Emerging Electronica: Discover The Scene’s Future Trailblazers At Sound Port Clarke Quay

Shye, brb. and YAØ are some of the young acts playing at Sound Port Clarke Quay (Credit: Sound Port Clarke Quay)

Save for large-scale music festivals like Baybeats and opening slots for international bookings, it’s fairly rare for homegrown musicians to get their moment in the sun. Instead, a lot of these burgeoning innovators, who often start out in the privacy of their bedrooms, find fame seeping in through Internet uploads and Spotify streams, which, in turn, translate into radio plays or interview features. Performances, however, are more sporadic. 

So when a three-day gig series like Sound Port Clarke Quay comes along, solely dedicated to the promotion of these limelight-deserving artistes, it becomes a ripe opportunity for them to widen their world. Making a splash from 14 to 16 November at the Fountain Square of Clarke Quay, Sound Port Clarke Quay grants these musicians a sizeable audience from all walks of life, naturally flocking to the nightlife destination for their entertainment fix – it helps that the event is free too.

MYRNE made history by being the first Singaporean to play at Ultra Festival in Miami (Credit: Sound Port Clarke Quay)

The talent on the bill is noteworthy, and if you haven’t already heard of these scene-shakers, you will now. MYRNE headlines this spectacle with his festival-ready weaponry; crystal-clear anthems that’ve made him the first Singaporean to be signed by Ultra Records and Diplo’s Mad Decent imprint. He is joined by a new wave of wunderkinds – Shye, a 17-year-old indie-pop starlet who’s the winner of 2018’s Vans Musicians Wanted competition; and YAØ, crowned the “New Kid On The Block” at this year’s Singapore Youth Music Awards with his velvety alt-r&b artistry in tow. Topping off this momentum of new faces is the equally smooth suavity of brb., a pop-friendly supergroup comprising Auzaie Zie (Disco Hue), Clarence Liew Oliveiro (CLO) and Marc Lian (TRICK). 

A/K/A Sounds and Duumu from France are amongst the scheduled acts (Credit: Sound Port Clarke Quay)

Aside from this batch of fresh-faced virtuosos, young French producer, Duumu (who recently moved to Singapore), amps up the programming with his multi-faceted compositions, lugging influences from future bass and synth-pop. And on the last day, this gig will also be graced by the electronic scene’s beloved spitfire, A/K/A Sounds (ATTAGIRL! / BAOW BAOW), who you can find dropping bass-leaning ditties for parties like Kampong Boogie.

You’ll find this gig in the middle of this stunning location (Credit: Flickr / Erwin Soo)

Enhancing the nocturnal habitat with both sounds and sights, Sound Port Clarke Quay is slated to construct an environment that dazzles as much as these artistes’ blooming star power. These include an infinity optical-illusion mirror hypercube, holographic photo walls, and hanging neon-lit geometry; all flamboyant décor in line with the electronic theme of this inaugural event. Come down and experience it all for yourself, and you might just find yourself becoming a fan of local music all over again.

Sound Port Clarke Quay, 14-16 November 2019 (media preview on 14th), 7pm-11.30pm, Clarke Quay Fountain Square, 3 River Valley Road, Singapore 179024. Entry is free. For more information on the lineup, visit the official event website.