Every artist’s journey is different—not least the paths trod by each of these Singaporean musicians. NADA, the duo of Rizman Putra and Safuan Johari, began nearly a decade ago as a project interrogating nostalgia by turning old Malay music into new forms. Intriguant is the producer and DJ Louis Quek, who has gone from hip-hop and turntablist roots into ambient, downtempo and breakbeat directions. Darell Laser is the vocalist and bassist of Forests, who play a blend of emo and math rock that has been described as ‘party emo’.

As NME speaks to these musicians, each loved and respected in Singapore’s music scene for different reasons, we find a shared emphasis on process—and a deep gratitude for the journey, and for those who help them embark on it. “In the world of art-making, process is king,” as Rizman of NADA puts it. Intriguant, who treats his music as “a stepping stone to where I’m going next”, wouldn’t change a thing about the “ups and downs” he’s experienced. Darell, too, finds it important to learn from the early, frustrating times – “You need to go through that phase” – and, above all, to keep creating and releasing music.