Hailing originally from Warkworth, Bobandii is a one man project inspired by acts like Chance The Rapper and Bon Iver. Silas McClintock sings, raps, writes, mixes and masters his own projects from his Auckland bedroom.
“I was about 18 when I started picking up beats, and three years ago is when I started working on vocals. I dropped a song called Daffodils and it was the first track I properly sang on. At that point I was like, ‘Oh snap, my voice can actually do something as per the usual jokey raps.’ I was 19 going on 20 when I started raps and vocals. I’m 22 now.”
McClintock picked up his music through rock bands at a young age before he discovered beat making.
“I learnt the guitar growing up, I was all about trying to be this crazy lead guitarist and I wanted to get good at it, but I never got that good.
As I started making beats I was tired of trying to piece it together without any musical knowledge, so I tried to pick up the keys and I’ve been learning the keys for about a year now. All self-taught!
“The first track I made was Gardens, about a year ago, and at that point I knew I wanted to save up beats for something bigger than a Soundcloud single, but I had no idea what I was doing really. I felt like it was about time to give a project that says I’m here to stay. I picked my favourite tracks from 22 that I had.”
Bobandii’s ‘Of The Forest’ mixtape appeared online with a teaser video that gained nearly 5000 views within a month. ‘Of The Forest’ is a 13-track project that really is as conceptually cohesive and versatile as a Bon Iver record. It’s an ambitious project melding together hip hop, soul, ambient and folk with guest features from Olivia Collier and Pearl McClintock.
“She’s my sister and she was 15 last year when we recorded those vocals.”
The debut mixtape is influenced by critically acclaimed producers Flying Lotus and Mr Carmack.
“Mr Carmack was the producer that made me go, ‘Damn, I wanna make beats,” McClintock enthuses.
In regards to the future Bobandii doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. Currently studying for a degree in Creative Technology he plans to keep writing music through it, and has picked up videography and web development as options.
“I want to have the financial freedom to attack projects beyond music and create a trans-media world. In terms of Bobandii, I’m just going to shoot as high as I can.”
