Optamus
Birth nameScott Griffiths
Also known asOptamus
Bomb Scott
OriginPerth, Western Australia, Australia
GenresHip hop
Years active1996–present
LabelsSyllabolix
Hydrofunk Records
Obese Records
Illusive Sounds
Opt Shop
Websiteoptamus.com.au

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",[5] was played at Turvey's funeral on 18 November 2022 funeral[6] and released three days later on 21 November 2022.[5][7]

Other activities

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

I run a hip hop workshop program where the participants get to write a song and learn about the hip hop culture and the Australian hip hop culture. For me it's another aspect of what I do as a musician, that makes me feel like I'm balancing the karma from being able to tour and live a life where I get to do something I love, I think this is my 'give back'.

— Scott Griffiths[11]

Discography

Downsyde

Optamus

  • Forever and a Day – Opt Shop (SBX023) (12 June 2010)
  • A Hero's Concerto – Opt Shop (SBX028) (12 Oct 2019)

Production

Downsyde
  • Behind The Bucket – Yirra Yaakin (1997), whole album
  • Epinonimous – Syllabolix MGM (2000), tracks 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10

When The Dust Settles

  • All City – Illusive (2009), tracks 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13
Clandestien
  • Clandestien – Syllabolix (2001), track 4
Hunter
  • Done DL – Syllabolix (2002), tracks 11, 16, 18
  • Culture of Kings II – Obese (2002), disc 1, track 2 ("Jam Roll")
Matty B
  • The Courageous LP – Obese (2002), track 7
  • Culture of Kings III – Obese (2003), track 1
Bias B
  • In Bed With Bias – Wordburner (2004), tracks C1, D3
  • Been There Done That – Obese Records (2007), track 9
Drapht
  • Culture of Kings III – Obese (2004), disc 1, track 1 ("Misunderstood")
Fdel
  • Audiofdelity – Invada Records (2005), track 8
Hunter
  • Going Back to Yokine – Obese Records (2006), track 15
Omni
  • Batterie – NatAural High Records (2007), tracks B1-B3

Awards

  • 2003 Australian Dance Music Awards – Nominee – Best Hip-Hop act[12]
  • 2003 Australian Dance Music Awards – Winner – Best Debut Artist[13]
  • 2003 Australian Dance Music Awards – Nominee – Best Album – Land of the Giants[12]
  • 2003 Australian Dance Music Awards – Nominee – Best Single – "Gifted Life"[12]
  • 2003 Australian Dance Music Awards – Nominee – Best Australian Hip Hop Act[12]
  • 2003 WAMi Awards – Winner – Most Popular Local Original Urban Music Act[14]
  • 2003 WAMi Awards – Winner – Most Popular Local Original Music Video – "El Questro"[14]
  • 2003 WAMi Awards – Winner – Most Popular Original Local Album – Land of the Giants[14]
  • 2005 WAMi Awards – Winner – Best Live Electronic Act[15]
  • 2005 WAMi Awards – Winner – Best Urban Music Act[15]
  • 2006 WAMi Awards – Winner – Best Urban Music Act[16]
  • 2007 WAMi Awards – Winner – Best Urban Music / Hip Hop Act[17]
  • 2008 WAMi Awards – Winner – Best Urban Music / Hip Hop Act[18]
  • 2016 WAM Song Of The Year - Buridya Mob - produced and facilitated by Optamus
  • 2017 WAM World Category - Akolkol Dastan Gesa produced and facilitated by Optamus
  • 2019 WAM Song Of The Year Runner Up- Kya Kyana - Lyrics by Flewnt and Graham Dixon produced by Optamus and Inspired by Robert and Selina Eggington (Dumbartung)
  • 2019 WAM Indigenous Category- Kya Kyana - Lyrics by Flewnt and Graham Dixon produced by Optamus and Inspired by Robert and Selina Eggington (Dumbartung)
  • 2019 WAM Hiphop/Urban Category- Kya Kyana - Lyrics by Flewnt and Graham Dixon produced by Optamus and Inspired by Robert and Selina Eggington (Dumbartung)


Guest appearances

  • 2001: "Lord of the Flies" (from Clandestien album, Clandestien)
  • 2002: "Have a Drink With Us" (from Hunter album, Done DL)
  • 2002: "Co-Conspiriters" (from Hunter album, Done DL)
  • 2002: "Jam Roll" (from Culture of Kings II, Hunter track)
  • 2005: "Dusty Fingers" (from Fdel album, Audiofdelity)

References

  1. 1 2 Schlechte, Ted (3 June 2010). "Optamus Primed". The West Australian. West Australian Newspapers. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  2. ↑ "Optamus". Discogs. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  3. ↑ "Funkola – Funkola". Certified Scribe. 22 July 2007. Archived from the original on 3 August 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  4. ↑ "Optamus launches album this weekend!". Heatseeker.com.au. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  5. 1 2 "DOBBY, Emily Wurramara, Kee'ahn, DRMNGNOW and more feature on song honouring the late Cassius Turvey". NME. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  6. ↑ Ho, Cason (18 November 2022). "Cassius Turvey funeral: hundreds mourn slain teenager and celebrate his life". ABC News. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Forever 15". Apple Music. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  8. ↑ Wilson-Smith, Nikki (22 April 2010). "Downsyde highlights the upside of Narrogin". ABC Great Southern WA. ABC. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  9. ↑ "Aboriginal Education". Governor Stirling Senior High School. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  10. ↑ "Out There Mullewa". Country Arts WA. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  11. ↑ Hayes, Josh (3 June 2010). "Optamus, Forever and a Day". No. 126. Xpress Magazine. p. 45. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  12. 1 2 3 4 2003 DMA Nominations
  13. ↑ "2003 Motorola DMA Winners Announced". Dance Music Awards. Dance Music Awards. 2003. Archived from the original on 8 February 2004. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  14. 1 2 3 2003 West Australian Music Industry Award Winners Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  15. 1 2 2005 West Australian Music Industry Award Winners Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ "WAMi AWARDS CONGRATULATIONS". WAMi Festival 2006. WAMi Festival. 2006. Archived from the original on 24 February 2006. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  17. ↑ 2007 West Australian Music Industry Award Winners Archived 22 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ 2008 West Australian Music Industry Award Winners Archived 28 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
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