Interview: Lamb of God
[Time Out Singapore] Metal madness descends on Fort Canning this month as leather-metal pioneers Judas Priest arrive for their farewell ‘Epitaph’ world tour (‘This is the end of the long major world tours,’ says the band, now in their fourth decade. ‘We never said it was the end of Judas Priest!’), with long-standing thrash-metal scene leaders Lamb of God in tow for the Singapore appearance. Zul Andra talks to bubbly LoG bassist John Campbell, 39, as the band releases its seventh album Resolution.
Interview: SBTRKT
Like unassuming drops from a drizzle, Aaron Jerome’s SBTRKT tidal wave rise in 2011 ensued from his seminal singles and remixes leading to an eponymous album that has been highly praised by artists and the media alike. There’s no other way to put a specific genre tag on his tracks other than knowing that it is a SBTRKT piece. Emotive, minimal and marrying pop sensibilities with distinctively melodic flavours, the sound of the masked crusader has been a much needed breakthrough from electronic music’s years of stagnancy.
I spoke to SBTRKT after his first ever South East Asian gig at Home Club, Singapore where he reveals the ingenuity behind the mask, the division between artist and body, Deadmau5’s brand and Thom Yorke’s interactiveness.
Interview: Low Kay Hwa
[Time Out Singapore] The 26-year-old Singaporean novelist Low Kay Hwa had a rocky start in the publishing world. First he was duped into paying over $6,000 to get his launch book Destiny’s Cries published, after which only five out of 1,000 copies were sold. Then he received criticism for what detractors saw as over-simplified writing and cheesy plots. Now, with ten books published, 33,000 copies sold to date, over 110,000 Facebook fans and his own publishing firm to boot, Low is truly paving his own destiny.
Interview: Paul Khor
[ThinkMaven] The globetrotting fashion boutique owner Paul Khor has been hard at work over the last few years building his little empire. However, there’s no empire without a story, and looking at the three stores that Paul built out of nothing, the story can be found behind the retail doors and between the hangers.
Paul Khor interview on ThinkMaven.
Interview: Mayer Hawthorne
[ThinkMaven] 32-year-old Andrew Mayer Cohen is considered the whitest soul man around. Going by his stage name Mayer Hawthorne, the Michigan born-Los Angeles based singer-songwriter has been shaking up tail feathers with his smooth falsetto, throwback charm and all-round cool vibe. Having recently turned up at The White Rabbit for a DJ gig, I met up with the multi-talented artist and unearthed his musical roots, impending legacy and unassuming style.
Mayer Hawthorne interview on ThinkMaven.
Interview: Pocket Magik
[ThinkMaven] Kurt aka Clash The Disko Kids and upcoming music producer Melvin Betaphats have come together to create unpretentious, stripped and feel-good dance music in the form of Pocket Magik. Awaiting the release of their much-anticipated self-titled debut album, I had a chat with the duo about their production work and what to expect.
Pocket Magik interview on ThinkMaven.
Interview: Kiat
[ThinkMaven] Audio-visual collective Syndicate has been creating mad buzz that have seen them on global demand playing everywhere from clubs in London and Manila to the Worldwide Festival in France. Co-founded by Kiat, the collective is known for their eye on intricacy and uncompromising quality in both their experimental sounds and mind-blowing visuals. I met up with Kiat ahead of their much-anticipated Syndicate Sessions at the Esplanade Recital Hall (tickets on sale at Sistic.) Get to the know the man behind a movement that will define a generation.
Interview: Samiyam
[ThinkMaven] I had a chance to speak to American experimental hip hop DJ-producer Samiyam prior to his recent gig with local audio-visual collective Syndicate at Home Club. Here he talks about his sample-centric music, moving to L.A and his creative process being part of a personal escape.
Samiyam interview on ThinkMaven.
Interview: LiSA
[ActuallyMag] Being the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in an all-girl rock band called Girls Dead Monster is not all as it is cut out to be. Apart from rocking out stages in her high school, she also has to help out the Shinda Sekai Sensen (SSS), an organization that fights against God and the school’s student council president Angel, both set to make her band and the organization’s life a living hell.
Interview: Marcel Heijnen [Vue Privee November Artist of the Month]
The Dutch born-Asia based photographer’s upcoming exhibition “The Residue Series” will showcase a collection of images exploring the temporary nature of our everyday surroundings. With urban decay as his focal point, Marcel Heijnen, Vue Privee November Artist of the Month shares the beauty of the fact that nothing lasts forever.
Your work revolves around the idea of impermanence.
For the past few years I’ve been studying Buddhism a fair bit and the one underlying principle that really speaks to me is the idea that everything is in continuous flux. ‘This too shall pass’ -“This” to me, is a fundamental truth in life and there’s enormous power in the realisation and acceptance of this.
Everything is a process, nothing will stay the same. Facing and accepting impermanence as a truth would force us to face our own demise and that’s something we don’t like doing. The one thing that’s certain in our life is that it’ll end sooner or later. It is something we know but do not want to know.
Most of us label the notion of impermanence as ‘sad’, but I think it can be hugely liberating. We like flowers, not despite the fact that they will wither but because they wither. Just as gold would not be valuable if it was abundant, life would not be precious if it would not end. If we would realize this more, we would live life more fully in each moment, rather than stressing ourselves out working for and worrying about the future.
Steve Jobs understood this very well: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”
The acceptance of impermanence can teach us to how to live more fully, so I feel it’s time to get impermanence out of the closet.
