While the punk rocker's secret dream has always been to play in a jazz big band, he's recently been involved in a spate of hip hop remixes that have spun quickly into viral heroes.
His most recent offering? A hip-hop remix video to a hit US song "Low", originally created by southern rapper Flo Rida. His raw heavy drums helped promote the remix to a viral hit, which, in the less than a week since posting, has already scored more than 300,000 views on You Tube.
The Flo Rida remix comes after his 2007 project, which was to pound out a remake of Soulja Boy's "Crank That", much to the delight of more than 10 million fans, who watched it all go down on YouTube.
MTV US quoted Travis as saying: "The video is really just the recording process for the remix, and the Soulja Boy one is the actual take of that recording. I just thought people would be interested in seeing how it was done, and I never thought it would get as crazy as it has. Either an artist comes to me, or I'll approach an artist with a single I like and I feel I can do something with."
MTV US describes Travis' remixes as typically including "heavy rock guitars and keyboards laid over his dinosaur-stomp beats and cascade of cymbal crashes." In addition to his own unique makeover of Soulja Boy and Flo Rida, he's also notched up similar remixes for Pharrell ("Can I Have It Like That"), Rihanna ("Umbrella") and Rich Boy ("Throw Some D's") though without the highly-viewed, low budget vids.
Meanwhile, Travis is juggling all the positive viral activity, with ensuring he keeps the limits on a different kind of exposure. He's suing the manufacturers of an energy drink, Rock Star, for using his name and image without his permission. Rock Star allegedly used a photo of Travis during a 2007 internet campaign, without telling the drummer about it.
Trav's seeking compensatory and punitive damages, to ensure that they don't do something so wicked and well, rule-breaking again. It sounds just like the kinda thing a rock star would do!
Copyright : MTV Australia
