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ABOUT

Rhyan Clapham (P.K.A. DOBBY) is a composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. A proud Filipino and Murrawarri musician, whose family is from Murrawarri and Ngemba Lands, DOBBY effortlessly traverses the classical, contemporary hip-hop and traditional music worlds, to create a sound that is wholly his own. DOBBY was also selected for the inaugural APRA AMCOS NATSIMO Screen Composer Intensive 2022

Having recently composed on the SBS drama ‘Erotic Stories’ and the upcoming feature documentary ‘WINHANGANHA’, DOBBY is fast becoming one of the most dynamic and exciting young composers in the country.

DOBBY composed all the soundscapes for PARRTJIMA 2021 & 2022 in Alice Springs, NT, and his music was the driving force behind Australia's first 500-strong drone show, Elevate Sydney 2022 & 2023. DOBBY's music is more than just entertainment; his song 'I CAN'T BREATHE' won Best Video at the FBi SMAC Awards in 2020 and has become an anthem for Australia's Bla(c)k Lives Matter movement and is used in schools to educate students on the struggles faced by marginalised communities.

DOBBY is the 2017 recipient of the bi-annual Peter Sculthorpe Fellowship, and released WARRANGU; River Story, the outcome of this fellowship.

Rhyan studied classical piano and achieved AMEB grade 6 and grade 2 musicianship. At age 14, he learned jazz drumkit, and in 2012 performed as part of the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music in California and Nevada, USA. Rhyan has completed a Bachelor of Music at the University of NSW, and an Indigenous Studies Honours (focusing on Aboriginal Hip Hop music) in 2015.

To view DOBBY's bio, check out here

HIGHLIGHTS
NIMA Archie Roach Foundation Award (2022)
Selected for APRA AMCOS NATSIMO Screen Composer Intensive (2022)
Best Video for “I CAN'T BREATHE” at the FBi SMAC Awards (2020)
Composed for ‘Rebel With A Cause’ (SBS 2024)
Composed for SBS series ‘Erotic Stories’, episode ‘Powerful Owl’ (2023)
Composed for WINHANGANHA (2023)
Composed the music behind Australia’s first 500-strong drones show - Elevate Sydney (2022 & 2023)
Composed soundscapes for PARRTJIMA (2021 & 2022)
Performed extensively locally and internationally, including PARRTJIMA Festival (NT), BIGSOUND (QLD), the Sydney Opera House and more.

Releases

Here is a sample of works DOBBY has composed over the years through varied mediums, initiatives, and commissions.

SCREEN

2024 - NITV Docuseries Rebel With A Cause, (SBS)

2024 - Re-FUNCTION, composed for (cf) Feras Shaheen (The Australian Ballet, Dance)

2024 - What You Gonna Do, Trailblazers Matildas Documentary, (STAN)

2023 - TV series Erotic Stories, episode ‘Powerful Owl’, (SBS)

2023 - WINHANGANHA, (Jazz Money, National Film and Sound Archive)

2022 - Marringa Lullaby, cf Emily Wurramara, (ABC KIDS)

2022 - Ball On Em, (NBA2K, Gaming)

STAGE

2024 - Crossing the Divide, (Shock Therapy Arts)

2023 - Pat Malone’s Magic Garden, (Shock Therapy Arts)

2022 - Cutta and Coota, (Moogahlin Performing Arts)

2022 - Jurrungu Ngan-Ga, Co-Composer, (Marrugeku)

2021 - BLAK (2021 New Year’s Eve Fireworks, Performance)

2019 - The Weekend, Co-composer, (Moogahlin Performing Arts, Sydney Festival)

COMMISSIONS

2022 - History Memory Power, National Museum of Australia (Canberra Symphony Orchestra)

2022 - Susie Q ft. Jackie Brown Jr,(Wise Music Group, Chess Records)

2020 - 1770, written and performed on Henrion Piano, (ANU School of Music, ABC Music)

2019 - Drum Dreamer, (Ensemble Offspring)

2019 - We Have Survived, Deadly Hearts 2 (ABC Music)

2018 - Talk To Me I’m Listening, (Ngarra Burria First People’s Composers, ANU School of Music)

2017 - Pitara Yaan Muruwariki, (Ngarra Burria First People’s Composers, ANU School of Music)

INSTALLATIONS

2023 - ELEVATE Sydney Drone Show

2022 - ELEVATE Sydney Drone Show

2022 - Cairns Festival - City Lights

2022 - PARRTJIMA Festival (6 light installations, and MacDonnell Ranges Light Show)

2021 - Cairns Festival - City Lights

2021 - PARRTJIMA Festival (6 light installations)

2018 - Blak Box, Co-composer, (Daniel Browning, Urban Theatre Projects)

INDEPENDENT RELEASES

2024 - WARRANGU; River Story (CreateNSW Peter Sculthorpe Fellowship, ABC Music)

2024 - UNTIL WE’RE ALL FREE, collaboration track, w. Sereen, BVT, L-FRESH The LION and More)

2022 - That’s Not Me ft. L-FRESH The LION

2022 - Walk Away ft. The Merindas

2022 - Forever 15, collaboration track, w. Emma Donovan, DRMNGNOW, Fred Leone and More

2020 - I Can’t Breathe ft. BARKAA

2018 - The DOBBY E.P.

PUBLICATIONS

“I Got the Mics On, My People Speak”: On the Rise of Aboriginal Australian Hip Hop (Rhyan Clapham & Ben Kelly) Journal Of Hip Hop Studies in Virginia Commonwealth University (Virginia, USA) https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/jhhs/vol6/iss2/18/

Decolonising Aussie Hip-Hop (Ben Kelly & Rhyan Clapham) Journal of Hip-Hop, Culture, and Education (DIO Press) Toronto, CA https://www.booktopia.com.au/in-this-together-audrey-hudson/book/9781645040040.html

DOBBY - COMPOSER PRESS KIT

ABOUT

PHOTOS

VIDEOS

MUSIC

Releases

CONTACTS

DOBBY - COMPOSER PRESS KIT

ABOUT

PHOTOS

VIDEOS

MUSIC

SOCIALS

Releases

CONTACTS