Since their debut in 2017, Baybeats Budding Bands alumnus Subsonic Eye have become a mainstay in Singapore’s indie scene while also making waves beyond our shores. See: appearances on KEXP and Audiotree live, a USA tour in 2022 (with another one this year) and signing to American indie label Topshelf Records. It’s not hard to see why—the infectious melodies of their guitar-forward songs make them instant earworms, complemented by earnest lyrics delivered through the unique vocal cadence of its lead singer, Wahidah.

Ahead of the live launch of their new album All Around You at Mosaic Music Series, Subsonic Eye made themselves welcome in our cargo lift, planting themselves on the lift floor while surrounded by, well, plants. The band took off with their signature jangly noise rock sound, playing fan favourite Fruitcake from Nature of Things (2021) and Yearning, the first single off their latest record.

Video: Made by Identity
Audio recording and mastering: 4th Wall Studios
Audio mix: Daniel Borces (Subsonic Eye)

The cargo lift was up and running… until an hour before the shoot with the musicians of Lantun Orchestra from Indonesia, who were in Singapore for Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts 2023 in May. Instead of waiting for the lift to be fixed, we relocated to another exclusive space: the trusty basement. Completely unfazed, Lantun Orchestra, founded in 2014 by bassist, composer and arranger Chaka Priambudi, dove straight into the music. Effortlessly charming and bursting with musical chemistry, the sextet performed their jazzy arrangement of popular keroncong and folk songs in Medley Betawi, as well as their original composition Pecinan (Chinatown).

Audio: Andrew Lim

Lit in amber lights and armed with his effect pedal, New York-based jazz trumpeter Marquis Hill filled the cargo lift with his soulful, textured sound, performing an arresting rendition of Law and Order, originally released in his debut record New Gospel (2011) and later rearranged for New Gospel Revisited (2022). The musician, composer and bandleader was here at Esplanade for his sold-out Singapore debut as part of Jazz in July 2023. 

Video: Made by Identity
Audio: Andrew Lim