Brandishing the synth-pop of the future and disco of the past, this rocketing Singapore band is right where they belong and sounding as current as ever
Songwriting can be tricky – pick a newfangled aesthetic and alienate the old-timers, or opt for the traditional and risk sounding irrelevant? Fortunately for Disco Hue, this quartet seems to have struck a chummy balance between the two musical eras. Fusing the effervescent synth-pop of today’s pro-electronic climate and the boogie-savvy disco stylings of the ’70s, Disco Hue is definitely one of the hottest new local musicians to burst outta the scene. Shortly before their sold-out launch party of their debut EP, Arcade, we grabbed this fab four for a fun chat, spanning conversations about favourite Singaporean hangouts, time travel, and which of their superhero alter-egos would win in a battle.
So you guys clearly have this aesthetic where futuristic synth-pop and retro disco meet, with visual elements of campy ’80s movies and old-school video games. Where does it come from?
Zie (synths): I think it’s because we already had the songs written since 2012, and they happened to have that particular type of sound. But we wanted to push it further and do something that attracts visually as well. So we worked with our art director, Marina Ah, who was a Noise Singapore mentee last year, and figured, “Why not collaborate and push the branding further?”. I think it also comes from the fact that I’m the biggest video game geek in the band.
Wow. You guys have been together that long? But we believe there were some line-up changes along the way, yeah?
Billy (drums): Yeah, so in 2012, Zie and his best friend, Christina, decided to form a band ’cos they had this sound in their head but couldn’t find it in Singapore, so they formed Disco Hue. Fast forward through all the line-up changes, and a small break we took because of National Service, and then we found Sherlyn on Vine. She added a whole new dimension to our sound.
Sherlyn, was it strange when they first approached you on Vine like that?
Sherlyn (vocals): I thought it was a weird medium to approach me, but their message was very formal, so I thought why not just check this band out. At the time, I was very into the whole acoustic kind of thing, so when I first joined them, I was quite surprised. I was also kinda overwhelmed, ’cos their sound was very big compared to what I was used to, and it was also my first time in a band. But I really liked their music, and one thing eventually led to another.
Congrats on your debut EP! What’s the story behind Arcade?
B: It’s about finding love through time – different kinds of love in different time periods. I guess it’s kind of like a concept album.
Z: If you listen to the EP from the start to the end, you can hear the different times through the genres – from future to past.
Your first single, “Gotta Find You”, received insane traction on the Internet. Did you expect that sort of reception?
S: For a long time, no… [laughs]
Z: That was the first ever song we did with this new line-up, and we weren’t too sure how the crowd was gonna react. We didn’t expect it to go so well!
The music video has a tennis court setting. Can I presume that y’all are good are sports?
All: Noo… We do not exercise!
The irony! And then your second single, “I’ll Be Waiting”, drew even more hype. The video is great too, with each of y’all adopting a comic book character with special powers. Do y’all relate to those personas?
S: Well, in my bio, Kosmic Kitten was raised in a circus and she has sword skills. I don’t relate to any of that actually [laughs].
B: Mine’s a typical ninja story. Kabuto Kiddo was raised by this mysterious ninja family and wanted to find his parents. I can’t relate to it either…
Z: We brainstormed our characters, so I came up with mine (Doctor Detergent) ’cos I can be pretty anal about things, hence, the whole clean freak thing.
Rush (guitar): I think my superpower as Lucky Lightning is being fast – it also comes from my name – but sadly, that’s the biggest contradiction of my life. I’m the most chill guy you’ll ever meet; I’m never rushing.
Where do y’all see the local scene going, and where do y’all wanna take it as a band?
R: The local scene is growing big. But for us personally as a band, we really wanna tour overseas and bring our music to other countries. We think that other countries will have good feedback on us.
Z: I think we don’t label our sound as Singapore music anymore; we’d rather deem ourselves fit for the international stage. We can’t always compare ourselves to local music. We just wanna be Disco Hue.
The specific sound of Disco Hue aside, what are some of your other musical interests?
R: I’m a super pop guy; I listen to all sorts of pop music and rock bands. That’s my thing.
B: I come from a louder background; I enjoy loud, angry and fast.
S: As you might’ve seen in my Vine videos, you’ll see it’s mostly pop, like Top 40s. But I also like to listen to folk and indie.
Where are some of your fave local hangouts in Singapore?
R: Katong, man. That’s my ‘hood.
B: Yeah, I’m with him on that… or Punggol. We frequently hang out with our friends at Katong, for supper or drinks.
Z: I live in the North, but I always like to travel. So I always go to Clarke quay, town, or any spots that are way noisier than up North, where it’s so quiet. Anywhere with live music or arts.
S: My hangout spots are usually food places. I like to go to Simpang Bedok and Block 85 Bedok North Road Hawker Centre for cheap and good food.
Okay we’re now gonna throw in some fun questions based on the tracklist of your EP…
1) Band vehicle: Hoverboard, or electric unicycle?
Z: Electric unicycle!
Rest of the band: Hoverboard…
2) Go-to Saturday night activity?
B: Katong!
R: Drinks at Canvas or Refuge; hip-hop is my jam.
Z: Same.
S: I actually like to stay indoors at home.
3) What are you still searching for as a band?
R: A platform that really gives musicians the attention they deserve.
4) Who would win in a fight – Kosmic Kitten, Doctor Detergent, Lucky Lightning, or Kabuto Kiddo?
B: Dude, Doctor Detergent’s an alien right?
Z: Yeah, I’ll own you guys. I’m from Uranus.
5) And lastly, if you could time-travel to anywhere, where would it be?
R: The ’60s for me – Hendrix and flower power.
Z: The year 3000.
B: I’m with him.
S: I’ll travel to the future; sometime when teleportation is possible.
B: I wish we could freeze ourselves and wake up 3000 years later.
S: Whaaaat?
Z: Like Futurama.
B: No, like Captain America.
You can check out Disco Hue at their Facebook page, and listen to their debut EP via this Spotify link.