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Zero Point Red is a teaser from Lunarin‘s new album Duae, which is set to drop tomorrow. The new release continues the band’s fascination with gloomy art-rock while digging deeper into their musical roots of grunge and classical music. Incorporating sample and synthesizers into their sound, they retain their heaviness while sculpting a densely-layered soundscape.
This album is a diary of events, thoughts, ideas and varying forms of psychoses that took place since their debut album The Chrysalis in 2006. Through a trilogy of songs like ‘Midas’, ‘Red’ and the Alice-In-Chains-esque ‘Serpentine’, the rock trio creates a movement in three levels and gain an epiphany in the final one. Lead single ‘Zero Point Red’ was specifically written for local filmmaker Jason Lai’s Brother No. 2, a documentary about the Khmer Rouge, touching on themes of reconciliation and resignation.
Describing the album as “a diary, a journal, a journey”, it has certainly been so for Lunarin. Duae charts their growth as musicians given that they step into the realm of home recording and building their own studio. The album is produced by the band at their home studio and mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering, USA.
Inch Chua has a brand-new full-length in the can– it’s titled Wallflower, and it will be released today as a free download on her official site.
While Inch’s first solo outing The Bedroom combines her love of both acoustic singer-songwriters and kooky electronics, the latest offering continues her fascination with 8-bit electronic, folk flourishes and ukulele pop. With this release, Inch revisits her rock roots by infusing swing and jazz into the music as well.
Wallflower is almost like a diary of a young girl entering adulthood. Each song works like a journal entry for Inch as she puts her thoughts and feelings to music.
Here is one of the tracks. Give it a listen!
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This is our heaven, a heaven we can see.
But we’ve turned our heaven into hell.
Who’s responsible?
We selfish human beings…
I don’t want to offend any party, but if we were to talk candidly, we can clearly see…
The poisons polluting our earth are very strong.
Viruses and illnesses, they’re getting stronger and more concentrated.
Why?
Because we are the devils.
Who is the devil? Are there really devils?
WE are all devils.
God?
WE are also gods.
Vivian Wang and Leslie Low -both of The Observatory- recount childhood memories of mythological fantasy theme park called Haw Par Villa. First called Tiger Balm Garden, the odd but colorful attraction contained a strange mix of characters and familiar tales from Chinese mythology and folklore, mixed in with earthy depictions of modern life and the Chinese concept of hell. The mutual love and dread of the park is told over eight recordings. Voice, guitar, percussion and other traditional instrumentation weave a cloth of surreal bliss, eeriness and horror.
This video has been making the rounds since April with great force and for good reason. I’m sure that many of you will already be familiar with Kevin Lester’s “Rockstar” video, a collaboration with freelance videographer Yadin Mohamed and vocal scratcher Eric Foenander. For this side project -the online free for download album “Let’s talk about Kevin Lester”- the 25-year-old rapper, songwriter and producer collaborated with local videographers and animators to challenge himself and the scene.
Kevin started out in 2002 at “Platform 2”. It was at this open mic that he enjoyed positive reviews and numerous call backs. He continued to create a buzz and scored a featuring role in local sensation, TripleNoize’ s second album; Noisy Fm.
In 2005 he joined “Bonafide Vintage Flav’r” and had commercial as well as critical success with the release of the e.p. “The BVF Project” featuring the number 1 radio hit “Feels Good”. The group has since disbanded but Kevin took this opportunity to fulfil a career long dream. He helped form SIXX, a hip hop band played with live instruments.
The free for download album will be soon available from facebook and myspace. Until then, enjoy the Rockstar video and soak up the Kevin Lester vibe.
One-man music act Elsa X recently dropped its debut EP -2 Sides- a multimedia, experimental project aimed at raising awareness about mental illnesses and bipolar disorder.
Elsa is the culmination of months of research, planning and talking to youths suffering from mental conditions. While she is not a real person, everything represented is as real as it gets.
The music is a mix of ambient, electronic and post-rock influences, and is based around the concept of someone experiencing mental illness—in particular, the confusing and difficult world of bipolar disorder.
2 Sides is also taking on a larger multimedia experience. In collaboration with acclaimed design team Villains, the music is being put together with animated graphics and text to create an immersive online narrative about the experience of bipolar disorder.
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Previously known as While They Were Sleeping, Great Empty is a Singaporean indie rock band formed in December 2007. Consisting of Saifudin Sapari, Zuhairi Ali, Khidir Osman and Rupak George, the group plays instrumental indie rock. Their debut EP Desire the Creator was released on March 25.
“Music is such a powerful medium to channel our deepest and most primal of emotions,” says Saifudin Sapari, the band’s spokesperson. “Our unique perspective and sonic integrity will hopefully draw people to realize that we are genuine in our approach and we aim to make a lasting impression on the global sphere of music,” he adds.
The band’s music is available for free download, and physical copies can be pre-ordered on the site. A limited run of the six-track CDEP is available along with exclusive artwork and illustration.
Aiwei of seeyoutomorrow just released a 12-track music album, called ‘Discreet music’, a composition of electro clash with odd beat soundscapes at times, partially melodic.
“The tracks are called discreet, because ever since I have completed them in 2008, they have never surfaced, until now,” Aiwei explains. “The music was created mostly based on my visualisation on how to achieve a good drawing, which is about the line, dot and its surface. The musical notes have been treated as lines, dots and surfaces.”
The CD’s are handmade, and run in limited quantities. You can pick up a copy from the little drömstore.
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upp/circular, the self-proclaimed ‘We-Create-You-Tolerate’ collective celebrates their second year in existence with a digital-only release compilation. Despite adorning various masks, the group of five eventually settled down with an identity each, selected a track or two and now they are serving them on a hidden shelf of e-commerce as upp001.
The production rat pack – EpikMotion, Rora Realis, Max Lane, Christen Danse and Eye of Horus – is a bunch that refuses to be pigeon-holed into any categories. With close to a decade of experience individually as DJs/producers/musicians under various guises, this new line-up of altered-egos is going back to basics with beats, bass, synths & samples.
To sum it up, upp001 is a culmination of rhythmic patterns, buzzing basslines, modulating synths and processed samples.
All tracks are streamed fully and can be purchased here, and listeners will be able to name their price for the 8-track compilation.
This annual series of presentations on design showcases objects, products, interiors, landscapes and architecture. It aims to promote awareness of the excellence of local design; provide a platform for designers to interact with students, educators, practitioners and users; and share new design perspectives and solutions devised to meet the emerging and evolving needs of changing lifestyles. Dialogue with Poetry, Innovation & Ecology by Look Boon Gee. 20 Sep, 7:30-9pm at Filmgarde Iluma. Click here for tickets.
On Friday, 3 September, FICKLE GORILLA brings the very best in electronic music to the real party people. The Little India launch Party will see the old brick walls of the Post Museum crumble and shake under the explosive beats of DARKWING & RTYPE. Combining house, breaks, funk, disco and dubstep, the curious ying-yang symmetry of these two artists will be flicking all your switches and have you smashing up the dance floor as they tag-team their tunes throughout the night. For this special launch event - DARKWING will be teaming up with drummer & brother-in-alms HORATIUS for a first taste of DARKWING LIVE – An assault of the funkiest, creamiest, rocking dance music floor stompers, set to electronic percussive wizardry. Adding to the chaos are Niko dishing out wicked hip hop tunes and Submerge and Presha of Meshradio notoriety bring their breed of drum & bass and dubstep to our little music feast. As well as the music, FICKLE GORILLA will provide the last chance for Punters to take a look at pieces from Post Museum's most recent exhibit 'Shape Of My Heart', which features artworks reflecting what Singapore means to a selection of Singaporeans. Capacity for the event will be very limited so you will need to be early for this one. Free Flow Champagne and vodka 10pm-12am. Entry to the event is free.
The annual MFO Girl DJ Bootcamp is back for the 3rd time in 2010 at new venue, Zouk. Held every Saturday at 1pm – 7pm from 2 October to 16 October, the Bootcamp incubates aspiring girl DJs into the art of DJing. The Bootcamp costs $380 and is by application only, with a class size limited to 12. Featuring local luminaries, 2010’s lecture lineup includes: The Analog Girl, Ginette Chittick, Brendon P, Jean Reiki and Ko Flow among others. They, together with the Bootcamp’s organisers, Debbie Chia, Natalie Pixi[e]dub and Cherry Chan, will induct the participants into topics such as DJing formats, equipment knowledge, beat matching and DJing etiquette. Practical sessions ensure hands-on experience using equipment such as turntables, CDJs and Serato. This year also features the Bootcamp’s first international guest lecturer from Los Angeles, USA: TOKiMONSTA (Jennifer Lee). For more information, please email: debbiechia@gmail.com. To apply, please download the application form here and email to girldjbootcamp@gmail.com by 12 midnight, 22nd September 2010.
In "Breathe Again", the artist Christina Chua continues to expand the boundaries of art-making with the use of thread to create marks. Her belief that simple stitches can form dots, then lines in continuous form, suggests suffocation, growth and extreme fragmentation. This act and use of such feminine material creates a density that disorientates vision and provokes a feeling of suspension, and enclosure: a holding of breath. Li...ke the growth of plants and flowers, Chua’s works appropriate abstract images to illustrate the transformation of the self. 3 - 22 September 2010. Gallery opens from daily (excluding Mondays and public holidays), 10am - 6pm. Venue: LASALLE TriSpace, B1-05.
One of the most sought after Noise Singapore programmes each year, The Apprenticeship Programme (TAP) has helped dozens of talented young artistes through the personal guidance and mentorship by some of Singapore’s biggest names in photography, design, music and illustration. Now, you too can undergo a 10-week personal mentorship under these luminaries, and gain a leg-up into the creative industries. Besides the amazing opportunity to learn first-hand from these industry veterans’ experiences, you’ll also get the rare chance to be a part of real-life industry projects, and even network with other prominent names in the industry. What’s more, Art & Design and Photography apprentices will have their TAP project showcased at the Noise Festival Showcase in Feb 2011, while Music apprentices will record one song professionally and perform on the big stage during Noise Singapore Concerts at the Esplanade and at other venues. Applications Deadline: 5 Sep 2010. Click here for a full list of mentors and application details.
By its very nature, skateboarding is a political act - despite a proliferation of purpose built skate-parks, the street still remains the most popular venue for many skaters. Public and private spaces are reclaimed and re-designated as skaters use banked walls, kerbs, steps, handrails and pavements as the backdrop for their uniquely raw art form. This oppositional approach was the inspiration for a series of illustrated boards created by the students from the Design Communication programme at LASALLE in conjunction with some of the most exciting graphic artists and designers in Singapore. Adopting the language of graphic activism the designers involved have created works which aim to powerfully persuade visitors to reconsider their attitudes toward a range of contemporary issues. 26 August, 7pm at LASALLE, Earl Lu Gallery.
