Optamus Explained

Optamus
Background:solo_singer
Birth Name:Scott Griffiths
Alias:Optamus
Bomb Scott
Origin:Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Genre:Hip hop
Years Active:1996–present
Label:Syllabolix
Hydrofunk Records
Obese Records
Illusive Sounds
Opt Shop
Associated Acts:Downsyde, Hunter, Drapht, Syllabolix

Scott Griffiths, better known by the stage name Optamus, is one of the MCs of the Perth-based Australian hip-hop group Downsyde and member of WA's Syllabolix Crew. Optamus is also the name of Griffiths' solo project.

Music career

Downsyde

Griffiths with fellow Craigie Senior High School classmate Shahbaz Rind (Dyna-mikes) founded Downsyde in 1996.[1] It was the following year that they released a demo cassette Behind the Bucket which topped the independent charts within a week of its release. Optamus and Dyna-mikes met their third and last MC and producer, Darren Reutens Dazastah at Leederville TAFE. The group further expanded adding Damien Allia (DJ Armee), Mathew Cheetham (Cheeky) on bass guitar and keyboard together with Salvatore Pizzata (Salvatore) on drums to form Downsyde. In 2000 they released their debut album, Epinonimous, this was followed by Land of the Giants in 2003 and When the Dust Settles in 2005. The group went into hiatus for three years before releasing All City in 2008.

2010 onwards

As well as being a skilled MC, Griffiths is a producer. As well as working on beats for Downsyde, he has produced for many Australian acts, including Hunter, Drapht and Bias B.[2] As of 2010 he was running his own local independent label, Opt Shop Records.[3]

Optamus released his debut solo album Forever & A Day on 12 June 2010. Optamus is also the name of his group, a trio with keyboardist Chris 'Imposter' Foster and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Jongsma (Moondog).[1] [4] The album includes a number of guest artists including Hunter, Trials (Funkoars), Drapht, Hau (Koolism), Downsyde and MC Layla.

Optamus previewed the album to a sold-out home crowd (Rosemount Hotel W.A) and a tour through the southwest in June 2010. Forever and A Day went on to sell 3500 copies from his website. "Lookaround" became a Triple J single and they toured Australia extensively.

A second album, A Hero's Concerto, was released on 20 September 2019.

In November 2022, Optamus collaborated with other First Nations artists Emma Donovan, Emily Wurramara, Drmngnow, and DOBBY to create a song in memory of Cassius Turvey, a Noongar-Yamatji boy who had died at the age of 15 the result of an assault by a random attacker when walking home from school in Perth, Western Australia. The song, titled "Forever 15", was played at Turvey's funeral on 18 November 2022 funeral[5] and released three days later on 21 November 2022.[6] [7]

Other activities

Griffiths also conducts workshops for African immigrants and Aboriginal youth.[8] [9] [10]

Discography

Downsyde

Optamus

Production

Downsyde

When The Dust Settles

Clandestien
Hunter
Matty B
Bias B
Drapht
Fdel
Hunter
Omni

Awards

Guest appearances

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Optamus Primed. The West Australian. West Australian Newspapers. Schlechte. Ted. 3 June 2010. 29 August 2010.
  2. Web site: Optamus. Discogs. 1 September 2010.
  3. Web site: Funkola – Funkola. Certified Scribe. 22 July 2007. 1 September 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100803063925/http://certifiedscribe.com.au/?m=200707. 3 August 2010. dmy-all.
  4. Web site: Optamus launches album this weekend!. Heatseeker.com.au. 1 September 2010.
  5. Web site: Ho . Cason . Cassius Turvey funeral: hundreds mourn slain teenager and celebrate his life . ABC News. 18 November 2022 . 27 November 2022.
  6. Web site: DOBBY, Emily Wurramara, Kee’ahn, DRMNGNOW and more feature on song honouring the late Cassius Turvey. NME. 25 November 2022. 25 November 2022.
  7. Web site: Forever 15. Apple Music. 21 November 2022. 25 November 2022.
  8. Web site: Downsyde highlights the upside of Narrogin. ABC. ABC Great Southern WA. Wilson-Smith. Nikki. 22 April 2010. 1 September 2010.
  9. Web site: Aboriginal Education. Governor Stirling Senior High School. 1 September 2010.
  10. Web site: Out There Mullewa. Country Arts WA. 1 September 2010.
  11. http://www.centralstation.com.au/articles/shownews.asp?newsid=2964 2003 DMA Nominations
  12. Web site: 2003 Motorola DMA Winners Announced. Dance Music Awards. Dance Music Awards. 10 December 2011. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20040208130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/40282/20040209-0000/www.dancemusicawards.net/default.html. 8 February 2004. 2003.
  13. http://www.wam.asn.au/archive-kmw03.htm 2003 West Australian Music Industry Award Winners
  14. http://www.wam.asn.au/wamifest05.htm 2005 West Australian Music Industry Award Winners
  15. Web site: WAMi AWARDS CONGRATULATIONS. WAMi Festival 2006. WAMi Festival. 10 December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20060224070435/http://www.wam.asn.au/wamifest06.htm. 24 February 2006. 2006.
  16. http://www.wam.asn.au/wamifest07.htm 2007 West Australian Music Industry Award Winners
  17. http://www.wam.asn.au/wamifest08.htm 2008 West Australian Music Industry Award Winners

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