Baybeats 2022

Introduced by the emcee as 1997’s coolest vegetarian, xena giam grabbed the mic and soaked up the sounds of her bandmates’ instruments as she prepared for the first song of the set, Longest Time – a soulful debut song about coping with a breakup. She closed her eyes every now and then to feel the lyrics, and swayed along to the music.

Guitarist Ridz, meanwhile, smiled and contorted his face throughout the set which was truly entertaining to watch – here was one musician feeling every note he played.

The soothing melody was coupled with Ridz’s and Iskandar’s groovy guitar sounds, Xun’s gentle drumming and Sam’s tender keyboard tunes. Backup singer Jaz added pristine vocal harmonies when needed, at times sharing the spotlight with xena during passages that called for a duet.

Every member was in their element, having fun as they made music together – this cheerful energy rubbed off onto the audience, who clapped along with Ridz during the band’s fourth song, Stoplight. The final song of the night, Sleeping Issues, inspired some sing-alongs as well.

I really enjoyed their set, especially because their jovial personalities shone through—from their expressions, their movements, their casual interaction with the audience and the good vibes that sustained their entire set. Their sunny charm was so immediate and radiant, it felt to me they were a band primed for a night-time slot. Add stage lights to that and you’ll have an exceedingly pleasing time.

Baybeats x LUCfest: Go Go Machine Orchestra (Taiwan)

LUCfest, a Taiwanese music festival with its own ear for musical eclecticism, collaborated with Baybeats to bring in a selection of picks from their homeland – the first of the night, Go Go Machine Orchestra, is a four-piece outfit hailing from Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

As the band sports the term ‘orchestra’, I anticipated a modern spin on classical music when I first stepped into the Annexe. Instead, I was greeted by an array of instruments that included a keyboard, xylophone, and electric guitar, among other gadgets. Once the band began playing, I was transported to an otherworldly dimension, a bridge between lush forests and outer space.

The set featured two songs from their debut album TIME; Time Travel and Union Works. Time Travel unfolded with a techno robot-like sound effect, reminiscent of a space ship getting ready to take off. The tune then got heavier and more ominous, with foreboding xylophone sounds that overall made an effective soundtrack for a thriller. The song eventually became lighter and more uplifting, as though we’d braved a storm and emerged safe and sound.

I loved that their music ignited my wild imagination. I felt like I underwent a journey through space and time, and the echoes in the enclosed Annexe building made the experience more immersive. Every member was focused on their tasks. Except for the keyboardist who bore a sweet smile throughout, they all looked very serious.

The keyboardist mainly engaged with the audience in Chinese; those who understood replied, but there were a handful who didn’t. Once they started playing, however, we were all guided on the same incredible voyage.

Their next song, Union Works, started with gentle keyboard sounds, followed by the xylophone and layered sound effects that mimicked a waterfall. The music was warm and comforting – a balm amidst the business of the festival grounds.

Their fourth song Morse Code made me emotional. There was a greater focus on the keyboard sounds and a strong bass in the background. The tune was neither happy nor sad, with the volume fluctuating and instruments getting lighter and heavier throughout to tease my emotions.

There was even a back and forth between the keyboard and the guitar, as though two people were having a conversation, before the instruments combined into one cohesive sound.

The set came full circle as it ended with the same robot-like sound effect, probably representing a return to our home planet. One word: Amazing.

Baybeats x LUCfest: G5SH (Taiwan)

Another LUCfest pick, electronic music duo G5SH took over the Annexe stage at 9:55pm with their electric guitars – soundtracked by a surge of melodic dubstep. If LUCfest’s mission was to confound and challenge minds, they succeeded almost immediately.

G5SH are known for brewing up energetic songs, both originals and covers, that take from different genres liberally – I remember asking myself: Is this pop, techno, drill, R&B… or all of the above? How do I describe this music? Despite their heady and meticulous approach to music-making, it was clear that their songs are best felt and not rigorously explained.

Lead singer M.A.T.H, donning a blue velvet t-shirt that matched his dyed hair, made a constant effort to hype up the audience; shouting into the mic, waving his arms, and bouncing the whole time. His partner DJ LuuX, conversely, had a cool and quiet persona, nodding to the music while clad in black from top to toe, with a gold chain around his neck.

When the background track mellowed down a little, the duo put their guitars aside. LuuX walked over to his turntable while M.A.T.H grabbed the mic and got the crowd to raise their hands. What followed was immaculate clubbing vibes. I was feeling the music and raving on the second floor, unfortunately, the crowd downstairs was relatively dead. A handful of them raised their hands and swayed, but they weren’t as vivacious as I expected.

But when the duo picked up their guitars once again for a short acoustic segment in Chinese, several audience members nearest to the stage sang along. It was a soothing R&B song which they stripped down, then added a strong bass to bring the energy back up for their following mixes. Every song flowed together seamlessly, allowing for consistent bopping, at least on my end. There were even a couple of English pop songs in the mix, like Angel Baby by Troye Sivan, which I enjoyed very much.

Once again, the echoes in the building did the set justice, especially for the drill portions of the mix. If you’re up for a good time, G5SH is one performance you wouldn't want to miss.

Astronauts

Back at the Arena, R&B band Astronauts landed to a full-capacity audience at 10:40pm. Once again I had embarked on a space adventure, this time supposedly to the planet Krypton as the band jammed to their song Kryptonite. The funky and groovy sounds by the three guitarists took centre stage, while the rhythmic drumming paired nicely from the background.

Lead singer BJ then came in with a sort of nasal voice and Bruno Mars-like demeanour. He walked across the stage with swagger, wearing a brimless corduroy cap, red flannel and stylish red shades, and possessed a sense of humour — when one of the guitarists quipped about how hot the stage was, BJ replied: “That’s why I’m wearing glasses.”

The band was good sonorous as a unit; what I admired most about their performance was their harmony, especially amongst the guitarists. Every strum was in sync. Nobody missed a beat.

Their second and third songs, Could You and LMI (let me inside), were overflowing with sensual energy at different tempos – one being propulsive and infectious, the other sparse and hypnotic.

For their fourth song, Impatient, their talented guitarist Benjamin Mah switched to his keyboard, which accompanied his talk box, a type of vocaliser that allowed him to transform his voice with different tones and textures. An experimental stunt that paid off with enthusiasm from the crowd.

Before playing their next song, the band invited singer Vivian on stage for a fun Q&A segment. She tossed packets of crackers to audience members who managed to answer her series of amusing questions like “Anybody’s name is Sarah?” Vivian then joined the band to perform their new song, Peanut Butter Crackers, which was zesty thanks to her lively energy.

The band wrapped the set up with their pop song Come Callin’, which they shared had changed the game for them since it garnered many streams after its release in 2019.

Rudra

Joining them mid-performance was singer-songwriter Debbi Koh – they performed an EP released by them just this year, Playground. The band proved their versatility, offering a generous amount of fierce guitar riffs, moments of gentleness, and a euphoric climax that encouraged audience members to dance – surely a rare sight at a metalcore set.

The band’s spirit and camaraderie were most significant when they had the audiences join them in concert. Their crowd engagement made everyone feel like they were a part of the band too – if music offers people a home, they found their family in Reserate.

jupiterkid

Taking the open stage with calmer, acoustic tunes, just moments before dusk, was the solo musician jupiterkid. Listeners seated in front of the stage, as well as passerbys, had the opportunity to listen to an emerging voice.

One of his songs, Make it Okay, expresses how change is part and parcel of life, and that when things change, it can feel scary. However, despite the chaos and the great unknown, there would always be someone else who’d see us through the turbulent journey and keep us grounded. That song was dedicated to this person, jupiterkid shared with the crowd.

Another song featured in his set is Lost and Found. This song showcases how we are all on a journey to find ourselves and we would think that we would only be happy when we get to that destination. This song expresses that while we’re on the journey to find ourselves, it’s okay to pause and embrace where we are in the moment.

The atmosphere of jupiterkid’s set was infectious in a different way – mellow and therapeutic. It was great for listeners looking for some rest and introspection amidst the heaviness of the bands at the festival.

Drinking Boys and Girls Choir

Making their way to the Powerhouse stage, all the way from Daegu, South Korea, were the alternative three-piece punk band Drinking Boys and Girls Choir. The band opened up their performance with a powerful drum solo – more effective than simply introducing themselves by name, I’m sure.

From the start to the end of their set, the band kept the crowds engaged by sharing the stories behind their songs – whenever they launched into a song, they encourage the crowds to rave along in any way they wanted to.

The band’s set definitely gave off a Friday night vibe throughout the night – the feeling of unpacking the week’s stresses and dancing it away – and the crowds were genuinely as active and loud as the band was. It’s what Baybeats is all about.

For Tracy Hyde

Hailing from Japan, the indie rock band For Tracy Hyde performed a couple of songs from their upcoming album Hotel Insomnia, which will be released in December.

In between songs, the band engaged the crowd with a couple of stories of their experiences in Singapore – this is their second time performing in the country. They even threw in some local lingo close to the hearts of Singaporeans whilst conversing with the crowd.

For Tracy Hyde’s setlist was a lively and friendly tone for the crowd to immerse themselves in. While their set was not as wild as the heavier bands on the line-up, the band’s songs were upbeat enough to keep the crowd cheering for the band – they displayed unwavering support all the way to their last song. Perhaps a future headlining show here could be on the cards for them?

Overall, For Tracy Hyde’s set was an upbeat and modern one, the kind where crowds could stay in their seats and enjoy the music as well as standing at the front, feeding off the lively energy of the skilful band.

Rhaun

Taking over the open stage as one of the final sets of Baybeats’ second night was Rhaun, a solo singer who doubles as a vocal teacher during the day. Some of the songs featured in Rhaun’s set were Another Kind of Love, Loving You and Pieces – an indication of the singer-songwriter’s effortless melancholy.

Their cheers were so blaring as the frontman, Janssen Chang, swaggered onto the stage with a black coat. He definitely knew how to make an entrance. The band launched into their set in unison as they played Ramen as an entree. They followed it by previewing an unreleased track as well as Edgelord and ended with the crowd and the felines themselves rocking out to Cough Bin. As I stood there immersed in the performance, I couldn’t help but admire the band.

After the performance, I had the pleasure of having a casual chat with them. Aaron, their guitarist, revealed to me that he felt he could have played certain parts better. Perhaps he could have, but that performance alone has struck me and the pairs of eyes in the audience in awe – they have definitely garnered new fans.

I scurried to the band next in line in my to-watch list, which was False Plaintiff in the Powerhouse Arena. The band was adept at evoking strong and hard-willed emotions as the lead singer, Brandon Tanoto, poured his heart out from the first track.

Playing tracks like Hive Mind really touched the audience as the dedicated fans sang along with Brandon. They then picked up the pace with Evergreen, a single released by the band in the first quarter of this year. Having only known them through word of mouth and being acquainted with some members, I was taken aback when I heard them play live. The raw emotions were pouring out of Brandon as he sang his heart out. Having been around since 2012, these emo veterans definitely knew how to put on a show.

As I crossed False Plaintiff off the checklist, I made my way back to the Outdoor Arena where my next coveted band was, tide/edit. This enigmatic Philippines band with little to no details on their biography was a hot pick as the seats were already filled by the time I arrived. The strictly instrumental band immediately put us in a trance as they started playing. The sound was so serene and mystifying as the cool tone of the guitar perfectly accompanied the chill weather.

As the performance picked up the pace, so did the weather as it gradually started to rain leading to a downpour. It was as though tide/edit’s magical chords brought forth the shower of rain. Unfortunately, the band’s set had to be cancelled midway as it was too heavy of rain and the safety of everyone present was prioritised. This cancellation would pour into Khana Bierbood’s performance as the rain did not relent. It was a shame as I had missed out on their performance the day before.

But I did not let the rain wash away my enthusiasm and high spirit, for .Feast was the next and final band on my agenda. As I entered the Powerhouse, I was flabbergasted to see a bunch of gentlemen in vintage 70’s style clothing.

I had to do a double-take as they looked nothing like their Spotify page cover where they were draped in military uniform. My gut told me this was going to be a legendary set, and legendary it was. The set started with Bintang Massa Aksi, a heavy synth and rock-infused track. Every individual member knew how to engage the crowd and when. Their frontman Baskara Putra was a ball of chaotic energy – he jumped around the stage, headbanging at the side, and continued singing while lying down. The set had the perfect ending as Baskara jumped into the crowd, dodging the security guards and crowdsurfed.

The festival was truly an eye-opener for me as I had the privilege of discovering new music that I normally wouldn’t have. These bands hailing from all over Southeast Asia are definitely my new earworms. Appreciation for local bands has also gone up as I discovered many great bands that live in this Lion City of ours, unnoticed.

I’ll definitely be coming back next year to see what more Singapore and its neighbouring countries have to offer from their music scene. My overall review of the festival is that it was an astonishing experience, especially to be involved with the comeback of live shows. To discover new music through a live performance definitely is something no radio or music streaming apps can replicate. Baybeats will definitely be an annual visit for me.

Homegrown ‘punk yeh-yeh’ band Force Vomit, returned to Baybeats for the third time this year. Formed almost 30 years ago, the band attracted one of the biggest crowds at Powerhouse2. If not for the song, The Kids Who WTF, that led frontman Eddino to joke about their advancing ages, early bedtimes and routinely Monday morning meetings, there was nothing in their music to suggest the group, or their music, had aged.

Fans were reunited with familiar tunes, some of which the band had not played in almost 20 years. Introductory numbers He’s No Longer and Liberator brought the crowd to a fist pumping frenzy, and songs like Aisakos don’t die and Auntie Trust received excited murmurs of recognition just by being announced, with a fan yelling, “I listen to you guys everyday!”. Sandwiched in between the wave of nostalgia from their most popular songs Siti and (Are You) My Number One, was their new unreleased Just a Song with the crowd singing along to the catchy hook of “Na Na Na’s”. The song is one of a number that the band has been working on during the pandemic, with their hopes set on releasing a new EP sometime in the future.

Also breaking their musical solitude earlier that evening after not having performed together in six years, was a band of 11 musical brothers from The Voodoo Sound, who played an electrifying set at the Arena (Outdoor Theatre), fusing industrial rock, hip hop and elements of Indian classical music. Armed with four drummers on an impressive array of global percussion, together with three guitars, a keyboard, a bass and two vocalists, their set was nothing short of thunderous.

Perhaps a little too thunderous though, as there were moments where the vocals were overpowered by the band. This was a shame, as a closer listen would reveal an operatic approach to social commentary – S.O.N (Silence of Noise) laments about fallen soldiers in war. It takes listeners from alap inspired vocals to rap verses amidst heavy rock-infused riffs that precede a solemn spoken word section.

Tears, a song of a boy who realises his dreams must be stored away in the name of progress, was particularly poignant when frontman Siraj rapped: “my dreams are just a bluff! / I’ll join the system and climb the corporate ladder / Cuz guess what? / Your son is no longer a dreamer” against the backdrop of towering office buildings looming over Marina Bay.

The Voodoo Sound also uses their music to explore the eternal question - what is a Singaporean sound? Their closing number PAWS Up! explored this most explicitly. Serving as an alternative anthem for the lion city, the song referenced the national anthem, a darker rendition of Munnaeru Vaalibaa and a rapped rendition of Zubir Said’s Orang Singapura. Far from being a celebration of Singapore, the song was a revolutionary call for Singaporeans to wake up, with the band inviting the crowd to get up on their feet and join in to put their “Paws up!” .

In the spirit of honouring the quiet between notes, Baybeats featured a Chillout Stage (Concourse), where Baybeats bands were changed to perform additional acoustic sets of their otherwise heavier music.

“If you listened to our Spotify, you would think our band today was a totally different band”, jokes Li En, the vocalist of returning Baybeats budding band Trust the Chaos (TTC), as they approach the halfway point of their acoustic set at the Chillout Stage. Their acoustic guitars accompanied by the cajon, brought out an almost Latin flavour at times, particularly during exchanges between guitarists Nick and Jing. The previous night, the band played an electrifying show at the Powerhouse2, where their driving energy had moved strangers in the crowd to wrap arms around each other and bounce to their music. Their Powerhouse2 show also showcased two songs that they had not played live in full before - Compass and most notably, Stasis, a rhythmic reflection on feeling stuck in life and the desire to overcome that. New faces, Bassist Ren Kang with his infectious energy at the Powerhouse2 stage and drummer Christal with her wide grin, loud pink hair and clear backup vocals, were welcome additions to the band.

Chennai-based band, The F16s, felt even more like a completely different band at the Chillout Stage. Having played their main show at the Powerhouse2 the night before, their acoustic set provided comfort food for a musical hangover that Baybeats fans never thought they needed. Their Saturday performance was roared with wild abandon, featuring heavier tracks from older albums such as Digital Dead, Plastic Like Skin, and My Shallow Love, and included Bumblebee which got the crowd buzzing with energy.

Their stripped-down Sunday set on the other hand, felt like a relaxed tropical evening stroll by the seaside. Featuring more breezy songs from their newer releases like I’m On Holiday, and The Apocalypse, complete with a sprinkling of tropical shirts, their music gathered quite a crowd before their first song had even ended. Highlights include Moon Child, with its iconic opening riff of sparking guitar lines in harmony, and their closing song Boudoir, a slow jam of a love lost that was not meant to be.