SNOB SCRILLA, a name that has become a staple in indie and new-wave households, is not surprisingly a pseudonym for a project orchestrated by a young Californian expat by the more ordinary name of Sean Ray. His visit to Australia eight years ago brought Ray to a halt in his worldly travels. "When I was younger I used the excuse to study in order to visit Australia," explains Ray. "I thought it was a bit of a change. When I arrived the country just stuck with me."
Ray is an artist clearly influenced by hip-hop; a legacy ingrained into his consciousness by his birthright. He is also an artist who refuses to be restricted to a spectrum of just one genre. "Hip-hop has always been in my life, it was a staple at school where I used to stand around and free style all day," Ray says. "I wouldn't call myself a hip-hop artist, but it definitely has influenced me. I'd say the music I make is electronic RnB. At the end of the day my music scrapes the bottom of every genre bucket; it's like a kid with ADHD, lost in space."
Ray's fusion of hip-hop beats, rhymes and '80s-inspired rhythms and electro sounds has appealed to the growing new-wave crossbreed of music, which Australian audiences are lapping up by the earful. "I think Australia is a niche market in itself. It's weird but in a good way. It caters to interesting sub-genres. I love immersing myself in the vibe that's here."
With the release of his debut single There You Go Again in 2008 and the song officially titled ......... generating massive hype, Ray's much anticipated debut album Day One is set for a rollercoaster of success. "Day One is an album created on the premise that I just wanted to go out and write about something that I felt at the time," Ray explains. "The album is about figuring out what's happening in my life, in a non-chronological order. It's about just what Snob Scrilla is with a conscious regard to audience and the ideologies that young kids understand. It's not about achieving a monetary market goal; it's more about expression."
Setting off on tour to promote his new album from August 14, Ray discusses why the monkey mascot is such a centralised theme and why it is more personal than frivolous, as it might seem. "The Farewell Monkey Tour is all about getting the monkey off your back. It's obviously a drug reference, which is a topic in itself but also in my case it was the end of my five year relationship. It's about the end of a phase, peace out to the habit, whether it be drugs or a relationship."
It is clear to also see why Australia and touring this country appeals to Ray on such a grand scale." I look forward to this tour. I miss Australian shows where I have random food fights on stage. I love it when people come up on stage and just become part of the band." Who could blame him?
Snob Scrilla, supported by Dash and Will, will be playing the ANU Bar on Friday September 4. Tickets through Moshtix and Oztix.
