Indran Paramasivam

Stephen Bruner is one of those musicians who wields a virtuosity that inspires questions like, “How can he make all that sound so easy?” As Thundercat, the bassist and singer has established himself very solidly as a maker of near-mystical R&B, funk and jazz fusion, all of which have been relied on by fellow scene-stealers such as Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington and Kendrick Lamar, for their own next-level projects. Ahead of his upcoming performance in Istanbul, we chat with him about his recent mini-album The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam and his involvement in some of the best records of the year. You’ve had so much great music to your name this year. How has 2015 been for you?“It’s been very interesting to see everything move in autopilot. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I’m just working on making the best music that I can. With Lotus, everything is always very intense and I try to give it my all every time I sit down to work with him. The same translated with Kendrick and Kamasi and everything that I was involved in. I never knew what was going to come of it, though.” How different was it making The Beyond as compared with your two earlier records?“Yes, it was very different. It was created in between You’re Dead! and To Pimp a Butterfly (TPAB). A lot of the music I was making then was pooled by Lotus and Kendrick. For example, I had already finished the song that became ‘Complexion’ on TPAB. It had a whole different style and name and we stripped it back to arriv

Forget seeing and being seen. This weekend, dance like no one's watching at the best parties, courtesy of the best DJs. File under: #epic

  Thundercat   Stephen Bruner is a bass god. Over the years, his grooves have informed a series of seminal projects, namely, a stint with thrash-punk bashers Suicidal Tendencies, critically celebrated albums by jazz-contortionist Flying Lotus, and most recently, Kendrick Lamar's 2015 hip hop opus To Pimp a Butterfly.  Hudson Mohawke    For mostly good reasons, dance music is now run by trap. And when it comes to delivering all of that and so much more, you don't have to look beyond this Scottish rabble-rouser. If you liked Yeezus, then you'll know what we're on about. If not, just cue his recent melody-forged, banger-laden solo album Lantern for a feel on how hard he'll shake you when he takes the decks. Metz    If indie rock to you means guitar-powered exercises, then you should be in the front row when it's Metz o'clock (by doing so you consent to lending your body to the mosh pit). With ethereal, digi-minded 'textures' now part of the rock lexicon, what this Canadian trio bring to the table is a tricky proposition. But that's what makes them so refreshing – and powerful. Grimes   Three years after her name-making 2012 album Visions, the Canadian poptimist released the acclaimed follow-up Art Angels. It's not that Angels is a better-than-great record that you should be thrilled to see Grimes. Rather, it's because Grimes herself has blossomed into a much-better-than-great musician that you can expect nothing but a transcendental showing from her. Shamir   Even a casual liste

Laneway doesn't really need an introduction. The premier music festival in Singapore has been serving the Pitchfork faithful for five years now (yes, you’re that much older), and its upcoming edition is yet another stellar representation of today's indie cosmos. Case in point: Battles. Dave Konopka tells us more about the math rock legends' first show in the city, living up to their impossibly well-received debut album, and why there's room for some fun in their tunes. The last time you played here was in 2009. Do you remember anything about that show?I do – I loved it. I remember Singapore being very clean. Well, my first impression was that it was really clean. You've had two albums out since then, including La Di Da Di. Yes, the only difference this time was that we switched up our process again. We were way more conscious about not being so deeply entrenched that we ended up lost in the project. It was a lot of bouncing ideas back and forth off one another. Much has been written about how your music is meta-commentary on man’s interaction with machines. Do you see it that way, too?There's this definite dichotomy between what we can do and the tools we use, for sure. The most important thing about how this plays out in our music is that it's humans who are tapping into the capabilities of machines to make music. I think our music reflects this balance.

Last year, Mike Hadreas, the man behind the Perfume Genius name, released Too Bright, his third album. Known for his painfully beautiful and emotionally devastating piano-driven aesthetic on his earlier two albums, Learning and Put Your Back N 2 It, Hadreas vastly expanded the blast radius of his third showing through a brazenly experimental collection of new sounds. Before he treated us to it live, he filled us in on his transfixing musical transformation.

As The Field, Swedish DJ/producer Axel Willner has blazed a niche for himself as one of the dance world’s most adventurous musicians in recent memory. Before he unfurls his pulsing, atmospheric sounds at the upcoming Neon Lights festival, the elusive genius shared a little more about his shadowy touch with us.

Modern progressive house titan Kaskade has two treats for us: he recently released his ninth album Automatic and he’s the headliner of It’s the Ship. The dance music legend is taking his dancefloor-burning tracks to the high seas, alongside big room names such as Ferry Corsten, to the floating festival. So if you consider yourself a party person, hop aboard and proceed to get – nautical superstition be damned – rekt.

He’s got two turntables and a... distortion pedal. Xhin is one of the more cutting-edge techno DJs around today – who also happens to be a local kid – so it’s a little strange that his new self-titled album is more likely to fill a mosh pit than dancefloor. Cranked-up-to-11 metal courses through its tracks, and we catch up with the man to find out why.

Stephen Bruner is one of those musicians who wields a virtuosity that inspires questions like, ‘How can he make all that sound so easy?’ As Thundercat, the bassist and singer has established himself very solidly as a maker of near-mystical R&B, funk and jazz fusion, all of which have been relied on by fellow scene-stealers such as Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington and Kendrick Lamar, for their own next-level projects. Ahead of his upcoming stint at Laneway 2016, we chat with him about his recent mini-album The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam and his involvement in some of the best records of the year.

It hasn’t taken Kimbra Lee Johnson to become an internationally recognised force of nature in her own right. Her 2011 assist on Gotye’s universe-devouring smash ‘Somebody that I Used to Know’ might have ushered the Kiwi chanteuse’s smouldering soul chops to mainstream consciousness but it’s her solo albums that have captivated hearts and charts alike with their phenomenal range. Last year, she released her second maximal pop statement in The Golden Echo. Read on for how she tapped into funk, pop, Greek mythology and even dreams to bring it to light.

Vanan M, 28Entertainment Manager at Canvas What do you do? Basically, I book DJs who I think are suitable for the venue. How do you decide who to book? I pick them based on their current popularity, entertainment value, and most importantly, price. Besides this criteria, I have to weigh each booking against the demographic that frequents the club to see if there’s a good fit. What if there’s a DJ with a high entertainment value but does not fit the club’s brand? Then, I’ll probably book him or her for a one-off night, like the eve of a public holiday. As long as the act conforms to our music policy, I’ll consider them. And what is your music policy? We favour music that goes against the grain of mainstream trends – something different. What has been your personal favourite booking so far? I’d say Mix Master Mike, for sure. It was his first headlining show here. That was a crazy night! What’s been your most difficult challenge, so far? Booking the right DJ for the right night. If I were to book an international superstar who plays to a barely filled room here, it’d reflect badly on the club and on me. For this job, an in-depth knowledge of music is very important, as well as an understanding of the local crowd. Are there any myths of the profession you’d like to shatter? If you work in nightlife, everyone assumes all you do is get drunk and party. That’s not true. This is a job – I sometimes work seven days a week. Does that perception bother you? Not really. We are here to se

Party people, the weekend you've been waiting for is nigh. ZoukOut 2015, Asia's biggest dance festival, returns on December 11 and 12 with a spectrum-defying payload of sounds to shake you up every which way. Before you head over, pre-game to this collection of tracks by this year's star players. DJ Snake - Turn Down for What Get turnt! Need we say more? Axwell / Ingrosso - On My Way Also known as two-thirds of Swedish House Mafia, this duo alone guarantees a gloriously thumping time ahead. Paul Oakenfold - Faster Kill Pussycat ft. Brittany Murphy Before #EDM, there was Paul Oakenfold. Take us to school, Paul. Nervo - Hold On Nervo – the embodiment of everything that's good about EDM. Kaskade - Never Sleep Alone Like it thumping and hypnotic? Kaskade gives it thumping and hypnotic.  Porter Robinson - Language He may only be 23 but this ZoukOut alumnus doesn't mess around. Peep how he can get titanic without being cheesy. Armin van Buuren - In and Out of Love ft. Sharon den Adel What good is a dance party if it doesn't beam you into space? And who better in the biz for intergalactic transportation than AVB? Tiësto - Take Me ft. Kyler England Whether you like raging hard till dawn or getting lost in the music and soaking in the feels, this dance-world MVP will have you covered. Andrew Rayel - Miracles ft. Christian Burns Trust the crown prince of modern trance for pristine, sky-high, to-infinity-and-beyond hooks. R3hab & Headhunterz - Won't Stop Rocking Loud, hard and

Thanks to Neon Lights, we have an all-new music festival with a spectrum-defying payload of acts. Fans of everyone from shoegaze gawds Ride to minimal techno stalwart The Field will be pleased. But before you head over, jam out to these cuts from some of the stars on the roster. CHIC feat. Nile Rodgers – Le Freak Yes, Nile Rodgers and CHIC will be taking the stage. Disco will always be a recipe for a good time. Mercury Rev – Opus 40 Alt-rock legends, anyone? Julia Holter – Feel You Besides being a musicologist's dream come true, Julia Holter's breathy, ethereal music is also a gift to our ears. Ride – Vapour Trail If you're like us, you've been wanting to see this band play this song live for about a decade, now.  Daughter – Youth Having won over many at their Laneway 2014 stint here, these English indie folksters will undoubtedly bring their darkly melodic best yet again. Flight Facilities – Crave You These Aussie dance-pop sensations more than know their way around an infectious hook – be prepared to move. Damien Rice – The Blower's Daughter   #Emo alert. That's all we'll say. The Field – Looping State of Mind Getting lost in Axel Willner's immersive and majestically gorgeous sounds comes naturally to most of us. He's one of the reasons why we can't wait for this. Blackalicious – Alphabet Aerobics Never thought you'd have these tongue-twsiting-rhyme-spitting, classic-beat-dropping masters on our shores? Neither did we. Hanging Up the Moon – The Divers Local more-th

The biggest seaborne festival returns this month with its mythic roster of EDM heavyweights. Before you sail off on the Royal Caribbean luxury cruise, turn up to this playlist of consummate bangers. Kaskade – Atmosphere 'Big room' doesn't get any bigger than this. When Kaskade strides towards the decks, expect some supersized prog house. Ferry Corsten – Many Ways Corsten's fused electro, house and trance into an endlessly irresistible template – one that unlocks the limbs of even the most party-resistant. Showtek – Booyah This band of brothers has been anointed by Tiësto himself as our generation's dance gawds. Listen to this heater and put your faith in them. My Nu Leng – Contact In just two years, these Bristol baddies have gone from the dance world's best new find to certified purveyors of some of the best bass music to ever reverberate in your ears. Tigerlily – Paradise Living proof that EDM isn't a boys' club, this Aussie firecracker will be on hand to supply you with ample reasons to let your hand down. DJ Carnage – Teke Teke Question: what's the best thing to ever happen to EDM? Answer: trap! Doorly – Rush Wanna get in your chill zone before you go hard? Hit up Doorly for oodles of good vibes and solid house. Far East Movement – Turn Up the Love Mad props have to be given to Far East Movement for graduating from 'Like a G6' to even more bouncy, blinged-out hits. Adventure Club – Wonder Whether they're banging out floor-shaking dubstep or groove-brimming house,

It’s back! Every year, St Jerome's Laneway Festival Singapore serves up a genre-defying line-up of talent from the indie universe. And every year, the festival gets bigger and bigger, gifting attendees with ever more beyond-eclectic sounds and I’m-so-glad-I-went memories. In 2016, with 22 homegrown, regional and international acts, Laneway will stage its largest edition to date. It goes without saying that there’ll be so much to take in. So here’s a pre-game playlist of some tunes you can expect to hear on the big day. Battles – The Yabba Build-and-release instrumental frenzies, filigreed, polyrhythmic soundscapes and a winking, light-hearted verve – this new one by the virtuosic trio dares you to dance to it. Shamir – On the Regular Irrepressibly fun and contagiously movement-inducing, this cut will definitely give you an energy boost when Shamir rips into it. Grimes – Oblivion Though she’s gone on record to say she ‘hates’ this single, we can’t imagine Grimes not playing one of her fan favourites. Thundercat – Them Changes Astral funk, heart-melting R&B sensibilities and tons of groove – that's the Thundercat guarantee. Beach House – Sparks The Laneway alumni return with a new album of sublime feels. This is one of their best.  Chvrches – Leave a Trace The newfound arena-sized dance-pop of these indie darlings is going to make for some perfect hands-in-the-air moments. Hudson Mohawke – Very First Breath As far as DJ sets go, HudMo's will be a maximal one that will br

If you’re in the CBD and feeling the need to sink that sweet tooth into something beyond the artisanal options sung about by those in the know, hit up this spot at Amoy Street Food Centre.        Amid the slew of local favourites, Bake_Of boasts a pleasure centre-pleasing payload of unpretentious baked goods that are also easy on the wallet.   The three muffins we tried – double chocolate ($1.30), salted caramel ($1.30) and red velvet ($1.50) – were fluffy and distinctly robust in flavour. Bake_Of also gets extra points for its double chocolate cake: it’s just crumbly enough to complement the big chocolate chip chunks. And because it looked too inviting to ignore, the Oreo brownie ($1.60) was also rung up. If you’re a fan of a dense, chocolate-y confection with chewy heft, this is a win, too. Bake_Of is at #02-111 Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Rd