11 Musicians & Bands Shaking Our Scene
When you have developments like Charlie Lim revamping National Day songs and .gif landing gigs in Europe, it’s mighty clear that the Singaporean music scene’s in a good shape. Milestones and hoorahs like these naturally pave the way for musically-inclined youngbloods to step out of their shells and bedroom studio caves. And as each year scoots by, the wave of musicians to crash upon the shores of SoundCloud and Bandcamp gets more effervescent and ill-defined – carving a topography of fresh, astounding talent just waiting to be discovered.
Here are just some unearthed gems to watch out for.
Mars B – she’s got soul (Credit: Donn Tan Zheng Yu)
Mars B
While singer-songwriters in the scene are a dime a dozen, this one, in particular, stands out resplendently. Mentored by Vanessa Fernandez in the Noise Music Mentorship programme of 2016, Mars Bamadhaj possesses a sleek, soulful aura that entrances. Her vocal control is impeccable, effortlessly segueing between legato-glued slurs and delicate vibratos, with a warm tone that’s loungey and sassy all at once. Her 2018 EP, Still, is one tingly stunner.
Listen to: “Still”.
No one set of Mantravine is ever the same (Credit: Shiori Ori Photography)
Mantravine
If you’ve already had the privilege of catching a Mantravine set, good on you. Like sonic surfers, these contemporary artisans know no borders while travelling with their songcraft, true to their identity as a collective of world electronic music. With a colourful, rotational lineup, they sculpt soundscapes with everything from violins and trombones to hang drums and didjeridoos, grounded by shamanic vocals that have carried the voice of Mantravine to countries like New Zealand and Germany. One can only guess where the sounds of Mantravine will transport you next.
Listen to: “Arambha”.
Sangriento is larger than life in sound and showmanship (Credit: Peegion Photography)
Sangriento
Sangriento is a beast that’s adopted several incarnations in its changing line-up. While this symphonic metal band – that takes inspiration from the theatrical likes of Nightwish – first materialised in 2010, it revealed a new breath of life with a Baybeats gig in 2018 showcasing chugging guitars, ostentatious synths and operatic, vibrato-ringing vocals. The flamboyant, costume-clad ensemble launched a concept album, Blood Pact, earlier this year, thematically set in a “post-apocalyptic steampunk wasteland”.
Listen to: “Legion”.
Sobs is showing no signs of slowing down (Credit: Chris Sim)
Sobs
Being the indie darlings that they are, Sobs has had a momentous run that racked up countless dynamite gigs, tours in the region and a shimmering debut album, Telltale Signs, launched by local label, Middle Class Cigars. Now a staple of the scene, the trio continues to enrapture without excess exuberance, making their brand of dream-pop sound effortless with nonchalant lo-fi nuances and swaggery riff-rich guitars. Anchored by the breezy, pristine vocals of Celine Autumn, Sobs is a ray of sunshine that quells any dim cynicism in the scene.
Listen to: “Girl”.
brb. is bringing the allure of pop back (Credit: brb. Facebook page)
brb.
Now here’s a head-turning group that’s lately slid into the social channels of millennial musos. Another dream team, brb. consists of Clarence Liew, Marc Lian and Auzaie Zie; who have made marks in the scene respectively as CLO, one-half of TRICK, and keyboardist of Disco Hue. As a trio, brb. brings smooth, palatable pop to the table. Their tunes tease round-edged synths bouncing amidst clappy, urban beats, all bolstering bewitching r&b tones that would get most hooked.
Listen to “Can’t Tell”.
The rise of Coming Up Roses has been a blooming one (Credit: Ethan Hariyono)
Coming Up Roses
Originally an acoustic covers duo, Coming Up Roses has since evolved into a full-fledged alt-rock quartet with infectious numbers easy on the ears. Their tracks expose unruly guitar-thrashing segments that would make shoegazers look up, embellished with heartfelt, sing-a-long lyrics that would summon a sea of lighters at gigs. Coming Up Roses launches their debut mini-ablum, Waters, later this year. Check out my interview with Coming Up Roses.
Listen to: “Lies”.
Has Don.A.A.Ron gotten your attention? (Credit: Don.A.A.Ron Facebook page)
Don.A.A.Ron
The obsession with retro aesthetics isn’t going away anytime soon, and this burgeoning producer vaunts this unabashedly. Aside from his penchant for vintage promo materials, the enigmatic producer creates nostalgic time capsules in vaporwave form. From chubby synthwave-y bass notes to reverb-drowned keyboards you could imagine on Flashdance, the elements Don.A.A.Ron applies in his throwback choons are a delight to relish no matter what era you’re from. He’s also remixed for the likes of Jasmine Sokko and M1LDL1FE.
Listen to: “<3”.
Enter the intimate yet idyllic imagination of Causeway Youth (Credit: Basil Tan)
Causeway Youth
There’s always an appeal for dreamy, echo-coated guitars that you can imagine cruising along to on a somnambulant Sunday afternoon. Dishing out such a languid soundtrack is Causeway Youth, the duo of Jazreel-Anne (on vocals and rhythm guitar) and Esther Lim (lead guitar) who’s gradually rising through the grapevine, even landing showcases at The Esplanade Concourse. If those hazy vocals don’t send tingles down your spine, those melodic guitar hooks will.
Listen to: “You Got Me”.
Astronauts has lifted off with gusto (Credit: Astronauts Facebook page)
Astronauts
A momentum-gaining band with stars in their eyes, Astronauts has had quite the year blasting off from obscurity to the spotlight. Their debut EP, One, is a velvety journey of funk and soul jams rife with bouncy bass licks and brassy interjections. Grounded by the smoky vocals of Ben Jacob Lee, Astronauts tips its space helmet to these time-and-tested genres while keeping it revitalised for the new age.
Listen to: “I’m No Good”.
Is it art? Is it music? Kaizen x Soundlab blurs the lines (Credit: The Kaizen M.D Facebook page)
Kaizen X Soundlab
You have the adage: music is an artform; and then you have experimenters like these who take it to a whole ’nother level. Blatantly unorthodox and untethered by conventions, Kaizen x Soundlab is less of a band and more of a group of sound designers who concoct audial canvases that depict “the experiences of the workaday man”. They do this through both newfangled electronics and traditional instruments like the gamelan, patching together indefinable symphonies that shake the status quo. Although they are currently on hiatus, one can only hope that they get up to their manic mischief again soon.
Watch: A preview of what you can expect.
https://kaizenxsoundlab.wixsite.com/kaizenxsoundlab/kaizen-x
FERS, a dream team with equally dreamy output (Credit: FERS FB page)
FERS
“Supergroup” isn’t a word that’s thrown around a lot lately, but in 2019, this fate-woven quartet is stepping up to do justice to that title. Comprising members from Riot !n Magenta, wyd:syd and Enec.e, FERS is an outfit brought together by more than just odd punctuation marks in monikers, but a fondness for misty, reverb-snuggled textures. Swaying between luscious dream-pop and anthemic stadium-rock, their mighty sounds mark a new beginning that hints at big things on the horizon.
Listen to: “Neverland".
