Gigging out everywhere from massive music festivals and underground concerts, to boozy pubs and hipster cafes – with some even making waves through the Internet and other parts of the world – bands and musicians in Singapore are proving one thing: our local music scene is as robust and exciting as ever. By now, acts such as Charlie Lim and iNCH have become household names, but all these songsmiths started from somewhere. We’ve been listening religiously to tunes that have been rippling through the scene, and have compiled a list of rookie musicians that we’re certain have the means to become the next big thing. How’s the future faring for local music? Safe in the hands of these budding maestros and musos.
bittymacbeth
Lass on the bass, bittymacbeth is an inspiration who preaches with songs about shushing haters and finding beauty in the dimmest of circumstances. Aside from being a deft jazz singer, she’s also known for playing full solo sets with nothing but her bass guitar and a looper; a highly-technical skill that many singer-songwriters only dream of attaining. Encompassing everything from jazz and blues, to neo-soul and funk, whatever bittymacbeth bumps out is pure poetry.
Listen: “Haters Gon’ Hate”
Disco Hue
Synths never go out of style, and Disco Hue is one starry-eyed quartet that’s standing testament to that. Trailing along the momentum of popular synth-pop bands like Chvrches and Broods, Disco Hue echoes what they do best with warm synths and saccharine female vocals, with a nostalgic ’80s-retro aesthetic to boot. And just as their moniker implies, they do also flaunt groovy edges of funk and disco that will get any soul train chuggin’.
Listen: “Gotta Find You”
midst
The Internet is a treasure trove of fresh faces in music, but this is one trio who’s truly used it to their advantage. While other bands use live shows to garner a following, midst has done so by gently leaking tracks through social media bit by bit – just as gentle as their ambient-laden earworms crafted with subdued electronic beats and dense, dreamy chords. Think the theatrical stillness of Brian Eno and the sticky hooks of Tycho, with a sliver of The xx tossed in thanks to Rachel Cheng’s deep, contralto-like vocals.
Listen: “Captivate“
TOMGIRL
If you’re familiar with local scene names like Obedient Wives Club and Pastelpower, you might already be familiar with the versatile Cherie Ko. In the former, she’s a surf-pop guitarist; the latter, a campy twee-pop keyboardist-vocalist. And now, with partner-in-crime Ted Takeshi Doré, TOMGIRL unleashes yet another persona of hers – one that’s sensually gritty, broodingly rock, and packing the swagger-y noir stylings that Tarantino would eat up.
Listen: “Darker Now“
Evanture Time
Anyone who picks a name that references one of our fave cartoons of all time gets an instant thumbs-up from us. Though he’s notably taken the production back-seat for acts like iNCH and Linying, we’re pretty sure this electronic dabbler has what it takes to blow up big. Check out Evanture Time’s EDM-savvy banger with Nathan Hartono; can’t you imagine thousands of ravers pumping fists to this? We can.
Listen: “Love Will Find You”
Mediocre Haircut Crew
We could certainly do with more international hip-hop acts headed our way, but with rhyme-spitting homies like MHC, we don’t feel like we’re FOMO-ing one bit! Often beefed up with the ’90s hip-hop production of Fauxe, this trio of emcees ties in ghetto swag with a localised sense of humour – taking stabs at the system and even addressing themes like being poor in an expensive country. Miss A Tribe Called Quest? Get chummy with MHC; they know what’s lit.
Listen: “Lose Your Love”
MYRNE
“Singaporean musicians have no future” – tell that to the young local producer who got signed by Diplo. Seemingly manifesting outta nowhere, MYRNE took the nation by storm with his future-focused electronic beats that many associate with Flume and Hudson Mohawke. Next thing we know, the dude’s suddenly a big signee on Diplo’s Mad Decent label, and he even has own residence at Zouk called Audible Visions. Best part? This kid’s on his way to world domination and he’s barely 21 (just what are we doing with our lives?).
Listen: “Brand New”
Canvas Conversations
A real convo-starter amidst the electronic scene, this quartet fuses digital perks with more organic elements. It’s not uncommon to catch instruments like cellos and electric guitars busting through the mix, adding depth and diversity to soundscapes led by bittersweet female vocals. Canvas Conversations are also the prize winners of Noise Singapore’s Music Mentorship; with the National Art Council’s funding in their bag, we expect momentous things from these folks!
Listen: “Cut”
Specific Islander
It’s hard to stand out as an ‘indie-rock’ band these days, given that the ‘indie’ appeal continues to inch closer and closer to the fringes of pop music. To be truly indie, you have to whip out something radical and unorthodox from your bag of tricks – cue Specific Islander, possibly the most exciting band to not erupt from the scene. Hazy shoegaze guitars, tropical isle-friendly rhythms, lounge-lazing bossa nova grooves; there truly isn’t anything specific about these experimenters, and we don’t mind one bit.
Listen: “Wilderness“
Forests
Sometimes, all you wanna do is rock the heck out. We’ve rustled through the meandering foliage of the Singapore music scene, and have found these boisterous lads who released their debut album just a few weeks ago. Forests‘ gung-ho music bares fangs through choppy math-rock tropes and juvenile punk that’d summon the mosh beast in you. Blast this loud, and howl along ’til you’re sore.
Listen: “Biting Straws”
Subsonic Eye
Stuck in a languorous daze from the monotonies of daily life? Sway along to these foggy dream-poppers, and they’ll soundtrack exactly how you feel with guitars and vocals drenched in cavernous reverb. Fans of Wild Nothing and Asobi Seksu will find comfort in what these kiddos are nonchalantly churning out. Don’t catch our drift? Plug into their labyrinthine jams and you’ll catch theirs. This is Subsonic Eye.
Listen: “Cosmic Realignment”
sofklo
As the technology and accessibility of music-making software has advanced, the wave of DIY bedroom producers seems to have exponentially increased through the years. Not much is known about this enigmatic alias in particular – except that her real name is Soffi Peters – but what’s certain is her flair for mood-setting bite-sized productions that teeter between chirpy glitch-pop and nihilistic bass music. We can’t predict what sofklo’s gonna do next, but that’s what makes her so darn intriguing.
Listen: “Sippy Cup“
