Darker Than Wax: The Seasoned Singaporean Label That Brews A Perfect Party

Kaye and William J are two key members of the Darker Than Wax label

The aroma of coffee wafts through the air, loose chatter lingers, a temple bell chimes in the distance, and to top it all off, the juddering grooves of funk and disco echo all around. If this doesn’t sound like a typical club rave to you, you’re right, it isn’t. This lively concoction is the manifestation of BREW, a seasonal series organised by the forward-thinking Darker Than Wax crew.

Darker Than Wax is not a name unfamiliar to the scene. Punters salute it as a collective of promoters, pushing jig-rousing events such as Artifacts and the aforementioned BREW. But the reputation of Darker Than Wax reverberates beyond this role, one that’s renowned also by musicians not just locally, but beat-makers all around the world.

Co-founder of the label, Funk Bast*rd

At its core, Darker Than Wax is a global label that started in 2011, co-founded by Dean Chew (AKA Funk Bast*rd) who possesses an architectural background. Through the years, he has, too, been the savvy architect of the imprint as its chief A&R, pushing nascent talents – from the States, Europe, Australia and more – on this side of the planet. Not shabby at all, for a DIY label in a country that’s practically invisible on the map.

“The core values have more or less stayed the same,” affirms Dean on the label’s evolution. “Once you have that solid foundation, you can have room to be malleable and shift with the changing times, but it will never cloud our decision-making process or dilute the spirit of the label.”

Indeed, while the label remains consistent in credibility and quality, change is a constant when it comes to its ever-expanding influence. In addition to endorsements from industry authorities like Gilles Peterson and Lefto, and collaborations with brands like G-Shock, Darker Than Wax recently snagged a top-notch distribution deal with the esteemed Berlin label, !K7 Records.

“With our new press and distribution deal with the legendary !K7, it has given us the perfect infrastructure to release music on vinyl, which also means that we are incredibly selective with what we put out right now.” Dean reveals how the partnership has shaped his talent-hunting process. “I probably get around 10 to 15 submissions on a fortnight basis. There's really an incredible amount of work that goes behind the scene in putting out a release, which I think isn't privy to people, unless you really take a dive and start doing it yourself.”

Despite the label’s worldwide reach, Dean’s advocacy of cutting-edge artistes is just as strident when it comes to producers back home. Halal Sol, FZPZ and Bongomann are just some of the emerging local discoveries that the imprint has backed. “It's always been around us,” Dean remarks about the local producer circuit. “But currently, I do feel that this particular breed is learning at a rapid rate – they listen to a wide range of music, and their exploration processes are very interesting.”

Marco Weibel is currently based in New York, assisting the label in overseas operations

Like any thriving business, boosts in activity call for expansions in its team, and sure enough, the Darker Than Wax family has grown over the years. Aside from Dean himself, its current core ensemble includes Kaye (also the co-founder of the label), Rah, William J, Daryl Knows, E R I, and Marco Weibel – all of whom are recognisable names and seasoned selectors-slash-producers in the scene. Together, this all-star collective has turned the label into a full-fledged entity, with key roles encompassing overseas operations, merchandise, content, public relations, and especially, events.

Which brings us back to BREW. What Darker Than Wax has done positively with BREW is educate and expose quality electronic music to a new generation of punters, while appeasing the discerning ‘old-timers’ who are well-acquainted with the longstanding prestige of the label. And it’s done this, not within any glitzy club space or conventional habitat with a dancefloor, but at a chic cafe serving cuppas along the streets of Jalan Besar, Chye Seng Huat Hardware.

“The courtyard of Chye Seng Huat Hardware has a certain energy that makes you feel extremely comfortable – it's almost like a womb. As soon as you step into that space, you strip yourself bare of all pre-conceived notions and simply exist,” Dean shares his thoughts on the appeal of BREW’s birthplace. The cafe is a charming locale for such daytime parties, cradling guests within a congenial, urban ambience; a bustling haven from normal life just beyond its rusting gates. Parties should always be an escape, and BREW provides this transition instantaneously in a place you’d least expect.

And then you notice the people around you. You don’t see pretentious chin-strokers or money-flashing VIPS, nor do you see a crowd dominated by one type of demographic. Like a perfect cup of coffee, the crowd at Darker Than Wax parties is always a balanced one, and brimming with effervescence and colour. A good vibe is its key ingredient.

“We are always about the vibe,” Dean elaborates. “Of course, this word has been spun in so many meaningless ways, but for us, the vibe has a deeper dimension to it. It's the butter that shapes what we do, and that butter is defined simply by our desire to share a diverse range of music and sounds with the community.”

“We are never interested in classifications, and will never fall into the trap of playing one particular genre of music. When you do that, you already become an oxymoron of your original intention, which is to connect with people through music. And with the wealth of knowledge at one's disposal, the younger generation becomes more and more aware of what they listen to, and when they do hit our parties, they get a collage – and that collage becomes addictive.”

Since its inception in 2017, BREW has continued to stir the scene every two months or so, but in between, one can easily spot the Darker Than Wax name buzzing around. Take Dean’s Artifacts series, for instance – a personal labour of love that unearths forgotten Asian music from the late ’60s to the early ’80s, and a platform to raise awareness and bridge gaps within the musical zeitgeist that exists universally, according to its originator.

Not to mention, the label’s regular collaborations with other fellow promotion crews like Ice Cream Sundays and Kampong Boogie, pushing open-format parties that guarantee a good shimmy. “It's usually a gut feeling to be honest,” Dean explains on how he chooses the label’s collaborators. “Musically, it has to make sense too, of course, but we also value humility and attention to detail. The guys from Ice Cream Sundays, for example, possess those qualities. Sometimes, your instincts are your best teachers.”

It is these instincts that have made Dean such a respected figure in the industry, as he always finds ways to break the mold, while doing so humbly and full of heart. Couple all that with an extraordinary work ethic, and you have a pioneer who’s instrumental in changing the game. But naturally, like most human beings, this drive doesn’t come without the need for preservation.

“I am driven by the constant need to see something materialise from the essence of an idea, and that extends to almost every single aspect of my life. Trust me though, it can be both a blessing and a curse at times. Like anyone else, I do go through certain moments of self-doubt – the inevitability of comparison and so on – but years of regular meditation and observing the way I breathe have really helped me navigate through rough currents,” Dean shares his thoughts on self-care through the hustle.

The community spirit of Darker Than Wax starts first from within: its family (Credit: Samuel Foo)

Having this awareness has far from limited the momentum of Darker Than Wax, but it has made it a sustainable, unstoppable force that’s racked up milestone after milestone – from full-blown block parties along Jalan Besar to overseas gigs in London and Croatia.

“Darker Than Wax is a piece of the global jigsaw. We are merely navigating and inserting ourselves where the energy allows us to do so. But I do also take pride in the fact that a small imprint from a tiny island can leave a certain mark.”

That mark of Darker Than Wax is unmistakable and triumphant, and it is proof – if it can stem from a small place like this – that the Singaporean scene is truly brewing with life.

For more information on Darker Than Wax, its releases and upcoming events, visit its official website.