the Daily Telegraph¡¦s Single of the Week.

**** "electro-hip-hop at its finest" - Rolling Stone

***** SINGLE OF THE WEEK "One of the love songs of the year" - Daily Telegraph

"embrace this amazingly energetic debut from one of Sydney's newest hip hop residents" - Sydney Morning Herald