O$P$ Fuse Geylang Crunk And The Metamoverse With Their New Crossover Single

Benedict Teo and Race Krehel continue their Geylang Crunk story as O$P$ (Credit: Courtesy of O$P$)

The peculiar story of Geylang Crunk finally has a new chapter. The quirky musical ethos had people scratching their heads 10 years ago when it was first coined by the non-conforming duo of O$P$. Geylang Crunk – a mish-mash genre combining crunk, trap and bass – became synonymous with the identity of the urban-sprawling twosome, formed by Benedict Teo (FKA Zushan) and Race Krehel (FKA Master Race). The formation of O$P$ was their gritty love letter to Singapore’s notorious red light district, and through the years, they fleshed out their vision through a string of releases that fused art and music. O$P$ was never your orthodox musical outfit, and it shows in the pathway of their evolution.

Benedict and Race seen here with fellow co-founder of Metamo Industries, Taketo Kobayashi (Credit: Courtesy of Metamo Industries)

With their multi-disciplinary expertise and aptitude for world-building, Benedict and Race – together with Taketo Kobayashi (AKA Humanoise) – would go on to co-found Metamo Industries, a collective of branding-savvy creatives who help stories unfold with their imaginative ‘psyberpunk’ aesthetic. Soon after, Benedict and Race would start yet another side project dubbed Benedict & Palmer, an outlet that’s shown an inclination for old-school progressive house with their debut single released in December 2021. All of these pursuits would eventually culminate in a comeback transition towards their original partnership, O$P$, and this revival begins with a brand new single.

Titled “LAZARUS”, the instrumental piece is worlds apart from the bass-conscious electronica that they first toyed with. Instead what ensues is a heady ambient-inclined lullaby of cosmic chimes, synth hums and gossamer pads. The fantasy becomes complete with a moody, noir-tinted saxophone solo from Kaye, evoking the placid imagery of dim, neon-washed streets. Despite its urban, Vangelis-esque temperament, the track’s tranquil tonality actually takes cues from the nearby getaway destination, Lazarus Island, except they have adopted this idea of escape into “an ephemeral journey through time and space”, which they describe aptly.

If you’ve heard this composition before, it’s probably because you’ve recently spent some time laid out on the lawn facing National Gallery Singapore, gazing as it transforms into a spellbinding display of trippy projection mapping. While released under O$P$, “LAZARUS” is an excerpt from the seven-minute cinematic soundscape piece that the two produced and arranged as Benedict & Palmer, which was commissioned by the National Gallery Singapore for REFRACTIONED by Artskins on Monuments for Light to Night Festival 2022.

The new single was part of this iconic display at the Light To Night Festival (Credit: Light To Night Festival)

“LAZARUS” is the first time O$P$ has self-released their material; their past repertoire had been featured on labels like Phyla Digital, So Solid Records and Syndicate. It also marks the beginning of a hypetrain that leads up to their long-awaited full-length, which will integrate their Geylang Crunk story with their self-constructed METAMOVERSE as part of their Metamo Industries umbrella. The implications of this multiversal union is a complete mystery at this point, but judging from their ever-experimental antics, it’s something that’s going to be out of this world.