A Research on Singapore's Local Music Scene

[AoCheng]

Hi everyone!

I have a very big question in my head: "Is Singapore's Local Music Scene really Declining?"

I'm currently doing some research about this topic and would sincerely hope that softies can help me out.

I'm trying to find out the factors that contributes to the declining in Singapore's Local Music Scene.

I hope you guys can share your views and opinions on this topic!

Do feel free to provide me with links to related topics too


Cheers,
Cheng

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

1) Which music scene? Mando pop, english pop or independent part time musicians playing music/posting on youbtube playing covers or club scene musician?

2) When was the bloom?

3) Was theres ever a bloom?

 

[kongwee]

Singapore was the center for Chinese recording. One of the recording engineering said to me that older batch of music management labels were much better. I been to two studio that make history in Chinese pop especially to the taiwan market. Singapore still maintain as one of mainstream for chinese original works.

Many bad people are around the industry.

Government is making a lot effort and giving money, but listen to the wrong group of people.

For jazz, there are much lesser gigs as less place open, some of the veteran player are trying to switch to production works.

Lastly, local people want to pay tip top product cheaply.

 

[jbarks]

Government is making a lot effort and giving money, but listen to the wrong group of people.

I have no idea who they are listening to at the moment—but who are the people the gahmen should be talking to?

 

[DeathCubeK]

Declining? I actually feel that it's improving, but that could be just me. Not that I listen to local music, just saying that there's quite a BOOMZ in local musicians recently, and a bit of backing from talent shows and live shows like live n loaded and SG Idol. But overall it's still the same old, same old.

 

[soft]

I have a very big question in my head: "Is Singapore's Local Music Scene really Declining?"

Not declining. There are most shows, more albums released, more people playing music, more scenes!

 

[kongwee]

Not declining. There are most shows, more albums released, more people playing music, more scenes!

Many company can organise event/gig. Many people can save and cut an album within 5 year of working. Where in the past you could buy a beginner guitar at just $50!!!!!

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

if u leave the question open ended sure fail.. haha which scene? and what is defined as a decline?

 

[kimura]

Hmm yea what do you mean by 'decline'? In terms of quality, originality?

I agree with DeathCubek, there are tons more opportunities for bands to be heard& so forth these days.

I think you need to be very specific& in my opinion, it doesn't make a good research subject.

 

[kongwee]

I have no idea who they are listening to at the moment—but who are the people the gahmen should be talking to?

Dunno, from some professional group support by NAC, thing don't well quite well.

 

[AoCheng]

Hi all, thanks for the replies.

Well, music scene in general.
Is the recording businesses in town declining recently?
With all the illegal downloads site increasing, even if bands keep producing album without many people buying them could also cause the music scene to not be recognised.

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

imo, there'll be a million points to bring up if u're looking at something general.

ur last point is valid of course, but it applies to everywhere else in the world not just the local music scene.

a music scene is a collective of many sub-categories of genres. they are all progressing differently, so unless u zoom in on specific ones, the discussion will be direction-less. what is this research for btw?

 

[audie]

The year I felt the 'boom' in the local music scene was 2007. That was the year where there was a huge influx of local bands and they had already established a foothold in the gigging scene even before they took the stage at Baybeats 2007. It was also the year where superb albums and EPs were released like my personal fave, Flower Show Riots These young recognizable bands of 2007 have moved on to greater things within the next 2 years and there's still much in store from them in the near future

 

[rottenramone]

maybe u can show us what u have done so far

and

if ur writing a paper, it can help if you can be a little more specific in your questions so that people can answer appropriately

 

[FluxUs]

hahaha its blooming in so many diff directions that its declining as a whole...........everyone's big and nobody's big

 

[justheretolook]

the local scene is just stagnant. the only way to prosper is to not challenge other SG bands, but to challenge the whole world. you can always change the minds of Singaporeans, because you're one too, assuming most of us are Singaporeans, but can you change the minds of people worldwide?

 

[AoCheng]

I'm actually researching on Local Music Businesses.
I have not really started out in depth research as I feel that I need to know more about the local music scene.

One of the points which I think might hinder businesses of band albums in Singapore is actually the increasing number of illegal downloads.
Nobody really buys CDs nowadays and Bands obviously struggles to sell their CDs.
I'm trying to find out what are some other factors that contributes to hindering businesses of local band albums in Singapore.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

heh, the idea of illegal downloading affecting local band album sale wont work, coz in order to have such effect, there have to be lotsa sites where we can download "freely" local band music...

if in term of downloading music affect general sales and not just local bands albums, yes to certain extend. But if just in term of local bands album affected due to illegal downloading, i think its hard to do a project on that. I try to find sites that i can download lotsa local bands music, hard lah, very hard. I go climb bukit timah for angmo foreign stuff, way easier.

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

yup, can't find no local torrents online. haha i've heard / read that album sales of local bands here is a negligible factor in terms of $$$ making. loads of money put into cutting one, but returns only just nice to cover costs. i doubt it's due to people actually illegally downloading their stuff though.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

hehe, anyway, i believe if spending sometime to search around soft.com.sg for discussion over the years, mainly on local music, there can be lotsa ideas, observations. attitude of some of us in general, which might have connection to the topic.

And if really wanna do such project, track down this book, "no finer time to be alive". Its one of the very few book which touch on local indie band music, how it elvoved, from 70s till the 90s "indie bloom", money sense and the youth passion.

Glad to say that some of my local indie heros back then, been more active then before, pushing the boundary of our indie music post y2k till now

Other than that, i have ever came before thesis on local mat rocker, article from 90s bigo mag, interviews online aticle that touch on local music, up and down. Spending sometime to research will definitely be much better then waiting for info...

anyway, good luck for the research