My opinion of what's wrong/needs to be improved on with SG music scene.

[flip22er]

When you talk about the scene and what is wrong with the scene and the scene is so crappy......what exactly do you all want the scene to be? maybe that would be a good starting point?

How can you aim for something when you have no definite target to aim for that you all agree on?

 

[daryl]

Hmm I ve googled that and i only found its lyrics. Unless that is some sort of literature, if its a song u know anywhere I can hear it?

it's a poem.

http://soft.com.sg/forum/music-kopi-tiam/87968-alfian-saats-merlion.html

there's a thread on it, started a few days back

 

[daryl]

When you talk about the scene and what is wrong with the scene and the scene is so crappy......what exactly do you all want the scene to be? maybe that would be a good starting point?

How can you aim for something when you have no definite target to aim for that you all agree on?

hmm okay let's see. it's hard to start, but the main points i guess would be

1) good original music

i know good is subjective. let's look at it objectively, cutting out personal bias as much as we can. the ratio of good, decent bands to bad bands in singapore is maybe 1:100. lol. i can count the bands in singapore which have some sort of standard on my fingers and toes. that is spanning across most rock genres.

also, originality and the quality of songwriting. sure, there are bands out there who emulate and cover bands well. but it's cheap and overdone. there is nothing fresh.

2) support

this relies on 1), and it would not work if there is support but the music isn't good. then again, electrico, who is fairly mainstream and poppy, only managed to sell it's cds to 0.0025% of the population. sad, isn't it.

i was thinking school invasion tours are a good idea, and it's already happening. but i'm not sure how effective it has been, except for the obvious surge of people going to baybeats increasing each year for a free show, and increasing numbers of school kids organising rock shows to raise funds for charity.

still, it is a good start. personally, i was motivated when Ronin came to my school.

 

[visa]

wassup adam! pm me your msn won't ya

 

[behling]

lol so much theory.

go back to basics la. is your vocalist pitchy anot?. if he/she is pitchy you can have american idol band play for you and it will still crumble.

 

[visa]

depends on how important vocals are to your band. for some genres, it's not so important.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

Sorry, what was that again, american idol, vocal pitchy??

context? related to? in repsonse to? logic?

 

[visa]

sunshine, rainbows, pixies! (shh, he doesn't know)

 

[musesic]

daryl, bitter over triad?

anyway i don't really have much expectations for Baybeats already. afterall it's free. if it's going to be like the way it is in 2008, then let it be.

although i do hope in 09, they'll have a ticketed performance, much like Mercury Rev in 07.

 

[visa]

i don't see the link there

 

[tim098]

When you talk about the scene and what is wrong with the scene and the scene is so crappy......what exactly do you all want the scene to be? maybe that would be a good starting point?

How can you aim for something when you have no definite target to aim for that you all agree on?

What is the point of aiming when we do not have any means of coming close to that target? An ideal music scene here is a virtual impossibility. And I think there is some strong negative correlation between the influence of technology and local support for music, although im too damn lazy to delve into details. To me, no point bothering about the scene, it will always suck here. Just play music for your own personal enjoyment, and if it helps u get laid.

 

[musesic]

i don't see the link there

sorry, i only realised i left out the links after typing it.

 

[daryl]

daryl, bitter over triad?

anyway i don't really have much expectations for Baybeats already. afterall it's free. if it's going to be like the way it is in 2008, then let it be.

aiyo i'm not bitter. gosh.

i still have expectations for Baybeats. it attracts 50k (hope i got my figure right) people a year. it has a lot of potential. i just hope people are not turned off by the bad bands.

i think the management has to make a trade off between showcasing new and fresh bands vs getting the established acts to play. in my opinion, they shouldn't give themselves a quota to adhere to when choosing the new acts. it causes them to pick some bands who do not derserve a slot.

i do remember going for baybeats in 05 or 06, it was so much more amazing. my memories of it are pretty vague but i remember i was impressed as hell

 

[visa]

What is the point of aiming when we do not have any means of coming close to that target? An ideal music scene here is a virtual impossibility.

an ideal world is impossible too, but it doesn't stop people from trying to make it a better place.

 

[tim098]

True.. Well an ideal world is impossible. To me, a music scene which is good enough to quell peoples' rants is impossible anywhere. A music scene which is as good as the US or UK or even other European countries to me is also impossible here in Singapore, that's why I've just come to accept its perpetual mediocrity. Of course, I seriously applaud efforts by others to significantly improve the scene, but on a personal level I don't see it changing ever.

Quantity wise maybe it will increase, meaning more and more....... AND MORE... and more bands appear and start looking for gigs. Conversely, maybe this "cool to be in a band" trend will end soon but quality wise, or in terms of Singaporean bands coming up with a distinctly Singaporean sound - never to me.

 

[musesic]

aiyo i'm not bitter. gosh.

i still have expectations for Baybeats. it attracts 50k (hope i got my figure right) people a year. it has a lot of potential. i just hope people are not turned off by the bad bands.

i think the management has to make a trade off between showcasing new and fresh bands vs getting the established acts to play. in my opinion, they shouldn't give themselves a quota to adhere to when choosing the new acts. it causes them to pick some bands who do not derserve a slot.

i do remember going for baybeats in 05 or 06, it was so much more amazing. my memories of it are pretty vague but i remember i was impressed as hell

haha, i meant no offence. sorry about that. i think your second paragraph has much sense. but i think many people are seriously turned off by some of the bands on show as i brought some friends new to baybeats this year and they were really "disappointed" with what they saw and see.

my first baybeats was 05, the one when Copeland played and i've not missed any since. the only highlight this year could possibly just be The Lucksmiths, My Little Airport and The Analog Girl.

 

[daryl]

i think your second paragraph has much sense. but i think many people are seriously turned off by some of the bands on show as i brought some friends new to baybeats this year and they were really "disappointed" with what they saw and see.

yeah that's the thing. we do not want to turn people off and promote the idea, however subconsciously, that local music is inferior. that's why i'm all against those pay to play shows as they usually feature bands who do not go through any sort of audition at all as long as they can pay for the tickets.

some people i brought to baybeats got turned off too.. subtly, even though they play music themselves. but i still like the event a lot and i will go, just for the atmosphere and the spirit of so many people at the biggest free for all music festival in singapore.

do i know you, anyway? from rjc?

 

[behling]

aiyo i'm not bitter. gosh.

i still have expectations for Baybeats. it attracts 50k (hope i got my figure right) people a year. it has a lot of potential. i just hope people are not turned off by the bad bands.

i think the management has to make a trade off between showcasing new and fresh bands vs getting the established acts to play. in my opinion, they shouldn't give themselves a quota to adhere to when choosing the new acts. it causes them to pick some bands who do not derserve a slot.

i do remember going for baybeats in 05 or 06, it was so much more amazing. my memories of it are pretty vague but i remember i was impressed as hell

coulnd't have said it better.

 

[daryl]

True.. Well an ideal world is impossible. To me, a music scene which is good enough to quell peoples' rants is impossible anywhere. A music scene which is as good as the US or UK or even other European countries to me is also impossible here in Singapore, that's why I've just come to accept its perpetual mediocrity. Of course, I seriously applaud efforts by others to significantly improve the scene, but on a personal level I don't see it changing ever.

i think it's important to establish an ideal type so we could work towards it even though it's impossible to achieve it.

i do see a day where singapore has a proper music scene but it would require the work of many many people in different fields. that's why i think it's so important for quality music to be promoted as that is the bond that will inspire and motivate people to cultivate music that is truly theirs and that they can relate to.

again to the topic of baybeats, why didn't amateur takes control make it through this year? that's one example of not supporting good music. those guys are young and capable and i can't see how some of those who were chosen deserve the slot more..

 

[musesic]

yeah that's the thing. we do not want to turn people off and promote the idea, however subconsciously, that local music is inferior. that's why i'm all against those pay to play shows as they usually feature bands who do not go through any sort of audition at all as long as they can pay for the tickets.

some people i brought to baybeats got turned off too.. subtly, even though they play music themselves. but i still like the event a lot and i will go, just for the atmosphere and the spirit of so many people at the biggest free for all music festival in singapore.

do i know you, anyway? from rjc?

nope you don't know me. i just happened to be friend of a friend of janice that's all.

well, regarding amateur takes control, do they actually have a record label? if they do, then they cannot really take part in the auditions.

but anyway i've always believe that what's good to you, might not be good in the minds of others, and that not all good stuff gets the recognition it deserves.