Snob Scrilla

Sun 30th Nov, 2008 in Features

In the build up to a heavy New Years schedule, including a spot on the bill at the first ever Solar Festival, Snob Scrilla the most notable project of Cali-born Sydney-sider Sean Ray, is bunkered down in Sydney’s Sound Academy Studios.

As we speak he is trying his darndest to squeeze a couple more new favourites onto the master of his soon-to-drop debut album – a much more logical method than the Bloc Party Formula re-releasing the same album every time they fall for a new song.

Day One, set for release in early 2009, will be a follow up to this year’s The Day Before EP which sprouted Triple J favourites There You Go Again and Chasing Ghosts. The album titles are no coincidence, but a theme hatched by Ray and his producing partner, Aria winner, Audius Mtawarira, a partnership that “seems to be the blood of cool creative endeavors” in Ray’s eyes.

It’s clear that he wants nothing more than people to hear the album. He has already told me he shouldn’t even be talking about it, but he is just too proud of what he’s achieved to keep it inside. He promises an album “more conceptual than what people have seen or heard (from Snob Scrilla)”. The usual rap-over-rock riffage of his early work will remain on the album, which Ray describes as “a mix between The Knife and Because of Ghosts”.

Ray also lends his own influence to other projects and offerings within the Australian music scene. “You’d be surprised where you’d see me name attached” Ray tells me, with the confidence of a good salesman, albeit quickly dashed into a jet stream of friendly laughter as I reel off his production partners hit list which reads like a who’s who of Australian Idol. Quickly back on the defence he lets it be known he holds no such vendetta – “If it’s a good project, I’m is willing to work it”.

What strikes me as the most impressive about Ray is his authenticity. His ability to act in generous ways that many would usually write off as grabs for attention and not be discredited for doing such. Actions like donating a no doubt swollen film clip budget to youth off the streets, choosing to just film the youth dancing instead (and to his credit still come up with amazing footage for the Chasing Ghosts clip). The furthest from arrogant, there are times his humility begins to border on the nerdy – not the book toting, nasal spraying book nerd – but that rare breed of “cool nerd”. That’s right; Snob Scrilla is Australian music’s answer to Juno.

The evidence is in the backstage setup. Ray, and his self dubbed “geekiest band on earth” play away their pre show nerves with videogames, much more interested in his newly “chipped” Nintendo DS than any sex drugs and rock’n’roll cliché.
Until I steer him back on course he is more than happy to talk videogames, even going into detail of his new favourite game, a fighting game called Bleach.

Even his plans for courtship at Falls make a cameo – too involving his trusty handheld Nintendo. Smitten for Swedish songstress Lykke Li, more than excited to see lady of the hour Santogold and already with a slight crush on Patience of The Grates, Ray has his dating game all sorted. Standing by his earlier oath that he is “only ever dating a girl whose into DS”, his plan for love is to “bring some extra consoles (to Falls Festival), and have them play off in Mario Kart or something, then the winner can be the lucky one who rejects me” Snob laughs, still taken by his sudden burst to fame.

I tell Ray of the first time I saw him not six months ago, in a small club in Melbourne before a band no one knows. This really hit home just how big a year it has been for Snob Scrilla. But a national tour with Faker and a spot on the Parklife circuit were just the start as the New Year brings a Falls appearance, a NYE party with PNAU and a coveted spot on the first ever Solar Festival in Mornington to keep the party on the peninsula going well into January.

Snob Scrilla and his Nintendo will be going again at these festivals:

28th December – Summer Break 2008, Adelaide
29th December – Peats Ridge Festival, Glen Worth Valley, NSW
20th December – Falls Festival, Lorne
31st December – Newcastle Brewery with PNAU and Bumblebeez
3rd January – Solar Festival, Mornington Peninusla