Mysterious Sydney producer ROYBOY has been named as the winner of triple j Unearthed’s inaugural DIY Supergroup, taking out the honour thanks to the release of their track “switchUP”.
Announced back in April, triple j’s Unearthed initiative provided collab-hungry musicians with an opportunity to create some musical masterpieces thanks to the wonders of technology.
Dubbed the DIY Supergroup, the competition saw a number of big-name Aussie musicians offer up samples and loops of their own tracks for users to download, remix, and create something beautiful with.
In addition to guitar loops from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, and Tash Sultana, musicians were offered bars from Tkay Maidza, drum fills from G Flip, and classic sounds from Flume. Other artists featured in the downloadable sample pack included The Jungle Giants, Middle Kids, and the world-beating Amy Shark.
Just a couple of weeks ago, triple j announced the five finalists who had made the cut, with the likes of EAST AV3, JEFFE, JIM ALXNDR, and Wolfjay all in contention.
However, it’s now been revealed that the winning track was released by mysterious Sydney producer ROYBOY, whose tune “switchUP” managed to blow the other acts out of the water.
Featuring samples from the likes of Tame Impala, G Flip, Flume, and Amy Shark, ROYBOY spoke to triple j’s Sally & Erica this morning via voice modulator to discuss the approach they took to the track.
“The way we went about it was very experimental and we didn’t know what it would end up sounding like,” the mysterious musician explained. “But by the time we ended up uploading it we sorta just crossed our fingers and we were like ‘we had fun making it so whatever happens happens’ and yeah… here we are!”
“As well as slick production and the outrageous personality coming through on the track, ROYBOY’s entry for this comp won us over by really nailing the mission statement of the DIY Supergroup,” explained triple j Unearthed Music Director Dave Ruby Howe.
“They’ve used elements from some of Australia’s biggest names but done it in a way that feels wholly their own and the end result is a destructive alley oop of a track.”
While there’s no word yet as to when we’ll receive more music from ROYBOY (or information regarding their identity), it’s clear that this Sydney producer might just be one to watch for the future.
