Singapore’s creativity is off the charts. We checked out some of the local talent from NOISE Invasion’s Old vs. New competition, where up-and-coming musicians were challenged to make music using digital and analog tools, with the help of local mentors like Evanturetime, Tim De Cotta and Intriguant.
The five winning tracks were showcased at NOISE’s Haw Par Villa festival last weekend, and the winners also received a BandLab Link Analog! Here we get to know the artists behind the acts and how they stay inspired in the Little Red Dot.
VALIANTES
Valiantes’ vibe might be best described as a lepak, rainy Sunday afternoon. Beneath his streamlined, simple acoustic-driven sound is a keen mind who enjoys understanding the ‘whys and what if’s’, with a dry sense of humour, and a deep hunger to hone his craft.
“Creativity, is, well…you just know when you hear something awesome! I admire people making an effort to not follow the trend. People who spend effort to hone their craft. Other people’s stories of Love. Like how they engage and learn from their pain. How people struggle with God. I always love to hear a good story of faith and hope. What else am I inspired by? Never underestimate the power of a good chicken cutlet when you need a break from writing!”
- Thoughts on the BandLab Link, so far: “The interface is easy to use, good for on-the-move recording. Will definitely see myself using it more often when I need to travel. Although the amount of control over reverbs, delays, are not quite usable as a final tool, it will be most useful for capturing ideas on the road.”
- Valiante’s winning track:
- Valiante’s music: Valiantes Soundcloud
KYLA T
Kyla’s moniker combines a stage persona with her real name, Tiffany. Writing songs since she was 15, her current sound meshes moments of vintage soul with the chilled vibes of modern alt RnB, revealing an eclectic appetite for all things music.
“One of the most memorable gigs so far would be the Shine Festival 2017, where I played at the Scape BandStand. And the Acoustic Stage for The Great Singapore Replay 2017! There was performing for the October Scape Confessions and for Yishun Secondary’s Scape Invasion Tour alongside pop-punk band, SignofFive, too. Creating and performing music means baring your heart out to unfamiliar people, which can be scary! So I enjoy watching everyone from peers to famous acts perform, and learning how to emulate their confidence and stagecraft.”
- Thoughts on the BandLab Link, so far: “It’s really useful and allows us to share music on the spot really well. I do think more instrument patches could be added and I would definitely use it for new projects and collaborations with other musicians in the future.“
- Kyla T’s winning track:
- Kyla T’s music: kylatmusic
DIN’S LIST
Don’t let their laid-back demeanour fool you, because Din’s List know how to rock. Thrown together randomly at a live-music extracurricular club, Din’s List have been steadily refining their low-growl, high-impact sound that works just as well in a rehearsal room as it would at a stadium.
“A lot of our lyrical inspiration is drawn from our own personal lives and memorable events that we wish to convey through our music. Between us, our musical tastes stretch pretty wide, from pop, punk, metal and even some progressive stuff. But we’re also rhythmic and melodic as heck! We want to share the music that is a culmination of our tastes that stems from the same artists that inspire us, hoping we can do the same for other musicians as well.”
- Thoughts on the BandLab Link, so far: “Light and extremely portable, extremely useful for quick recordings of song ideas to share among band members and even some quick demos.”
- Din’s List’s winning track:
- Din’s List’s music: Dins List SG
CLEMENT
Clement’s a veteran of the local Singapore scene, having been active in various groups since 1988. From being in his first-ever band, to co-producing for a 90s rock band, and still writing songs today – Clement’s the creator who just can’t stop creating.
“These days I’m a full-time architect, it’s a demanding career. But you don’t have to stop making music just because your lifestyle changes. I’m inspired by everyone from Nick Drake, to Pink Floyd. Avant Garde types like Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kenny Wheeler, Jon Hassell, Alva Noto. I’d define my sound as tropical Laze /Electronic Eclectic Garde.”
- Thoughts on the BandLab Link, so far: “Still studying how to it use it fully. I imagine it’d be useful for a more acoustic-sounding album that I’ve got in mind. (But with noise influences.)”
- Clement’s winning track:
- Clement’s music: The Pink Elephants – Facebook
BRANNLUM
An artist of few words, Brannlum lets the music speak for itself. His speciality is electronic music that’s best described as an emotional tidal wave, with touches of Porter Robinson and Illenium’s flair for expressive beats. Here’s Brann in his own words.
“I’m excited to finally release my recent single, Memories ft. Charlene in July, which got a nice shoutout on JUICE and Power of Pop. It was a song that I’d been working on for over a year and it was a relief to know the song was warmly received!”
- Thoughts on the BandLab Link, so far: “It will allow me to work on the go and record my ideas as I think of them.”
- Brannlum’s winning track:
- Brannlum’s music: Brannlum’s Youtube
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For full details of the BandLab Link Analog including where to buy, click here.
