ArPlayggio Dec ’22: A Collection Of Space Pop, ’90s House, Singlish Noise Rock & More
Plug into our final ArPlayggio of the year (Credit: Various sources)
Aside from the unstoppable revival of parties, another observation that embellished the terrain of 2022 was the ceaseless cycle of material from local producers and songwriters. In this last ArPlayggio piece of the year, we bump up tracks from the housey finesse of Halal Sol, the spritzy power pop of Sobs, the Singlish experiments of ARE, the dynamic duo of Chok Kerong and Vanessa Fernandez and several others. Listen and loop – here are your tracks to check out this month.
Halal Sol takes another housey turn (Credit: Samuel Foo)
Halal Sol – How Many
Halal Sol is back with another classic house rodeo that harks back to the ’90s; a timeless sound that he’s effortlessly mastered. Pulsating with tight kicks and splashy cymbals, this dancefloor bomber brandishes modulated r&b vocals that add heat and warm, jazzy chords that’ll make you sweat. The unswerving producer also does our city proud on this one, releasing this track on Glaswegian label, Lava Lava.
Read our interview feature with Halal Sol.
Sobs have never sounded fresher (Credit: Christopher Sim)
Sobs – Air Guitar
Picture yourself jumping on a bed in your PJs nailing an imaginary guitar solo – that’s the vibe of “Air Guitar”. The scene darlings return with a new raved-about album after years of studio time, brandishing a title track that’s unbridled, in-your-face power pop. There’s hard-hitting impact in its buoyant mood, felt from the piece’s mighty melodies, fanged chords and Celine Autumn’s signature sass.
Listen to the full new album by Sobs on their Bandcamp page.
ARNT blasts off with a space-themed ballad (Credit: Thulium Records)
ARNT – Seeing Things (Life On The Moon)
The electronica producer tugs at the theme of loss, even when it’s drifting away into the cosmos. ARNT pens a neo-ballad inspired by tropes from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners; a synth-pop spacewalk that orbits around constellations of melodies and beats with gravitas, all while transmitting his androidian yet saccharine vocals.
Listen to our 15-Min Flash Mix with ARNT.
Mervin Wong and Sal have worked on a whole album together (Credit: Christopher Sim)
Mervin Wong Feat. Sal – Gap
Pried off their collaborative album, Late Bloomer – three-and-a-half years in the making – “Gap” is an enigma that’s both wondrous and grim, light and shadow, human and machine. It’s driven by spry, impassioned verses rapped by the eloquent Sal, and backed by Mervin’s cavernous electronic structure filled with stalactites of synths and strings.
Read our interview feature with Mervin Wong (FKA Planeswalker).
This is Shazza’s fourth release of the year (Credit: Courtesy of Shazza)
Shazza – Right Person, Wrong Time
How do you deal with heartbreak that oozes from the euphoria of first love? Shazza takes the life lesson in her stride by channelling her storm of emotions on this euphonious, smile-inducing pop that ticks all the boxes – sticky hooks, spick and span production, and an arresting vocal performance flaunting star-powered timbre and seamless range.
Read our Rising Arp feature with Shazza.
Sun Cell has had a flourishing 2022 (Credit: Russell Goh)
Sun Cell – Away
Wrapping up a fruitful year, Sun Cell has certainly made his debut felt with a battering string of releases in his catalogue. Aptly, he keeps the momentum going with this cruising road trip number, steered by serene synths and sprightly guitar riffs that underline its themes of bittersweet growth. A definite looper for those who favour the drifty, dreamy sway of bands like Beach Fossils and Day Wave.
Read our Rising Arp feature with Sun Cell.
ARE is the experimental, Singlish-inclined duo of Mark Chua and Lam Li Shuen (Credit: Courtesy of ARE)
ARE – Siao Kia Syndrome
“I’m a siao guy is it / You’re a siao guy is it”. Straddling the line between satire and social commentary, the bizarre output of experimental rock outfit, ARE, refuses to compromise. A self-declared stab at Singaporean meritocracy, the experimental piece wields jesterly outbursts spewing colloquial utterances and filtered, lo-fi instrumentation dapped with subtle noisetronica textures.
Listen to ARE’s new album on their Bandcamp page.
Two titans of the industry have come together (Credit: Paul Seow, Jensen Ching)
Chok Kerong & Vanessa Fernandez – Cry
“Cry” presents a polished and beefy excursion paved on the unpredictable road of jazz by two industry powerhouses, with detours that swerve into terrains of neo-soul and hip-hop. With its melange of curveball chords and charismatic vocalwork – including svelte, gospely harmonies from weish – it’s a foray of excellence standing on the shoulders of masters.
Follow Chok Kerong on his Instagram page. Read our interview feature with Vanessa Fernandez.
Brannlum stays true to the path he’s chosen (Credit: Courtesy of Brannlum)
Brannlum – Destiny
There lies a captivating duality of organic and digital nuances in “Destiny”, the latest excursion from producer, Brannlum. On one hand you’ve got humanised touches of acoustic guitar strums and choppy punk-styled chords, and on the other, you have sweeping tidal wave synths and overblown electronic breakbeats that add a climatic dimension. It’s a clashing duel that fits the subject matter of the piece, regarding its author’s struggle about sticking to his chosen path in spite of social pressure.
Follow Brannlum on his Instagram page.
