Because talent grows locally as well
By Cheryl Chew, photos courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Mosaic Music Festival this year surrounded the theme of peace, and witnessed a stellar line up of local and international acts. Here are five local acts which stood out during the festival – keep a look out for them in the coming months, because these guys look like they’re sticking around on the music scene.
Nick Chim
Returning from Japan and his local Starbucks Tour, Nicholas Chim performs originals at Mosaic this time, delivering tracks mostly from his latest album Forgiefan while accompanied by his band, The Middle of Nowhere. What’s new is a romantic duet with Aarika Lee (from SIXX), which they composed recently.
Feeling truly humbled and encouraged by the fact that his songs were being covered on YouTube, he made the evening memorable with In The End. According to Chim, he has put in a lot of “heartwork” into his albums and hopes you’ll have a listen when you’re free. Visit www.nicholaschim.com for more on the singer.
Inter-Minds
Playing their favourite tunes from Weather Report and Herbie Hancock, jazz outfit Inter-Minds delivered romantic tunes from 70s and the 80s. Their interpretation of the classics was easy to the ears, bass-slapping was clean and the elongated drum solo was impressive. Their profound synchronity and unity as a band is impressive.
SHELVES
Despite having released their debut album not too long ago, SHELVES has already received rave reviews by the critics. Their stage presence on a live set is an element not immediately evident on their recordings, but makes for a great show. Anybody who is into 90s indie rock bands and a fun night should catch SHELVES at their next gig in Home Club on March 23rd. Visit http://shelves.bandcamp.com/album/shelves for more on the band.
Riot !n Magenta
Riot !n Magenta is an experimental electronic duo that consists of vocalist Eugenia Yip and sound artist Hayashida Ken. Yip’s dense vocals and powerful vibratos blends masterfully with the contrasting electronic soundscape. CTRL, a creative and melodic vocal-loop technique got the crowd hooked, while finale We Are Who We Are had the audience grooving along with the breathtaking cinematic footage of the north pole screened onstage. Check out their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/riotinmagenta
Charlie Lim
Singapore-born Charlie Lim went to Australia at an early age of 14 and travelled the world with his compositions in his twenties. The moment his band starts playing, he drowns in his songs and the viewer is drawn into his brand of funk, jazz and indie rock.
He has an innate ability to evoke intense raw emotions within a simple chord. Join him again on 23 March at Blujaz Café and 11 April at The Pigeonhole, or listen to his 4-track EP now at http://charlielim.bandcamp.com/
