Brisbane beat-producers Daniel ‘Monster Monster’ Wright and Cameron ‘Saint Surly’ Rutter will be presenting at this year’s Unconvention Brisbane. The pair have been gigging around Brisbane for a few years, and are well-placed within the local hip hop scene.

Saint Surly says Unconvention Brisbane is "about a sustainable sort of industry, not just people making it big and pissing off.” Monster Monster agrees: "it’s looking at success, and what that means, but not necessarily going platinum.”

Both are mostly self-taught, with an obsession with music, in particular the intricacies of beat construction fuelling their desire to create instrumental hip hop, a niche segment.

“I got into hip hop as a pimply teenager, it was the sounds that I was really interested in, and how it was constructed,” says Saint Surly. Monster Monster agrees, “I’ve always screwed around a bit with music, and when I finally got a computer and some software I could track out some ideas.”

The duo cites the Beastie Boys as major influences during these formative years, as well as other 90s hip hop. A recent trip to India turned into a scouting opportunity, with Monster Monster bringing back a few Bollywood records that is broadening their musical references and igniting their creativity - “the different types of reverb and compression, and other things that colour the sounds are amazing.”

Working together since 2007, the duo released their debut album Out of the Woodwork under the Videorama label last year, with a follow-up slated for early 2012. They are appearing on a panel entitled ‘We Don’t Play Guitars’, organised largely by Alex Yabsley, of Dot.AY fame. The theme of the discussion is music coming out of Brisbane that is not guitar-driven, and how to continue to be innovative, using laptops, turntables, synths and bent circuitboards.

According to Monster Monster this is a welcome topic, given that while there is a lot of support for indie rock bands in Brisbane, “there’s maybe not so much with the beat and electronic-drive kind of thing.” 

“It will be interesting to see what people say, and the differences between us all,” adds Saint Surly.

The We Don’t Play Guitars panel is on Sunday 12 June 1pm to 2:30pm at The Edge, in the Southbank precinct. Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au.  

Saint Surly and Monster Monster can be heard on Rusted Satellites on 4ZZZ. Check out www.monstermonster.com.au and www.saintsurly.com for dates of upcoming shows.