On the island of Singapore, the earth is opening up. The underground is breaking through, spilling over the surface. It's called sessions.
If the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Singapore isn’t its innovative take on music experimentation and curated live performance, it should be. The brand-new event that is sessions. kicked off the first instalment over the weekend in what is going to be a series of sonically immersive journeys through sound and space.
Taking place at Pasir Panjang Power Station on Friday October 18, the one-room, four-staged, multi-sensory event was like a portal to a side of Singapore you probably didn’t know existed. A side that – if events like sessions. continue – will not just exist, but thrive.
sessions. in Singapore
- Pasir Panjang Power Station
- Immersive music showcase
- Keep up to date with sessions. here
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Beat was invited to Singapore as part of the hotly anticipated sessions. event, run by 24OWLS. Over a weekend of arts and cultural experiences, we were shown a unique, pulsing and vibrant side to Singapore that most travel websites neglect to spotlight.
While experiencing the incredible food around the island was a highlight of the trip, the team at 24OWLS showed us that there is also a beating heart pumping blood into the veins of Singapore’s streets and skyscrapers outside of the hawker centres. Where the heart beat the hardest, it seemed, was 24OWLS’ sessions.
The decommissioned power station where sessions. was hosted served as the playground to a musical recess that each of the four musicians on the lineup played with in their own way. Decked out with stretcher beds and bean bags, it was clear from the design of the space that the music that was being presented over the course of the night wasn’t being offered just to be watched, but to be experienced.
A whirlwind of sonic expression
Four stages were spread out over the space, each artist with their very own platform to do with it what they wanted. As the place in which the music was being made changed with each set, so too was how it was experienced.
It goes without saying, no two sets were the same. With a roster of artists as unique and as experimental as these, they couldn’t even be the same if they’d tried.
It was only fitting that on this night of celestial adventure that a full moon stuck its head out for the occasion. It cast an angelic light over the outskirts of the power station, and was reflected inside across the many corners of the event that offered visitors something different in way of activity to complement their music experience.
Hungry stomachs were made full by the gourmet burger guys at Ashes Burnnit, and thirsty mouths were quenched at the beer, wine and cocktail bar. A twilight dining table invited groups of friends to gather around candlelight as music made the brightness flicker.
More than meets the eye
There was a snack bar for those with the munchies, a games corner for those with restless hands and a wellness store for those so inclined. A midnight bookshop even provided attendees a chance to browse a curated selected of magazines and books, while a tarot card reader was waiting under arched windows to take stock of your life in a dimly light corner of the warehouse.
That’s all without even getting to the music. The music cascaded around the room with a clarity and a depth that made you wonder how it could be possible in a concrete box as big as this one.
Each artist took their stage like it was their own, because in fact it was. As the music moved between the four platforms, the sound shifted with it, shining a sonic light into all the corners of the power station that one we hadn’t realised were there before.
Mervin Wong
The first performer of the night, Mervin Wong, most definitely set the bar high. He seamlessly wove his vocals into the music, threading the sounds together until the strands formed a tight and indistinguishable fabric. His voice, quite simply, became another instrument.
As the sound lifted up and throbbed towards us, it possessed the lights in tandem with the movement of the waves. It was almost an angelic rhythm, like a hymn echoing throughout the power station. You could easily get lost in this trance. It was a trance of live instrumentation that felt as if it was just an extension of Mervin’s body, an extension of his practice.
It’s like the sounds were floating, defying gravity in the way only magical things can. They were moving all around the concrete room, making the air between us and the sound, us and Mervin, feel somehow softer. Mervin was shaping it, guiding the music. Like the banks of a stream showing the water where to go. It was an entire uninterrupted hour of continuous flow.
Fauxe
With the second set, it was Fauxe’s voice that rose above everything else. An echo of cheers sounded from the other side of the warehouse as he was beginning, already putting into human expression what was clearly obvious about what we would be receiving from the musician: the sheer talent on display was unparalleled.
Grounding the experience was a pulsating rhythm, like a heartbeat, but somehow more emotional. It reflected the raw guts of Fauxe’s voice, which chorused itself. Reflections of his vocal range bounced back against one another.
The sound had the sonic effect of what it is to observe two opposite mirrored walls. It’s uncertain where the reflections begin, where they end, but the seemingly infinite ways it adapts the image and makes it its own is the meaty middle of the work, where the great stuff lives.
Fauxe moved between three instruments, as well as his voice and an electronic beat machine. It was a sonic kaleidoscope of all the dancing lights you didn’t know existed until you looked through the lens and into the portal of shape and colour he was creating.
The set finished sonically somewhere similar to where it started. Except spiritually, it felt different. It was higher, louder; beating from somewhere deeper in the body.
Kiasmos
Few words could describe the transcendental effect Kiasmos‘ set had on a mere mortal soul, but for you, I’ll try.
Faroese-Icelandic experimental techno duo Kiasmos is the brainchild of friends and collaborators Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen. Known for their minimal-sounding explorations of textured noises characterised by a deep emotional engagement, Kiasmos knows how to speak to a room with music.
They were having as much fun as the crowd that they were commanding. Like pied pipers, they beckoned us to dance solely through sounds and feelings, beats and vibrations, where the only translation was body movement in response to the music. They had nothing to hide behind. We could see the magic in full force.
They were listening to the crowd and that emanated throughout the music, telling us how to move, how to hear it, how to watch it happen.
“Let’s do this again very soon”
Just when we thought they were done, the entire room held its breath. The air in that massive power station felt frozen as everyone silently hoped the set wasn’t over yet. Kiasmos returned for one more dance.
Audiences always hope for an encore from artists of this magnitude, though it rarely happens. But Kiasmos clearly wanted it, too.
“It’s been 10 years, Singapore,” Ólafur said during the final moments of their set. “Let’s do this again very soon.” It had been a decade between drinks in Singapore. sessions. was where the drought finally broke.
Kin Leonn
The ambient echoes of sonic shapes moving around the warehouse somehow created a space in the room despite it feeling like there was nothing left to make space from. Kin Leonn’s music opened up the room, opened up the air, opened up the world a little wider.
It was a sound that simmered. It was a sound that sounded like ballerina light, pirouetting between the bodies that were sitting still watching. Through the lightness, the bass cut through, bringing it all back down to earth.
Kin Leonn’s set was a dance between contrasts. It lingered in the space between the two opposing ideas, finding new sounds and feelings and ways of making music from noise. The space between two things was where it was at its best. The certainness in the uncertainty.
Beyond the first session
If the first sessions. was anything to go by, this is a music festival that will continue to beckon punters from beyond the country lines of Singapore. It’s proof that Singapore’s reputation for tourism and food and shopping is missing something so glaringly obvious so that it feels like a secret. Now, the secret’s out. Music in Singapore is pumping full steam ahead. And sessions. is leading the way.
Alongside sessions., 24OWLS invited Beat to a plethora of arts and cultural experiences that are best led by those that know the community from the inside out.
It’s undeniable that Singapore is a foodie’s idea of heaven. The hawker centres offer a range of beloved and unique dishes, making them a certified success for anyone visiting who craves a delicious meal or two. A country that is incredibly multicultural, you’ll find a range of cuisines and flavour inspirations across the stalls.
An unparalleled food and beverage culture
Beat then headed off to try some of the dishes beyond the hawker centres, like the famous Hainanese chicken rice at the beloved Chin Chin Eating House. The way that the rice soaks up the flavour of the chicken is to die for.
Then, we were led through the colourful streets around Haji Lane and stopped for a drink break at a local coffee shop. The quiet of the coffee shop was a reprieve from the vibrant hustle and bustle of the streets outside. Plus, we got to try some refreshing local drinks, like the rosewater-flavoured milk, Bandung.
A major highlight of our tour around Singapore was getting the chance to visit a variety of shops we might have otherwise missed. A hotspot is the Golden Mile Tower, a kind of department store that may look unassuming from the outside, but secretly houses some of the best independent art shops in Singapore.
Shrub bookstore is no doubt one of them. An old locksmiths-turned-magazine and book shop, Shrub is a love letter to the craft of alternative literature. Filled with collections of zines, magazines, books, posters, t-shirts and more, it’s a must visit for anyone interested in grassroots arts expression.
Also in Golden Mile is indie cinema The Projector. Equipped with a quaint bar and lounge area, this retro movie theatre also makes for a cool place to hang out, regardless of if you’re seeing a film or not.
Another great little find was a quirky shop in the Far East Plaza on Orchard Road, The Corner Shop. It’s like a retro convenience store, except stocked with a range of incredibly designed t-shirts and vintage-inspired knick-knacks.
One final drink
To finish off the day, Beat visited Singapore’s first-ever gin distillery, the Brass Lion. We toured the multi-level micro-distillery, complete with a bar and restaurant, and learnt about the rich history of Brass Lion. After watching the gin-making process firsthand, we sampled all eight varieties of gin from their current range. You can bet we each went home with a bottle.
It’s no doubt that Singapore offers more than meets the eye. It didn’t take long for us at Beat to be convinced of so. The art on display everywhere clearly shows the immense influence of grassroots communities and independent artists shaping the country’s vision.
Whether it’s the art of gin distillery, zines, food or music, there’s certainly no shortage of it in Singapore. Many travellers to the country easily miss it, unaware that it’s there to begin with. But once you look for it, you can’t miss it.
To keep up to date with 24OWLS’ sessions. music event, head here.
