The Sound Of Silence: Recorded Music No Longer Allowed In F&B Establishments

Progress? What progress? (Credit: Dmitry Demidov)

The devastating ‘Phase 2 (Heightened Alert)’ is beginning to slip away, but there’s hardly any room for celebration yet. Its aftermath is dragging along new circumstances of uncertainty that aren’t doing favours for an already damaged sector of Singapore’s music climate.

Fortunately for F&B establishments, dine-ins may resume from 21 June 2021 for groups of two. However, it’s been announced that no recorded music will be allowed in these premises, in order to reduce the risk of transmissions while diners are eating. If you recall the sequence of developments, this is a step backwards from the former rule whereby recorded music was still allowed at a volume level no greater than 60 decibels. This new restriction cuts off this progress completely, and in the grander scale of things, adds more doubt to the revival of DJs and electronic music culture in Singapore.

Local beach clubs like these will suffer without music (Credit: Courtesy of Matty Wainwright)

While it was always deemed a problematic format, the allowance of recorded music provided a possible workaround. In my article with Matty Wainwright from The DJ Dispensary, he revealed a government-approved solution where DJs and music curators could enhance the ambience of a place with personally handpicked music in real-time, albeit one with plenty of caveats. Despite its limitations, it was a proposal that carried promise – at least, until the revelation of this latest development that brutally buries it.

Music selection is key in defining the personality and vibe of an F&B establishment, and taking away that element would leave a gaping hole. The right music direction adds grit to a divey waterhole, familiarity to a heritage restaurant, or warmth to a candlelit dinner. Removing this layer of expression dampens the overall consumer experience, and affects the workflow of music consultants who show dedication and discernment in their work.

Clubs like NINTEEN80 rely on their musical identity to stand out, especially since transitioning into the F&B industry (Credit: A Phat Cat Collective)

This elimination of recorded music also affects numerous nightspots that had no choice but to convert into F&B establishments for their survival. With zero possibility of loud music and DJ performances, recorded sets became their way of sustaining their persona and brand, holding the fort while waiting for the elusive restoration of club performances. Without this channel to express their musical ethos, this smears the distinguishing factor for many of these nightspots, causing them to potentially lose their edge in an already competitive environment.

Even if this approach ends up being momentary, its enactment is extremely telling of the authorities’ stance on music – that it’s essentially just not as important.