Amateur Takes Control
From its origins as a solo project hatched in founder Adel Rashid’s bedroom to its current status as a five-piece instrumental rock outfit, the band’s mission is right there in its name: an affirmation of independent DIY ethics and a call for the everyman to take the reins of their lives. Their powerfully emotive music encapsulates the band’s unwavering belief in progress and forward movement–a stance that has endured since their inception 15 years ago.
Say hello@amateurtakescontrol.com
Caracal
An active force in Singapore’s alternative and heavy music scene, Caracal is in continual evolution; both in its songwriting efforts and line-up. The band has undergone radical changes since its inception in 2007. With progressive emphasis on dissonant guitar melodies and powerful vocal acrobatics, evidenced on the 2018 EP Take It Apart And Put It Back Together and 2019 single, “Mouth of Madness”; Caracal’s turbulent translations of emotional disruption have carried the band to international stages throughout Asia, North America, and Australia.
caracalnoise.com
Deepset
The epic and atmospheric soundscapes of Malaysian post rock titans Deepset often takes listeners through an emotional roller coaster ride. Their songs are expansive –both figurative and literal run time– as the band takes their time to explore and build sonic stories with surging sensibility and resonating introspection.
I Am David Sparkle
An improvisational instrumental collective that has seen their sound evolve deeper into heavy, doom-laden sonics intersecting with mood and melody. It’s hard to describe I Am David Sparkle, simply because they have been so many things, over time. A band. A brotherhood. A vision. A feeling. They are one, yet they are many. They are neither the past nor the future. But they are the present. And at this very moment, despite the odds, they are here.
motifs
A soundtrack to the lazy, hazy days of summer, where time slows down and everything is a little more magical. Motifs is captivating and nostalgic, with dreamy and ethereal melodies washing over you in a wave of sonic bliss.
Formed in 2019, Motifs comprises Elspeth Ong (vocals, guitar), JJ Tan (lead guitar), Paul Yuen (bass), Badrul Amin (synth/vocals/guitar), and Jolin Chiam (drums). This Singapore five-piece—drawing inspiration from shoegaze, post-punk, and dream-pop of the 80s and ’90s—blend lilting melodies with reverb-drenched sentimentality to create ethereal soundscapes that are both familiar and fresh, like a memory that you can’t quite put your finger on.
The band’s debut album, Remember A Stranger, released in 2022 and recorded with veteran producer Leonard Soosay of Snakeweed Studios, has been met with critical acclaim and picked up for distribution by independent labels in North America and Japan.
