The state of the local music scene

Joshua Pillai, head of entertainment at CÉ LA VI (JP, pictured above): I took the DJ route. My first gig was as a 13- or 14-year- old. My dad had an entertainment company, and like every good DJ, when the other DJ doesn't show up, that's your one chance [laughs]. You'd probably screw up, but you go back home knowing this is what you wanna do. 

The biggest joy is when I get into the DJ console. Whether it's one person or thousands I’m playing to, I still give that same energy. I started off in the underground scene, playing house, drum 'n' bass, and funk and soul. My whole life, everybody called me an underground DJ. It only changed recently when I joined CÉ LA VI. I kind of liked that attraction to the underground scene. The fact that I wasn't known but known. 

GS: I guess the underground crowd implies that they really seek you out, so you know the people are the ones there for you.

JP: But yeah, there are times where you play to no one. Even today, when I play to a dancefloor, some people show me the middle finger, and people ask me to play Indian songs. Recently, someone came up to me and asked me to play a tune off his iPhone. He said it 'suited the vibe'. The abuse you get – it's tough. 

Adin Kindermann (second from left), Eldad Leong (centre) and Grayson Seah (right) of Stopgap

Eldad Leong, drummer of Stopgap: Some musicians may not have the mental strength to take the rejections. Sometimes, walking away is easier. That's what a lot of people do: they say, this is not for me, and they turn around and get a 9-to-5 job.

CC: And we shouldn't force people to support local just because it's local, but because it's good music. I believe that good music will always rise to the top. If you're persistent in honing your craft and getting the word out about your music, you'll make progress.

TH: Yeah, I don't think it's about local versus international. People don't like local music because maybe sometimes it's just not as good. The divide is good music versus bad music. The world is so globalised and connected, it's so easy to do collaborations. I don't think physical boundaries matter anymore. 

DJ Nez (NZ, pictured above): I started off playing drum 'n' bass, a very non-mainstream genre. When I diversify into genres that are more accessible, it's a matter of having a balance. We can educate and entertain at the same time, but we also have to step out of our comfort zone and reach out to people who have zero knowledge of whatever sub-genre of music we’re trying to promote.

Generally, if you believe in a certain form of underground culture, you'll always run into the trap of hating Top 40s music. But, at the same time, if not for that Top 40s music, it may not trickle into whatever you're trying to do. So you have to take everything and put it in perspective, to see how you can play your cards right. 



ShiGGa Shay (SS, pictured above): I like what you said about education. A lot of things I do are not so much for the money, but more to educate the commercial crowd.

Yuji Kumagai (second from left) and Cashew Chemists

NZ: There are promoters who are willing to set up a show for an international act, but they're not willing to put that same money into it for the locals. We need that.

CO: Okay, I'm being frank about this. It's great that major festivals coming to Singapore include local acts. The sad part is that we're always given an early time slot, we're not given ample time for a sound-check, and we’re not given the equipment we specified for. They'll always tell you it's good exposure. Of course it is – but what's the deal? It's frustrating.

YK: But I suppose the big bands probably started out that way, right?

NZ: But those bands, in their own countries, have the right infrastructure. We don't.

DJ Rah

RA: How can we change that, though?

NH: We’re not in a favourable position to say: give it to me – or else. I think a local band being put up against bands of that calibre, the organisers feel like they’re doing you a favour.

NZ: If you let people bully you into a corner, then you’re gonna be stuck there. The best way to tackle this is to pre-empt yourself way in advance. But if you come to a point where you have to settle it on your own, then where is the value of your performance?

It takes a lot of planning. But that’s the manager’s job. Then we come back to the same problem [laughs]. The bottom line is, we have to figure this out on our own.