The newest addition to the anticipated Laneway Festival makes this one helluva concert to catch at Gardens By The Bay
Hipsters and indie music devotees have been starry-eyed since stumbling upon the line-up news of St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival – a Melbourne-made music festival in Singapore that sees its sixth rendition at Gardens By The Bay. But contrary to the belief that this left-field roster couldn’t get any more mind-blowing, the Laneway head honchos just dropped an announcement that’s turned this concert on its head. Keep your sanities screwed on if you haven’t heard this bombshell yet!
Indie-pop Brits, The 1975, are the latest international sensations to join the stellar ensemble of talent. With lissom mosh-movers like “Chocolate” and “Girls”, these guitar janglers have been known to cross over into the commercial realms of pop without unforgivably selling out. These big names join other indie chieftains and popular picks like quirky queen of electronica, Grimes, and saccharine synth-pop trio, Chvrches.
Like Chvrches, floaty dream-poppers Beach House are also making their return since the debut showcase of Laneway Singapore in 2011, and math-rock geeks are counting down the days ’til Battles come back to SG with more syncopated rhythms and off-kilter intensity. And naturally, jazz gurus are psyched for bassist-extraordinaire and Brainfeeder elite, Thundercat.
Giving into the ascent of electronica in the indie circuits, Laneway 2016 also welcomes producer-performers of the laptop revolution – software-fiddling alchemists like Flume and Hudson Mohawke who delve into electronica, wonky, instrumental hip-hop and everything in between the ‘beep-boop’ spectrum. And on the opposite end, giving the Laneway stage (there are three of them in fact!) an organic touch of soul are sensual, sense-melting lovemongers like Shamir and The Internet.
And lest we needed more reasons to get fidgety for this festival next January, Laneway Singapore is also known for its commitment to local music culture – and this year doesn’t disappoint. Joining past homegrown alumni are vintage-tinted rock and rollers, Cashew Chemists, theatrical synth-poppers, Riot !n Magenta, and intimate electronic brooder, Intriguant. SG represent!
Believe it or not, these aren’t even all the acts that are slated for this year’s edition of Laneway Singapore! Read it and weep, y’all – the full line-up below (now including The 1975, no less!).
St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival Singapore 2016; 30 January, 2016; The Meadow, Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953. Tickets now available via SISTIC; standard ticket: $180, group bundle of 6 tickets: $999. For further news, visit the official website.