FISH WITH LEGS

Wayne Cheong at 10 Feb 2012 02:00 PM Fri

Popping and locking seems easy until you try it. But Nakada Hiroyuki a.k.a. Fishboy makes it look… sublime. Apart from his accolades and numerous dance awards, he's also the host of the wildly popular Japanese TV show Dance @ TV. A judge at the upcoming Gatsby Dance Competition to be held in Singapore, we fielded some questions at the dance savant and this is what he threw back. First off, how did you come up with the name “Fishboy”? When I was first given the chance to become a dancer,…

ALL SOULS PLAY

Wayne Cheong at 09 Jan 2012 02:13 AM Mon

The death of a band can be pretty hard to take but with every ending, there’s a new beginning. Such is with The Lost Souls Club that traded the pop-ish tunes of their previous band, Plastic Toys, for a more rock-heavy sound and attitude. The remaining members, Jon Tufnell and Simon Jackson, roped in James Freemantle and Jon Lamont and played throughout Asia. To tackle this mire of the band's history, Jackson acted as our personal Virgil as we trace the band’s transition and rise from the music ashes… From…

CAMBODIAN LIFT OFF

Wayne Cheong at 23 Nov 2011 04:04 PM Wed

Chalked it up to a chance encounter in a Phnom Penh bar. When Julien Poulson, an Australian, met the local songstress, Srey Thy, in a karaoke bar, their meeting would lead to The Cambodian Space Project (CSP); a band that covers, preserves and create their own brand of Khmer rock. Two years later, after a world tour and finding their footing among the debris of Cambodia’s war-torn past, the CSP’s popularity continues skywards. How apt that the band will touch down at Singapore’s own Up To The Sky Festival. Okay,…

BEING KARL MAKA

Wayne Cheong at 27 Oct 2011 12:44 PM Thu

There are two kinds of Karl Makas. There is Karl Maka, veteran Hong Kong actor and The Karl Maka, electro pop band that consists of Jonathan Fong and Ken Hayashida. This is an interview involving the latter. We uncover facts about their music, friendship and a meeting with the actor, Karl Maka himself. What’s the story about the band name? Jonathan: We initially wanted to call ourselves the Hui Brothers (famous Hong Kong movie siblings) but it sounded similar to the Dust Brothers or The Chemical Brothers. We went with…

OH, THE HORRORS!

Wayne Cheong at 24 Oct 2011 04:39 PM Mon

We're still stoked about the release of the Laneway Festival lineup, so much so that we're starting the week with a music video from The Horrors! The band started out in the Goth-punk scene and debut their single, Sheena Is A Parasite, which attracted attention from the press and public. The music video of the single also grabbed attention. Directed by Chris Cunningham and starring Samantha Morton, this visual feast is one part strobe lights, one part Cthulhu Mythos and all catchy tunes and disturbing imagery. Consider this an early…

ST. JEROME'S LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2012 LINE UP

Wayne Cheong at 21 Oct 2011 01:07 PM Fri

The lineup for St. Jerome's Laneway Fest 2012 was released today. Artists includes Feist; The Horrors; Laura Marling; Toro Y Moi; Cults and returning act, The Drums. Woohoo! Priority booking for Visa cardholders commences 14 November. Public sales commence 28 November. Price $135 (*plus $3 Sistic booking fee). Visit Sistic for all your ticket needs. For more info, visit the Laneway Festival website.

FANFARLO BREAKS IT DOWN

Wayne Cheong at 17 Oct 2011 12:50 PM Mon

Taking their name after Charles Baudelaire's La Fanfarlo, the London-based band has just finished their untitled sophomore album and are currently touring. So, until they decided to release it, we'll have to be satisfied with their new black-and-white music video that's heavily influenced by the work of François Truffaut. Enjoy Deconstructed directed by Alex Southam.

SISTER ACT

Wayne Cheong at 10 Oct 2011 10:43 AM Mon

After an 11-year music career, the Pierces (Allison and Catherine) return with a fourth album called You & I. CATALOG talked with Catherine about their album, thoughts on the music industry, their fanbase in the U.K. and their funny connection with ABBA. First off, congrats on You & I. It seems that recognition came to you slower than expected. Do you harbour any grudges with the music industry for that? Um, we don’t resent the music industry even though it can be frustrating at times. We probably weren’t ready for it…

FIVE MINUTES WITH… AMANDA LING

Wayne Cheong at 07 Oct 2011 03:04 PM Fri

Amanda Ling is the ex-keyboardist of Electrico, who went on to carve a name for herself in the male-dominated music scene. Ling played at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, manned the decks as DJ Doopz and, as a member of In Each Hand A Cutlass, played to a sold-out show at the Esplanade. Ling managed to squeeze a meet-up with CATALOG into her busy schedule. This is belated but congratulations on In Each Hand A Cutlass at the Esplanade; what was your assessment of the events leading up…

PRESS PLAY!

Wayne Cheong at 25 Aug 2011 05:14 PM Thu

Choice tunes, cherry-picked by JNR especially for CATALOG's “Play” issue. Barry White – Playing Your Game, Baby

FIVE MINUTES WITH… JNR

Wayne Cheong at 25 Aug 2011 05:08 PM Thu

Meet JNR, Zouk's latest resident DJ who (luckily for us) decided to set up shop right here on our blessed shores! As a good old boy from Toronto, the statuesque producer plays music that takes its listeners on a magic carpet ride. CATALOG hopped on board and took the spin-master on a brief detour. How did your DJ name come about? Junior is a nickname some friends call me by... so it kinda stuck and somewhere over the last six years I dropped all the vowels. How did you come…

DRESSED TO THRILL

Wayne Cheong at 25 Aug 2011 04:34 PM Thu

Known collectively as Hurts, the ever dapper Manchester-based synthpop duo has rose in popularity within the last two years with their emotionally charged album, Happiness. Band members Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson gave CATALOG a brief discourse that left us wanting more. You have a distinct style. Which came first, the dress sense or the music? Theo: It’s a funny one. We dressed up when we were on the dole, way before we were in the band. It was the only way we could have any dignity. We had no…

SUBJECT TO THE SEB

Wayne Cheong at 18 Aug 2011 04:28 PM Thu

Following in the footsteps of his DJ mother, British DJ Seb Fontaine dropped out of school early to spin at the turntables and he hasn’t looked back since. With his skills on the decks, Seb garnered accolades and loyal fans as he secured residencies at world famous British nightclubs like the Fridge and Cream. CATALOG caught up with the seasoned turntablist for a little Q&A. For someone who’s been a DJ for a long time, do you find it as intensive as time goes on? I’ve adjusted. I’m an old…

EAT, PLAY, ROCK

Wayne Cheong at 16 Aug 2011 03:05 PM Tue

Jimmy Eat World has every right to be arrogant. They have been in the business for about 17 years, had numerous top ten singles, sold million of records yet they remain grounded, living in Arizona where they got their start. There was none of that rockstar’s air when we interview Rick Burch, the band’s bassist for a tête-à-tête. How is Singapore? Incredible. We’re having a great time. We arrived early yesterday morning so we had all day to look around. We took a trip to, I think, Chinatown, and tried…

BRIGHTON’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST

Catalog at 27 Jul 2011 03:55 AM Wed

Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, has sure come a long way, and 30-odd years later he’s still spinning strong. As a pioneer of electronic dance music, manic sampler, Grammy Award-winning DJ and record producer, you know when Fatboy Slim helms a dance party you’re guaranteed to have a great time. CATALOG caught up with Fatboy to delve into his life and music. How do you still keep it fresh after nearly three decades? Every week I go through a hundred new tunes, and when I find a good one I…

THE 2 TROUSE BROTHERS' HARDCORE PLAYLIST

Catalog at 13 Jul 2011 03:03 AM Wed

Get ready to get down and dirty on the dance floor with this playlist created by The 2 Trouse Brothers. Above & Beyond - Sun & Moon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll5ykbAumD4 Armin van Buuren - Drowning (Avicii Remix) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbB3z2fZ7PM Tiesto & Hardwell - Zero 76 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfR0waKcuA0 Dash Berlin feat. Emma Hewitt - Waiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wdtrLeSqyM Markus Schulz & Jochen Miller - Rotunda http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXJ8ryEL4LE

FIVE MINUTES WITH... THE 2 TROUSE BROTHERS

Catalog at 13 Jul 2011 02:53 AM Wed

Who are these masked men? Where do they come from? These are the questions that surround the DJ duo known as The 2 Trouse Brothers… but what’s never in doubt is their superb bi-monthly performance at Zouk’s Dirtybeats! Tiesto may have pioneered trouse music (combination of house and trance) but The 2 Trouse Brothers elevated it to another level. We interrogated the helmet-clad, LED-sparkling duo and tried to lift the veil on their origins… First off, you’re collectively known as The 2 Trouse Brothers, what are you guys known as…

DJ BLINK'S TRIPPY HIPPIE PLAYLIST

Catalog at 10 Jun 2011 07:31 AM Fri

Get ready to draw the shades, sit back and take an aural trip with this playlist DJ Blink composed for our "Trippy Hippie" issue. Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jogWbEgY7Js Kid Cudi - Maniac http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT4hcbSNq6U M83 - You, Appearing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQVeRFwljlU Beach Boys - California Dreaming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=365pnjiLHCs MGMT - Time To Pretend http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9dSYgd5Elk

FIVE MINUTES WITH... DJ BLINK

Catalog at 10 Jun 2011 07:24 AM Fri

Give it up for DJ Blink who will be spinning alongside DJ Hong at Zouk’s CODE: Black & White event tonight! As one of the KL’s top DJs and one half of “filthy electronic” group LapSap (“rubbish” in Cantonese), Blink’s hot beats will surely send the well-dressed revellers into a frenzied groove. CATALOG caught up with the Malaysian DJ to find out what’s going down. For your upcoming CODE event, what type of music will you be playing? It will be my first time playing in Zouk Mainroom so I…

TRIP THE LIGHT FANTASTIC

Catalog at 06 Jun 2011 04:10 AM Mon

Born Jason Chung, Nosaj Thing is an electronic modulator involved in the L.A. glitch-hop scene. His latest endeavour, a collaboration with Julia Tsao (his girlfriend), and Adam Guzman, is an audio-visual light show filled with geometric shapes and pulsing lines. It’s like watching a whole new universe being born. We talk to Nosaj Thing about his work, and more. Ever considered producing a full-out hip-hop album? That’s interesting that you asked that. I was 13 and in a drumline in high school when I first started producing. I was only…