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The incident was an over a year or two ago when I listened to the album World Grooves by Putumayo. During that time world music selection was not all that varied plus the number of nightspots who were brave enough to venture there were close to none. It was my first introduction to world music from putumayo, one that I have been able to happily indulge myself again at Putumayo music’s 15th anniversary.

I was able to sample some of the sounds from the amazing new compilation African Party. The album itself is a colorful mix of music from South Africa all the way to Ivory Coast, a blend of the old & new. I found the music so infectious that I was playing it all the time on my music machine.

Raised in multicultural India, music has been something that has had a profound significance to my life & has transcended borders & Africa is home to some of the best music in the world.

I have always believed that art needs strife & Africa has more than it’s fair share of it. So the music that comes out of the continent is soulful & original.

Even though the majority of us myself included may not be able to understand the songs, the beauty of the music is hard to escape.

Listening to the African Dance Party compilation made me look up some of the names on the internet…. Some names are not really out there yet. The names that are there amazed me with the simplicity & originality of the music & visual accompaniments.

This is definitely an album you should check out. I got mine from Borders @ Wheelock place.

I will be having an interview with one of the artists pretty soon. Watch this space.

Get the album online Amazon or the Putumayo site.

Get it in Singapore at Borders.

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I was still soaking in the realization of having completed my first interview. I know not for sure this unfamiliar feeling but I relate it to what an overachieving bookworm of a teacher’s pet must feel like upon completing an Everest of ten-years ‘O’ level series in a day.

Before I could soak any more, I was summoned to chase another interview by my editor. Not one to sit back and relax (Ha! A joke!), I hunted down Singapore’s very own West Grand Boulevard for an interview and they graciously complied. With a wicked sound and attitudes to match (which I soon found out), it’s no wonder this band is synonymous with good Indie rock

Varian: Whew! Big thanks for doing the interview guys. Alright, let’s get down to brass (heh heh, bras-s) tacks.

Dharma: I play some geetar and sing backing vocals.
Jude: I play some bass and kick everyone’s ass in the band.
Syed: I play ze drums.
Erik: Guitar.
Bryan: I’m the main vocal-er and the guy who suffers serious convulsions on stage.

V: Hmm, you should see a doctor for that. So how was West Grand Boulevard formed?

Jude: Well I was in another band called Dead End and Erik, the other guitarist, formed, well yeah, West Grand with Dharma. And they kinda needed a bassist so he asked me and I joined.
Syed: I came in much later into the band.
Bryan: We’re a collaboration of many bands that started out in the humble abode of a mama shop/studio at Leng Ann’s in Commonwealth Ave. Played drums and backing vox with both Erik and Jude in our pop/punk band Dead End. Erik asked to try out for fun and it took off from there onwards.

Varian: Perfect timing eh? How would you express your brand of music definitively?

Dharma: Country ballad.
Jude: Sound of sex from dusk till dawn.
Syed: Like Thai green curry. Spicy, but sweet at the same time.
Erik: Different.
Bryan: Power-poppy-metal-indie-groove, and that’s one word.

Varian: Way groovy, man. So why is West Grand Boulevard performing for Love is Indie Air?

Erik: Great line-up.
Syed: Art and music together. What better combination is there?
Bryan: I’m with Erik and Syed on this one.

Varian: I’m siding with you guys too. Amen. What’s your cause of choice to promote during the event?

WGB: Cross-genre, cross-cultural, cross-medium love. Support creativity, passion and hard work.

Varian: Love! Just like the event (Love Is Indie Air) is named! Speaking of which, what is your biggest love?

Erik: Music….second only to love for girlfriend and family.
Jude: Friends, music, family, DOTA, DOTA, DOTA.
Dharma: Good music and great friendships.
Syed: Friends, family, music.
Bryan: Friends, family, music, cooking good food, eating good food.

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Recently, I managed to catch up with Giants Must Fall, one of our most promising local Indie bands. I took a swig from the emptying-way-too-fast Chivas bottle within reach to steady my nerves. The band was busy revving up for Love Is Indie Air but I did get in touch with the effervescent Jean Low. Here’s how it went:

Varian: Thanks for doing the interview! Right then, who plays what?
Jean: I sing and play guitar, Gab plays the bass and dances like Mr Bean, Gerald plays the drums and triangle, Kelvin (who has replaced Jon Leong) on lead guitar and his low, low voice.

V: Sorry, another unavoidable question. Why the band name?
J: Derived from a sermon we heard at church. It circles around the concept of having giants in our lives that hold us back, that keep us tied down, and to release ourselves so that we may achieve our intended purpose. Those giants must fall, thus the name!

V: Very interesting. How would you describe your sound in your own words?
J: Our music is…a message. It’s messages in every note, every tone we play. Not just tunes, not just melodies but always something deeper infused in.

V: As simple as that huh? –laughs- And which cause will you be pushing for the event?
J: Probably To Write Love On Her Arms. Can’t really call it a cause but it’s a really cool movement we support even though it’s not local but applies to everyone alike.

V: Love is indie air indeed. Are Giants Must Fall performing (regularly) anywhere at the moment?
J: Nope. We do a couple of gigs a month unfortunately. Too many regular gigs here involve top40 songs which we aren’t that good at playing.

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Marathon runners. What stamina. What determination. What sweat. How do they do it? I ask this because at the exact (I use this term broadly of course) moment I hit “send”, yet one more interview plopped into my lap. “Get the interview”, the booming voice suddenly erupted. “Get it done and get it done NOW”, the voice commanded and the heavens rumbled. I nearly shat my pants. Lucky for me, colourful and funny frontman Rizman Putra of Tiramisu had just enough time for a quick Q & A bout. In next to no time, I saw why Tiramisu is becoming, if not already, a staple for local music lovers:

Varian: Just what exactly is a Tiramisu?
Rizman: Tiramisu is Noorazlan Misnan aka Lan Cum (bass), Keith Su aka Dr Soos (vocals, guitar), Syed Ahmad aka Bobo (drums), Athif aka Gained Tail (guitar), and Rizman Putra
aka Woom-ber-the3x (vocals).

V: This one’s a standard. How did all of you come up with the band name?
R: Most of us are half-Italians and we love the dessert so much that one of the band members got choked on the cocoa powder while eating it. Hence, the name.

V: Ah, good ol’ friends. Describe Tiramisu’s musical style.
R: We sound like a mutated animal with 2 legs, a hairy tail, a mullet, one eye and a broken banjo.

V: That sounds like something out of a Mary Shelley book. I understand that each band is voicing out a cause for the event. What cause will the group be promoting?
R: Love is real, real love, and love is in the air. All we have to do is breathe…

V: -inhales deeply- Yup, it’s unmistakable that Love Is Indie Air. Of all the gigs, which one tops the list?
R: Our London gig in 2005 because it was in London. It was a dream come true.

V: Tell me something about this “bad side of the music business” that we (everyone outside the music scene) so often hear about.
R: Organizers paying peanuts to local bands and paying triple for foreign bands.

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I recently sat down with nightsound+ for a look at this band’s stuff, this is what they had to say:-

TAI: How did you come up with the name of your group Nightsound?
NEIL: Nightsound was just a catch phrase back in school that we used for a school project. Not anything meaningful, but we just needed a name. Stuck with it since?
EUGE: Sorry, no comments. I’m only the cool bass player. *smile*
K: cuz we be nocturnal creatures of the night that function dependently on post-supper coffee.
ALAN: “Daysound” just doesn’t sound right.
XR: I think it was at night.

TAI: Tell us a memory of one of your live performances that you just can’t forget.
NEIL: Performance? Arts House Playden where we were playing with all kinds of musicians like Edmund on sax, Luke on percussions, the Fritz Quartet, and guess what? Taisuke Yamamoto, all the way from the Indian Ocean island of ChaCha who did a rap for us!
EUGE: I would have to agree with Neil on this. The Arts House Playden gig rocked! With all the talented people working on this show? It would have definitely made the republic of the “red dot” proud.
K: err…read the above.
ALAN: Yep it was one hell of a show with all the participating musicians rocking just above a restaurant.
XR: All the happiness, we’ll soon forget… all the promises…that we break…it comes around in time…

TAI: If you had to force Gandhi to fight you, how would you taunt him?
NEIL: Ow… Your last sentence nearly got me lethal…
EUGE: Knuckle his head.
K: use his bald head as a mirror whilst I brush me teeth.
ALAN: Pronounce his name as “Ghand Hai”?
XR: Why would i want Gandhi to fight me??!

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Hi Peeps, here we are with Singapore based Swiss DJ & Producer Saint Laurent to check out if he feels the shizz…

George: If you blend a cow with cucumber, times it by 1024062 multiply it by centrifugal gravity what would you get?
SAINT: a record!

George: who are you? what do you do?
SAINT: preacher of the sounds of music

George: Describe your music style?
SAINT: That’s a hard question… I love to play everything that has a nice electro sound and that has something unique like my favorite song of the moment: “So It Goes” from “Bart B More”. I particulary like “Switch” for his style. The music i play can go from electro house to minimal or electornica without forgetting some deep, funky, disco house. I actually hate mixing commercial music but I often have to because of the crowd and the organisators who don’t really give me a choice.

George: Major influences to your music?
SAINT: My entourage; everything i see or hear gives me inspiration for my productions. I have to admit that a lot of my influences come from people i experienced something with; this explains the names of my songs like “Tashou” or “Sophie Mania”. When it comes to mixing my main influences are Brendon P. (DJ of Velvet Underground) who introduced me to mixing, Joachim Garraud who has showed me that being a DJ is also being a musician and the crowd which guide me throughout my mix.

George: what according to you is the state of music in Singapore & its clubbing scene?
SAINT: I have to say the clubbing scene is amazing! Almost every week there’s a world famous DJ in town that pumps up the crowd! The only bad thing about the clubbing scene is the crowd; it’s rare to find clubbers that actually know what they are dancing on. Music in Singapore is not that great but it’s getting better. It’s too much about the money and not the quality when it comes to local performances.

George: What gonna be new with you in terms of future collaborations?
SAINT: Well right now I’m quite busy with school but I’ll probably use my december holidays to produce some new songs for the label I’m currently on: Dustpan Recordings. I also intend to release next year a Progressive House EP under a label which is owned by one of my DJ friend Seng Wei. Next year, during my National Service in Switzerland I’ll try to get a residency in a good club in one of the big cities of the country and keep on producing.

George: What was your Grandma’s favorite song?
SAINT: I wish it could have been one of my songs

George: if you were a homosexual who would be your partner?
SAINT: Bob Sinclar. If he would ditch me for his wife i’ld go for Victor, my frenchie!

George: what would your tombstone read?
SAINT: “dont dig me up, i didnt die rich , you woun’t find any jewelry on me.”

George: your favorite drink?
SAINT: Rivella, a Swiss drink.I love taking it when i come back from a crazy night

George: who is the coolest dude with sunglasses on?
SAINT: Tiga

George: you are most likely to get caught for……
SAINT: flirting with women police officers

George: why should I come to hear you spin, is it worth it?
SAINT: To see someone doing what he loves and to release yourself on good electro sounds. Then it is for you to judge if that’s worth it.

George: where do you wish you were right now?
SAINT: With Tash on the sofa, watching a movie.

George: leather, lace or handcuffs?
SAINT: leather & lace

Peace out peeps, shizzzzzzzzzzzzz.

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HUAT Ah!

Times ticking and shit is changing.
Gone are the times when I used to be young. Gone are the times when 2 dollars and 40 cents could buy you a pack of smokes. Gone are the times when bell bottoms were in fashion, the bigger the bell the better.

With the passing of time many things have either changed or have disappeared completely. I have a problem with regards to this.
A problem which bothers me deeply.
What ever happened to the Ah Bengs?

Where did they go? Because there used to be one squatting at every sidewalk, long sideburns swaying gently in the midday breeze. But it seems they have moved somewhere else. Somewhere I don’t know about. I search my urban jungle of steel and concrete but to no avail.

I love the Ah Bengs. There will never be another culture more iconic of Singapore compared to them. I had a pair of orange converse slippers myself. The slipper was made with material similar to that of a car mat. Shit used to get stuck inside. But care less! Those were some awesome slippers. Ah Bengs like orange. Orange and white.

I don’t believe they died. They couldn’t have all died. Maybe a few got into gang fights and died.
But not all. Where are the Ah Bengs?

I pondered this for days. I studied their trends and movement. I related my research to social structures. I propose a theory.

They did not die. The ah bengs have in fact become the act-japs. If you stare at an act-jap hairstyle for long enough you will see similarities to long bleached sideburns, swaying gently in the midday breeze.

“Why?” You may ask.

Blame it on the changing of ideals in Singapore.
In the past people just beat everyone else up. I guess there was nothing much to be said. People smashed each other with things like poles and chains and shit. Basically anything they could get their hands on. Maybe even dirty orange slippers.

Today there is a lot to be said. People don’t beat each other up anymore, they just stand around and talk. This makes me want to move my fists. If people don’t win the talk, they go back to the office, earn some money and hire a lawyer. Those bastards are the real gangsters man. If Ah Bengs had weapons, lawyers would be the machine gun.

HUAT AH!

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……..

Martini Firm , 15 Mohamed Sultan Road 

Say Say Sayyy!

“After months of sitting, sleeping, and twiddling our thumbs on it, we have finally decided to get some asses moving with our very first party. Drumroll Kids..

The Indie Original, the real indie shizz is gonna be one helluva party, celebrating the raw unpackaged Street culture with the true indie pop art spirit that many fail to tame. Sneakers, music, booze and a real snazzy bar. Who could ask for more? Shizz!

Headlining the Show will be MC YAMA & MC JIGGY with his troupe, two up and coming dudes with a new sound. Music services will be provided as Rock & Hip Hop by DJ Neboet a great talent breaking into DJ Battle scene. Also showcased will art by Kimmy our contributing writer & artist.

The doors swing open at 9:30pm on 17th Nov 2007, Saturday to some cool rock tunes & $8 beers. Be there in your best smart casual garb & show us your creative sides. Please do not turn up in Hip Hop gear as venue rules prohibit it.

10:30 on, DJ Neboet will take center stage with Hip Hop, mix of the old school & new to get you grinding. MC Yama & MC Jiggy wil show you how its done! Stay on to win that sweet pair of air force ones sponsored by Limited Edition.

This is a private party so please email us spacetoparty@gmail.com to put yourself on the guest-list to get in at a special rate. You can SMS 82339810 or Find us on Facebook (Search ’space-to-party’/'the indie original’).

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..
‘A is for Andy’ - 20 years after Warhol: An Andy Warhol Exhibition

This year marks the 20 th anniversary of the death of Andy Warhol and in commemoration, an exhibition featuring 119 pieces of the artist’s most unique and iconic works. The entire collection of ‘A is for Andy’ - 20 years after Warhol: An Andy Warhol Exhibition is estimated to be valued in excess of USD 10 million and is the first-ever exhibition of such an impressive magnitude in Singapore. It will include some of Warhol’s most popular screen-prints like Marilyn Monroe, Superman, Mickey Mouse, Campbell Soup and Mao. ‘A is for Andy’ will be held at 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road (TheatreWorks) from 13 to 18 November 2007, and will be opened to the public on Saturday and Sunday, 17 and 18 November 2007.

Radical and most definitely progressive, Andy Warhol was a central figure in the pop art movement which began in the late 1950s and drew inspiration from the products of popular culture, such as advertising, packaging, comic books, the cinema and television.. Having demonstrated sheer talent in drawing and painting at a young age, Andy Warhol first worked as an illustrator for various high-fashion magazines, including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. He proceeded to hold his premiere solo gallery exhibition at the mere age of 24, exhibiting Fifteen Drawings Based on the Writings of Truman Capote.

In less than a decade, Andy Warhol’s status as a media icon had dramatically intensified with his show-stopping style mirroring the euphoric 60s - a world which saw the rise in a mass consumerism culture as consumer goods became more affordable. Warhol captured the universal craving for glamour and glitz in his art and became known internationally as a painter, an avant-garde filmmaker, a record producer, an author and even a public figure. The artist and his art was celebrated for his presence in diverse social circles: from that of bohemian street people to distinguished intellectuals; from Hollywood celebrities to wealthy aristocrats.

Highlights of the exhibition include the eight complete portfolios, such as the $ sign, Mao, Beethoven, Grapes, Camouflage, Shadows 1, Shadows 2, Electric Chairs and the unique set of commissioned works created for the promotional campaigns of the Perrier water and of the Muratti Cigarettes by Philip Morris. This set of commissioned promotional campaigns is near-inimitable as it is representative of Andy Warhol’s desire in producing works that were aesthetically and conceptually complex.

The impact of Andy Warhol is all around us today and his influence is immeasurable. He revolutionised the concept of art by taking it off its pedestal and made it more accessible to people. An opinion leader, a trend-setter and an artist manager who turned art into a mass phenomenon, Warhol believed that art should be made more easily accessible to the person on the street and ‘A is for Andy’ hopes to make his vision a reality.

Visit http://www.aisforandy.com/ for more!

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