The interview with  Straitjacket Symphony from Melbourne, live @ 24Moons on Thursday, June 11th for Emergenza Festival Australia:  


LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF YOUR BAND: WHEN WAS IT BORN AND HOW?

SJS: Straitjacket Symphony actually formed in 2013 after we (Rorshak and Skandal) went against each other in the battle rap arena. After battling,
we gained a mutual respect and decided to do a track together, which worked so well that we decided to work together as SJS.

WHAT ARE YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES?

SJS: We're influenced by a lot of underground MCs and crews from around the world, including Vinnie Paz and Jedi Mind Tricks, Rhyme Asylum, RA the Rugged Man and Necro, who we recently supported on the Melbourne leg of his national tour.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? TALK US ABOUT THE PECULIARITIES OF
YOUR MUSIC!

SJS: The best description of our style would be underground hardcore rap with an emphasis on wordplay and hard-hitting punchlines. We also lace many of our tracks with mythological, historical and pop culture references.

IS THERE A SONG THAT IS SPECIAL FOR YOU? IF SO, WHICH ONE AND WHY?

SJS: "Another Level" from our debut mixtape "Rhymes As Ammunition" is a personal favourite of ours. That track was originally going to be a solo
Skandal track with Rorshak as a guest vocalist, but we sat down and wrote the track together and decided that we should join forces to form
Straitjacket Symphony.

ON AVERAGE, HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND  PLAYING AND HOW CAN YOU BALANCE
THIS WITH YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE?

SJS: We spend quite a bit of time playing and working on our craft. We tend to play gigs every month and have had numerous local shows in short
periods, as well as travelling interstate to perform. Much of our time is dedicated to music, and Skandal is also a producer and runs a battle rap
league out of Melbourne (Warzone Battle League). We always manage to find time for music, as it is our greatest passion.

HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT EMERGENZA FESTIVAL AND WHY YOU DECIDED TO TAKE
PART IN IT?

SJS: We heard about Emergenza a couple of years ago, and it was something that had always interested us. After seeing some of the acts that have come through the festival, such as Nico and Vinz, we thought this competition would be a great opportunity for ourselves. We are always up for a
challenge, and love performing to new crowds!!

DOES THE COMPETITION WITH OTHER BANDS WORRY YOU OR GIVE YOU ENERGY?

SJS: As experienced battle rappers, we thrive off the thrill of competition. We are really looking forward to seeing how the crowd will
react to our music, especially given the diversity of the acts in the competition.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM EMERGENZA AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR FIRST EMERGENZA CONCERT?

SJS: We are excited to see how the competition unfolds and we're really looking forward to performing for some new faces. We feel that Emergenza has given us another opportunity to showcase our skills, and we are expecting a great experience in this competition!!

Wanna enrol your band in  Emergenza Festival Australia? Click here!