CURRENT MISSION

To enjoy life and make up for lost time! In short, re-attempt to party like its 1999! AND the mission for 2011 is - to squeeeeese this fatboy into a pair of skinnnnnny jeans!

ABOUT ME

Kinda new to this. Love the idea though. I always wanted to entertain foreign visitors - I like the idea - and was surprised when I read such a site existed. The internet is wonderful, isn't it ? There is more to it than just online shopping and bomb-making tips(!!) and porn-surfing. Kidding! Kidding!

Im not a Facebook, or a MySpace, or Friendster, Twitter, Hi5, or a blogger kinda of guy - or even a mobile phone owner. Can be kinda old-skool at times I guess. *smile*

Im not a sun/sand/sea/beach person. I cant take the heat/humidity. I WILL melt. Im a polarbear. Im not made for this climate. For the same reason, outdoor dining is totally out of the question for me. I WILL sweat profusely like a dog. I frequently have had to change shirts just after coming out of the shower. Dont mess with me on this :-) I need airconditing. I love rain and show for obvious reasons.

I will try to add more about myself when I can think what else to say.

PHILOSOPHY

NEVER say "NEVER" - as that will definately happen! So Never say Never! Otherwise it will bite you in the a##!

我为什么加入 Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Organised a 70th Birthday Lunch Party for CSer Judy Ellis(who looks 60) from Australia and her 21 dearest friends who turned up from all over the world on 12th August 2010 at Ming Xiang GoodWood Hotel for this special Bday Lunch in Singapore. And in true AlexRam's style the lunch party came to an end only 10 hours later :-)
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=7729&post=5181376

Organised a 3rd get-together - Bollywood Nite: Indian Food and Drinks and Masti on Wednesday 10th March 2010.
31 mouths feed themselves on Indian buffet.
Followed by The Rupee Room(Clark Quay) for dance/drinks and masti.
38+ CSers clubbing and to the latest Bollywood hits!
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=415&post=5143693

Organised a 2nd get-together at Rendervous Nasi Padang on Wednesday 9th Dec 2009 for Indonesian Food to DIE for. 2-Die-4. Really.
24 mouths to feed.
Followed by SupperClub(Singapore).
25 thirsty mouths for drinks.
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=415&post=4442602

Organised my 1st get-together at Modesto's @ Elizabeth HOTEL on Monday, 16th November 2009 for Dinner - Veg. Pizza, Pasta, Killer Tiramisu!
20 mouths to feed
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=415&post=4314887#gpid4314887

兴趣

Music, travelling, reading, clubbing(but I do not dance as I have 2 left feet, so Im just an observer!),

Some of the clubs I visit are:
Ministry of Sound(MoS) - I love the Pure room where they play my "type" of music and also some nights where they place it in the main arena. NOW CLOSED :-(
Fashion Bar - for the beautiful people watching but more importantly for my "type" of music again. NOW CLOSED :-(
Barfly - nice decor. Sometimes I feel like Im Michael Jackson in here when the entire place belongs to me as Im the only one there with one or two other souls. Got to love those nights! NOW CLOSED :-(

Cafe Iguna - Love the magaritas here!

Attica Too - What can I say about Attica that has not already been said before ? Whatever you heard about Attica is all true! All true! :-)

StereoLab - I like this place! NOW CLOSED :-(

Zouk/Velvet Underground - The legendary Zouk. Where its all about the music and only about the music. Got to love Zouk for that.

HomeClub - Love the Dubstep and DrumNBass nights here. Love it to bits!

I LOVE chocolates. LOVE chocolates:
# Ferraro Rocher - to die for - these gold coloured wrapped chocolates in box of 30's - not the box of 16 or 24 but 30! - are to die for. (NewsFlash!: there is now a T48 - box of 48 of these golden babies available in USA. Things like these can only happen in the USA!).
# Hawaiian Host Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nut - I think they lace them with addictive drugs!
# Mauna Loa Chocolate Macadamia - ditto!
# Cadbury - those made in the UK - not USA, not Malaysia, not Thailand. ONLY UK. Fruit & Nuts, Dairy Milk, Whole Nuts. Hmmmmm.
# Royce Chocolate(from Japan) - hmmmmmm. Too smoooooth.
# Trader's Joe Belgium milk chocolate.
# Kit Kat Chunky (Orange Flavoured) - made in UK of course.
# Villars - Chocolat Noir
# Suchard - Almendras Enteras
Did I mention I LOVE chocolates ? I LOVE chocolates. My weakness :-(

============ Music DJ Review ===============

I've heard some Djs whose music is so hynotic(which I dont remember the names) and some sheer disappointment despite their high profile names which I will list here(and now I will make a point to take note of the good ones too!):

French DJ Stephane Pompougnac(@ Zouk) - What a disappointment this French DJ was! What a waste of time! Never have I left Zouk before the lights come out - be it at 4.30am or 5.30am. And on that fated day I had to force myself to stay, but couldnt take any more of his total non-electric vibe and freed myself at 3.00am. Thank God. Even 6 glasses of alcohol didnt help. Sad. Very sad.
What ever happened to French flair and finess ? Did he leave it in France ? In Hotel Costes ? In Buddha Bar ? Time to de-throne that so-called icon.

Dimitri from Paris(27/6/08 @ Zouk) - the French should stick to what they know best fashion, champagne and art. Playing 2 songs by Daft Punk, remix of Sunny by BoneyM, or Gwen Stefani dont make a DJ. If you wanna re-live the Dimitri from Paris experience in your living room, get 3 Best of 2007 Dance music CDs, press the random button, get 5year-old nephew to play with volume control, and Voila! you are a DJ!
But in all fairness the random music did get better the last 30minutes, probably thanks to a switch to a different Best of Trance CD. *smile* And when the lights came on at 5.05am, there was no customary clapping, there were no whistling, there were no moans and pleading for one last song, and one more last song after that, and one final last song after that, there was no 'encore!', 'encore!' - totally none whatsoever. Guess many were glad it was over.

Peter Hook (UK) New Order (9/5/08 @MoS) - The co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division and the reformed New Order, this grand daddy was painfully "blue monday". The long pauses between each and every song was long enough to gulp 3 tequila-shots slowwwwly. I left at 2.45am and lisened to wonderful music till 5am in the car. Thank you Lush99.5Fm.

Richie Hawtin (Fri 25th of July @ Zouk) - every single song from this Canadian Techno DJ seemed like the last song from 4.00am onwards until closing time as there were claps all round(are you reading this Dimitri from Paris - there were people clapping ?!) because of the snailpace and lowering of the volume and then uping it for a bit over and over again - so it seemed like it was the last song. This teasing came to an end at 6.40am when the lights finally come on and the remaining 20 or so clubbers left feeling contented - yup, the 6 glasses Grey Goose was worth the evening/morning. No regrets.

Kraftwerk: The Godfathers of Glitch and the Kings of Kling-Klang, Kraftwerk performed at The Esplanade(Wed, 3rdDec2008) *tour de france* Yes, my electronic prayers have finally been heard. *franz schubert* 2 hours of sheer electronic pleasure *Music Non Stop*
These PIONEERS of Electronic Music, whom without there will be no such thing as Orbital, Orb, Gary Numan, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, State 808, Human League, Depeche Mode, Devo, Joy Division, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Giorgio Moroder, New Order, Cabaret Voltaire, Art of Noise, Yello, Ultravox, Visage, Thomas Dolby...you get the picture ?! *endless endless*
THEY were responsible for shaping my IDM taste in music *Boing Boom Tschak*
Without them, who knows, I may have ended up listening to ghetoo music! *Computer Love* I got to thank these Granddaddies of Electronica for saving me *radio activity*

Peter Kruder(Friday 27/11/09 @ Velvet Underground(Zouk)): 2 Apricot Brandy with seven up + 1 Absolut Rasberry Vodka + 2 LongIslandIceTea later, I would give it a minus7/10 - not because it wasnt good - it was good - but being one half of the Kruder and Dorfmeister duo I expected much more. It wasnt triphop or chillout or downtempo - it was progressive trance - the set was no different from a local DJ(which just goes to show how good local DJs can be) and to be honest I really didnt know when Peter Kruder's set actually started. The lights came on at 4.40am :-) It was good nevertheless.

Karsh Kale, MIDIval Punditz and Ajay Prassana(Friday 19th March 2010 at Esplanade): I didnt enjoy it fullheartly maybe because I was unfamiliar with the songs, but I loved the energy that of Karsh Kale on tabla and drums. I'd give it 7.5/10.

PEACHES(Wednesday 28th March 2010 @ Zirca): This 43years old electro-punk with her sexually explicit lyrics and act left me dumbfounded. Definately no mincing words in her lyrics for her! But she was fun nevertheless with her energy. No regrets at all. I'd give it 7.5/10.

Simian Mobile Disco(Saturday 15th May 2010 @ Zouk): No biggie. No great shakes. Like any other DJ. 5.5/10.

20Hz Deep - Featuring KODE9 & KYLE HALL with opening set by Synidicate(Saturday 22nd May 2010 @ *scape)
Synidicate: They were good - was definately a sonic journey into the sub-bass realm of dubstep. Im sure the kidney stones that were forming in my kidneys got smashed with all the deep bass! Truely a night of filthy rhythms and dirty beats.
Kode9: He came and he did what he had to do - play his preplanned set and left. There were no requests for encore. Understandably.
Kyle Hall: This 19years old stole the night with his mixes. So seamless. So fluid. He even mixed perfectly 2 tracks(Legs and Hoops and Mallet) by the Art of Noise - the pioneers of electronica - on separate occasions! He reallllllly stole the night. Which came to an end at 3.15am :-(

FELIX DA HOUSECAT(Friday 28th May 2010 @ Forbidden City): This chubby housecat is the busiest DJ I've ever seen and had the crowdest DJ console - from poseing nonstop for the cameras of the cameramen and housecat fans, to drinking Vodka straight from the bottle to chatting and partying with 8 or more girls who were in his console - while dishing mixes by Depeche Mode, New Order, The Who, Donna Summers, Prodigy etc! 8.5/10
(FYI, KIR ROYAL is not Champangne! - its garbage that cost $80).

Alix Perez(Saturday 29th May 2010 @ HomeClub): Alix Perez. Wow! Drum & Base/Dubstep. Wow! Jagermeister. Wow! I've never experienced this before. Too bad I had to leave at 3am. Wow! 9/10.

Dimitri From Paris(Friday 2nd July 2010 @ Velvet Underground): Two years later and still my setiments has not changed about Dimitri From Paris - infact it has worsen. I have only myself to blame for not listening to my inner voice of not going. 5/10.

Paul Johnson(Saturday 3rd July 2010 @ Stereolab): DJ Paul Johnson had left Singapore in a lurch when he left two year ago after MoS closed down. He KNOWS music. He knows how to mix and thrill. Dude, get a fulltime job - in Singapore, that is! Instead of visiting us just once or twice a year! We need you. Night ended at 4.10am 8.5/10.

FRANKIE KNUCKLES(Friday 6th August 2010 @ Stereolab): No need to crack the code for this - only your knuckles for the chubby Godfather of House himself who rightfully brought it down(the House, that is!). Sadly the night was marred by a)the guy next to me who decided that the chick in front of him needed to be defended from the burly guy who was getting to close for her comfort. b)the young, pretty but crass and drunk Italiano chick that was unable to walk straight and exposing her knickers ;-) and her bra straps and hook :-( How do they ever become models ? Back to Frankie Knuckles - though he didnt have the charisma and charm to woo the girls like Felix da Housecat he gets the same rating! 8.5/10

Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival Sessions Zouk Edition (Fri 27th & Sat 28th Aug 2010): Day 1: The music had its great(Dorian Concept, Hong) and no-so-great(Ikonika) moments. Whatever the case, the lights came on at 4.35am but the music only came to a sad end at 5.35am leaving the remaining 15 die-hard fans happy at Velvet Underground. 8/10
Day 2: dOp(Fr) was sooooooooooooooo sooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooo sooooooooooo gooooood. Despite having insulted their host country(SG) and Zouk's sound engineers, they were sooooooooooo gooooooooood. The best I've heard in a long time. Though they should have kept their shirts on - seeing bouncing gynecomastia and chubbytummy isn't exactly a pretty sight. Even the girls wanted you to keep your shirt/shorts on! Join a gym! Despite that 9.99/10.
Not forgetting Syndicate and Jeremy Boon with the Funk B**tards. The music came to an end at 6.10am - I think - as thats when my watch stopped working. 9/10

Joey Negro(Friday 22nd October 2010 @ Velvet Underground): 2.40hours of same stuff/poor selection/sheer torture/rubbish/waste of time. 3/10.

Mouse On Mars 'Live'(Saturday 6th November 2010 @ Velvet Underground): Described as quirky blend of techno, disco and ambient, with a heavy dallop of analog synth sounds accompanied by live instruments. And thats what it was - however, it does take some getting used to. 7/10.

Luciano(from Chile)(Friday 17th Dec 2010 @ Velvet Underground): Repetitive, repetitive, repetitive beats with integrated with vocals and colorful sound patterns from 1am - 4.30am. 7/10.

RadioSlave(UK)(Saturday 15th Jan 2011 @ Velvet Underground): Tribal at its best - too good from start till the lights came on at 4.25am. Even crappy Heineken couldnt have spoit this for me. Thanks to Drew Waterhouse for inviting me! 8+++/10.

Sven Väth(Friday 28th Jan 2011 @ Zouk): Godfather of Techno has lived up to his name till the very last track at 5.00am - even the diluted GreyGoose vodka couldnt have ruined this. 7+++/10.

Laurent Garnier(Friday 18th Feb 2011 @ Zouk): French Godfather of Techo along with Benjamin Rippert (keyboards) and Stephane “Scan X” Dri (machines) delivered 4.5hours of live sheer bliss till 4.50am! Not even an upset tummy nor not a drop of alcohol because of that could have marred this night. 9+/10.

Faithless(Tuesday 22nd Feb 2011 @ Fort Canning Park): I have no faith in outdoor events in Spore as its definately not for me - its humid, hot, it rained earlier, etc. Faithless was good - but I was bored nevertheless. If not for the brunette and her blonde "islands in the stream" friend that kept me entertained ;-) I will not rate this event.

Aphex Twin(Saturday 19th March 2011 @ Explanade): And I came to Daddy for 1hr 23minutes of totally unfamiliar tracks with no encore from this electronica guru known as Aphex Twin a.k.a. Richard David James a.k.a. AFX, Power-Pill, Caustic Window, Polygon Window and Dice Man! 10/10!

Goldie(Saturday 9th April 2011 @ Homeclub): So I flossed, double brushed and gargled for this only to have it spoit by the usual crappy MC Rozak who for the 9431 time has to say "Rewinnnnnnnd", and "Put your hannnnds in the air" :-( So out of respect for this DnB legend from the UK, Im not going to rate this event which started at 1.30am and lasted for 3 hours.

Bootie SF (Thursday 6th October 2011 @ Avalon Marina Bay Sands): What a "stressful" night it was! - trying to indentify each and every "bastard pop"(as its known for mashedup songs) so seamlessly mixed (by Adrian & Mysterious D)in Bootie SF's biggest bootleg mashup party in the world. This means the vocal track of one song is mixed over the instrumentation of another combining different artists and musical genres to create new and unique songs that are often greater than the sum of their parts. Think Human League meets Gaga. Think George Michael meets PitBull. 10/10

Booka Shade(Friday 14th Oct 2011 @ Zouk): German producers and DJs, Booka Shade channelled the spirit and sounds of underground techno for 2.5hours till 4.00am on the dot! It was good but I wont rate it as it wasnt a omfg wow.

Ikonika(Wednesday 19th October 2011 @ 15 Stadium Link,HeinekenGreenRoom event): DJ Ikonika is supposedly said to be good. And I suppose she is. But I certainly didnt feel it. There was nothing Dubstep or "underground-ish sounds of the UK" in the hard techno that she played that night. A dissapointment as I had waited for dubstep, dubstep and dubstep. But all I heard was hard-thumping techno. Was I in Zirca ?

Layo & Bushwacka(Saturday 5th November 2011 @ Avalon):
Techno not like you've never heard it 1000 times before. Highlight of the evening was when it ended at 4.00am sharp - phew, finalllllly!

Kyoto Jazz Massive(Friday 18th November 2011 @ *SCAPE Warehouse): Stellar performance by this Japanese nu-jazz electronica purveyors. I guess I would have enjoyed it more if there weren't too much distraction at the venue - when ended then playing in the background. Sorry guys. 8/10

FELIX DA HOUSECAT(Friday 19th Nov 2011 @ Avalon): And we meet again. However, this time there werent any poseing for the cameras or female fans, no fans at the DJ console and no drinking from the bottle. Loads of techo ending the night with his famous Sinnerman remix. 8.5/10

DIRTYPHONICS (Saturday 3rd December 2011 @ Zirca): Mash-up of all things drum&bass and dubstep and more by this 4man DJ totally live act from Paris. Too industrial and heavy for me though.

Goldie(Saturday 7th January 2012 @ Homeclub): What a good DnB night - from Zul Othman to Twinhead to Goldie! to Darren Dubwise! Since I didnt rate it the last time Goldie was in Singapore, in all fairness it definately deserves a 9.9/10. Though I wished I hadnt drunk so much/quickly the SkyVodka as I may have appreicated the last 30 minutes of the night even more. And the journey to KL at 7.15am :-(

SKREAM & BENGA (Friday 13th January 2012 @ Zirca): Dubbed as the godfathers of dubstep and known for their brand of bass, UK's preeminent dubstep pioneers was a tad too heavy for me. Though the last 30 minutes was bit better with the bird's eye view from the 2nd level of Zirca.

Sven Väth(Saturday 28th Jan 2012 @ Zouk): Exactly one year later, the German Godfather of Techno returns to Zouk. And I paid my annual hommage. Granddaddy still has it in him till the very last track at 5.30am 7+++/10.

JAGUAR SKILLS(UK)(Friday 3rd Febuary 2012 @ Zirca): This Jaguar skillfully smashed, mashed, diced, sliced, cut, chopped, blended, every possible genre, and recognisable track, from dubstep to drum&bass to house to the classics. One and a half hour of pure headache - the good kind! 8++/10

LTJ Bukem & MC Conrad(Saturday 10th March 2012 @ Homeclub): Im sure I've seen them last year at HomeClub but I've strangely no recollection on paper. Anyways, I dont normally fancy an MC for Drum&Bass but MC Conrad was good for an MC in an MC-kinda-way. I suppose I would have enjoyed more if not for the heat which was killing and the distracting people next to me. So I wont rate it.

SpectraSoul (Saturday 17th March 2012 @ Homeclub): Hark, I heard the angels sing on this very special day - 17th of March - which they do every year - year after year! Guess, a bottle of champagne and white wine and 3 various shots and tequila with orange is what I needed to enjoy this special (drum and bass) night along with good company. Thus it goes unrated.

dOP(live) (Friday 21st April 2012 @ Zouk): dOP was Dope - in 2010, that is. Thats because the 2, then 3, then 4, then 5, then 8 attention-seeking groupies stole dOP thunder and space on stage for their 15minutes of fame on facebook by dancing, picture-talking, talking, freedrinking and just totally distracting the attention from the muffin-top singer/rapper which is sad because they were "sooooooooooooooo sooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooo sooooooooooo gooooood" in 2010. "The best I've heard in a long time." The stage should be dOP's and only dOP's - with no tasteless distractions as you earned it guys. Maybe in 2014 again.

Groove Armada(DJ Set)(Friday 27th April 2012 @ Zouk): I see you baby! This is the house that funk built - Groove Armada style. Superstylin'! Groove Armada style! I see you baby! UK electronica duo, Groove Armada know how to whip up the crowd with their unusual blend of influences, spanning from House, Tech-House, Techno, Balearic, Disco and Funk. I wanna give you devotion! I see you Baby! Superstylin'! 7+++/10.

DJ AZEK @ Home Jam Sessions: Drum & Bass(Thursday 24th May 2012 @ Homeclub): Its been a long while since I've heard DrumNBass so good. This French DJ Azek(Jeremy) based in Bangkok totally nailed it with his melodic and soulful DrumNBass which reminded me very much of ZulSubvert. C'est magnifique from the very first track to the last! 9.5/10

Octave One(DJ Set)(Friday 10th August 2012 @ Zouk): A last minute or a suprise addition to Heineken Green Room 10th Anniversary besides Spank Rock whom you just wanna spank for wasting your time and Drums of Death which in all fairness had 'some' good tunes in there. It was these Techno guys that really saved the night - 7+++/10.

DUB PHIZIX(UK)(Saturday 18th August 2012 @ Homeclub): The supposedly phattest beats and freshest cuts from Dub Phizik didnt do it for me as there were too many ups and downs(more downs actually) and after a while it all sounded the same. 5/10.

Red Shape for Midnight Shift’s 3rd Anniversary(Saturday 17th November 2012 @ Velvet Underground in Zouk): Shape-ing the true sound of techno one color at a time! 8.5/10

Mark Doyle for Fierce Angel(Saturday 1st December 2012 @ Lucky 13): I finally managed to watch Mark Doyle in Singapore, the founder of the Hed Kandi and Fierce Angel brands. The selection of tracks was exactly what you would hear on his Fierce Angel radio show - the only difference is you get to see him take several smoke breaks :-) And thanks Mark for The Collection II CD.

CASPA & DYNAMITE MC (UK) Saturday 15th December 2012 @ Homeclub): Caspa is synonymous with Dubstep. And there was lots of it - commercial/mass appeal dubstep/brostep to the max by the founding father of Dubstep to the delight of the never-seen-before-faces. Definately not for the "diserning" dubstep-er. Definately not. Painfully not. 2/10.

High Contrast(Friday 4th January 2013 @ Zouk): One of Hospital Records’ biggest signees in the form of Drum and Bass heavyweights, High Contrast at Zouk - the main arena - a first ever! Though it was badly marred by the bad speakers. Otherwise it could be been heaven. Zouk gotta learn a thing on two from Homeclub with regards to DrumNBass and Speakers. No ranking.

NetSky(Friday 4th January 2013 @ Zouk): Following High Contrast's set, another of Hospital Records’ biggest DnB signees, hailing from Belgium - NetSky. The speakers were somewhat fixed by now. But it was a bit too heavy in a Drumstep-ish/Dubstep kindaof way. But still no regrets. No ranking.

Dimitri From Paris(Friday 4th January 2013 @ Velvet Underground Dance): Managed to catch a one hour tail-end of Dimitri's set after High Contrast and Netsky which ended at 5am. With zero expectations this time as I hadnt enjoyed his last two gigs in Singapore in 2008 and 2010, it wasn't half bad with extended remixes of Sister Sledge, Chic, Donna Summers and other classic retro favourites.

Scuba(Friday 11th January 2013 @ Velvet Underground Dance): Apparently I had caught Scuba's set at HomeClub on 23rd April 2012 with no re-collection at all of how it was. After his set at Velvet was evident why so. It was expectation - which was the problem - of some drum and bass, but it was techno basically till 4.15am when I decided 8 tequila/champagne drinks/shots later that enuff is enuff for me to swallow. One shouldnt never have any genre expecations as thats is what probably ruined the night for me.

DJ MARKY(BRAZIL) & STAMINA MC(UK) Saturday 12th January 2013 @ Homeclub): Brazil is known for its beaches, babes, bikinis and silicon implants. And the Drum and Bass's legendary Brazillian DJ Marky. How I wished I could have taken out the stamina of his longtime accomplice, Stamina MC who didnt take more than a 2 minute break during the duo's 2.5 hour set. Kinda felt that it was MC Stamina's night more than a DJ Marky's.

Goldie(Friday 25th January 2013 @ Homeclub): And how time flies. Goldie returns home - HomeClub, that is - and my 3rd time catching him. I guess he was good. But I didnt really enjoy it. It just didnt flow. Just when you were expecting it to pick up it just fell flat to pick up again and fall. Perhaps, next year again. Till then.

Commix(UK) with Mc Fokus(Friday 15th March 2013 @ Velvet Underground Dance): A fourth DnB event so far in one month - guess the gods must like this piscean hellofalot! A night of 4mgs of Chlorpheiramine, Jägermeister shots, good company by the best siblings I've ever witnessed, police spotchecks, Absolut Grapevines and DnB ruined by Mc "Foc Us" who did just that to us with his nonstop MC-ing. When will they learn to just shut the F up so that we can appreciate the music ?

Kraftwerk 3D @ The Esplanade Theatre (Thurs, 25th April 2013): So we meet again, granddaddies of glitch and the kings of kling-klang, after 5 years at the same venue as the last time. Almost identical performance as the last except this time the backdrop visuals were in 3D. It was good initially but after a while, I can't say the same as there wasn't any in-yer-face video visuals that justified having them in 3D. Not to mention the visuals went totally dead during the Numbers and Its More Fun to Compute songs. Though I wished they had played more of their "newer" songs like Showroom Dummies, Sex Object and Electric Cafe and less of the older and slower AutoBahn, Radio Activity and Metropolis. But still all was good they are Kraftwerk after all!
Boing Boom Tschak to that!

PHON.O (Friday 25th April 2013 @ Homeclub): And another German, right after Krafwerk. Techno, UK-Funky, Dubstep and the classic Berlin Dub - it was good live set - maybe because it was after Kraftwerk. Or maybe not. But still no regrets.

S.P.Y (Saturday 4th May 2013 @ Homeclub):
I spy with my eye a mammoth set of drum and bass with trademark heavy and soulful sounds.

Andy C (UK) (Friday 10th May 2013 @ Velvet Underground Dance):
Supposedly one of the most important figures in the evolution of Drum & Bass. But I didnt really enjoy it as I thought I would. Was it because of the MC - most likely it was!

Nina Kraviz (RUS) Saturday 11th May 2013 @ Velvet Underground Dance):
And yes she is hot. I think she is more known for being a pretty face than her music. Her techno set was fairly decent. But probably more meaningful for someone that really likes techo.

Skream & Benga (UK) (Friday 17th May 2013 @ Velvet Underground Dance) :
"When I say Skream you say Benga". "When I say Skream you say Benga". "When I say Skream you say Benga" - really how many times can they repeat saying that to get the audience in a fake fenzy ? And when they played a song about Facebook you know its all downhill from there/then. Brostep was the order of the night. Very disappointing. One of those nights where you need a shower to wash the bad memories of the night. 2/10

Dub FX (Thursday 23rd May 2013 @ Homeclub):
This aussie uses his voice like an instrument; no different from a guitar or keyboard, which transverse into the soundscape of vocals, beats and effects of Dub FX.
"His trademark is creating rich live music using only his own performance aided by live looping and effect pedals combined with his voice, crossing genres such as reggae, dub and drum & bass. Dub FX’s looping techniques, intricate layering with rhythms blended with effects is what makes his performance filled with soul and harmony". Impressive. 7.5/10

Ben Klock (GER) (Saturday 25th May 2013 @ Velvet Underground Dance):
I didnt stay till the end for this Berlin-born DJ's techo set as it wasn't something that I was appreciating.

Joe Syntax (Med School/Hospital Records, UK) (Saturday 8th June @ HomeClub):
Definately syntax error by having guest MC R Vee from HK take control of the microphone. Went on and on and on and on and on. Beautiful DnB totally ruined by an MC. I just dont get it why they love ruining beautiful music with their rapping ?

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs(UK) DJ Set, Fri 14 June
@ Velvet Underground Dance): TEED should have followed the footsteps of the dinosaurs - become totally extinct. Would have done us an enormous favour. 3/10

DJ Hype & MC Daddy Earl (Playaz, UK)(Saturday 17th August @ HomeClub):
I knew it was gonna be all hype and hype it was. 5/10

Francois Kevorkian(USA) (Sunday 1st September 2013 @ Kyo):
After a morning of 21km half-marathon to a 3 hour Sunday night of some house and techo to cosmic disco by the perfectionist Francois K who was constantly reminding us about what good music was. The best tune of the night who also was the closing tune must have been A Made Up Sound - Take The Plunge (beat mix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZM09HQAeCA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Miguel Migs(USA) (Friday 20th September 2013 @ Kyo):
A very bad start to the night, when a batik-wearing mongoloid knocked over Hemant Sahi's full glass of cranberry juice with his elbow without even offering to buy him a replacement drink despite me telling him a mere apology doesn't work. Even his ah-beng boyfriend was just as nasty. So I didnt appreciate the deep-house, if any, as I was deep in fustration.

Krafty Kuts (Friday 20th September 2013 @ Art Bar):
Kraftyly mixing his own 1 hour SoundCloud Summer Festival 2013 Mix track by track in the exact same order! This guy must be nuts to think noone even noticed that - especially since some of us had heard that mix 2 days before.

Sebastien Leger (Saturday 21st September 2013 @ Kyo):
Nothing fresh. Nothing new. Stuff that Zouk played years and years ago. Or maybe it was too crowded and being picked up by women who look like "working women". Left at 2.45am on the dot.
The best track on the night was by the opening DJ Ej Missy:
Lindstrom - I Fee Space (Original Mix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqNNS5zB8bc

Africa HiTech (Warp Records) (Saturday 5th October 2013 @ HomeClub):
Longtime electronic dance music fixtures Mark Pritchard (Harmonic 313, Global Communications, Jedi Knights) and Steve Spacek, made up electronic act, Africa Hitech. I didnt feel it as I guess I was expecting it to be something very Global Communication/Jedi Knights-ish and I think the tracks were a tad too long, but Aiden Greene did.

dBridge & SP:MC (Saturday 19th October 2013 @ HomeClub):
A veteran producer and one of the most experienced artists in drum & bass, Darren White aka dBridge is an artist whose music I enjoyed that night but had to block the white noise from SP:MC. In the words of Harv Chail, its the same problem all the time(with me and MC's!) :-(

Oblique Industries LIVE (Friday 1st November 2013 @ Blu Jaz):
Its been a long time I've really enjoyed "live" music. Melbourne based producer, Ryan Oblique interestingly used his headphone as a mic for his singing over techno, house, minimal, electro, progressive and experimental sounds. Thanks Ryan. I really enjoyed it like I told you. And that other Ryan-lookalike which I mistook for Ryan! 9/10
https://soundcloud.com/oblique_industries
https://soundcloud.com/oblique_industries_live
https://mixcloud.com/oblique_industries

Dâm Funk (Saturday 2nd November 2013 @ HomeClub):
Though Im not really a fan of funk(small doses are fine), dammmn I admire the ‘ambassador of Funk’, Dâm Funk, for his passion and enthusiasm in engaging the crowd with his performance.
But secretly I must admit I really enjoyed the local DJ Dean(?) that opened for Dâm Funk more as somehow there was more funk in those tunes!

JUST BE aka Bushwacka(UK) (Saturday 9th November 2013 @ Kyo):
Nothing fresh. Nothing new. Thus left early at 2.45am.

DJ Kaos(Ger) (Friday 15th November 2013 @ Kyo):
No Kaos created. Nothing Chaotic. No panic. Left at 3am.

Carl Craig(USA) (Saturday 16th November 2013 @ Velvet Underground Dance):
Definately lived up to his reputation of being a world-class DJ and an ambassador for his native Detroit. Stayed till closing - 4.30am. Finally. 8/10

SpectraSoul (Saturday 23rd November 2013 @ HomeClub):
SpectraSoul returns to HomeClub. The last being 17thMarch2012. Some good company by "Lady Tron" helped me forgot my disappointment - not with the SpectraSoul's DnB set - but a "Oh Deer God" session that got cancelled at the last minute because of a friend's boating accident. And like the last time, this night goes unrated.

LTJ Bukem (Saturday 21st December 2013 @ HomeClub):
What a nigh it wast. Went to Kyo at 9.50pm for Xhin and Dharma which was interesting watching the latter teaking his guitar to Xhin's music. Left for LTJ Bukem at Homeclub at 12midnight followed by Absolute Vodka + Cinnamon > Opposite Zouk liqour-shop no-frills Jagermeister @ $36 > HomeClub > Kyo again. Refused entry as the stamp from earlier didnt show up on my hand. Was made to feel like a confused drunkard by the boucers. Finally allowed entry - felt like a cheap-drunkard. Boring Techno music. Let at 3am for Homeclub with Ren. More Jagermeister. Heard the tail end of LTJ Bukem. And once again, like the last time he was here in March 10th 2012, totally no recollection of the night. :-(

Ben UFO (UK) (Saturday 11th January 2014 @ Kyo):
No wow. Expected much more. Guess when you play in a commercial club you gotta bear that in mind - and thats what Ben UFO did with his techno set.
Left at 3.15am for Goldie at HomeClub.

Goldie (Metalheadz, UK) (Saturday 11th January 2014 @ HomeClub):
Goldie returns to HomeClub yet again. The last being 25thJanuary2013. Managed to catch the last 45minutes of his set. If only I hadn't gone to Kyo for Ben UFO. Gotta listen to my inner voice the next time!

Osunlade (US) (Friday January 17th January 2014 @ Velvet Underground Dance):
What a night! Osunlade, from St Louis know for his soulful House that has him dubbed as the ‘messiah of House music’. But thats not what I remember of the night, thanks to Justin Noreikis. Osunlade's mother. Lincoln Cheng. Dom Perignon.. Jill Alphonso, Dom Perignon. Lincoln Cheng. Confessions. Nomsta. Osunlade's mum. Osunlade. Dom Perignon. More confessions. 4.45am. Seminar at SRC at 8.45am with a hangover.

Bonobo (UK) (Saturday 18th January 2014 @ Velvet Underground Dance):
Bassic 2.0: The Second Anniversary featuring Bonobo. As promised, bassic’s birthday party was gonna be a boisterous and thunderous affair. And it was. Not because of the music - which was good - if not for the many distractions. Its was bassically far far far far tooooooo crowded. Even being a wallflower caught the eye of many - who thought it was a good time to clap, stand on my shoes, attempt to invade my private space, ask "Jesus" for forgiveness. Had to literally do a cinderalla at 4.15am as claustrophobic-ness had finally kicked in.

John Talabot (SPA) (Friday 24th January 2014 @ Velvet Underground Dance):
Good. Especially after 3.30am when it was more nu disco. Ended at 4.40am.

Sven Väth (GER) (Saturday 25th January 2014 @ Zouk):
Sven Väth is the undisputed figurehead of the German club scene. Probably catching him for the 3rd or 4th time. Some good moments there. As espected, he ended at 5.35am.

Wolf & Lamb (US) (Friday 31st January 2014 @ Kyo):
Stepped toes. Back used as tripod by photographer to photography Channel U "girls who like girls who dress like boys who like girls who like boys who like girls who like boys" crowd. Three desparate diehard female fans who would do anything - shoulder massage, push and shove, just to get the attention of mr Wolf and ms Lamb who obviously weren't interested as they would have 1) offered them Hendrick's Gin & Champagne which was freely available at their disposal 2) invited these desparate chicks into the DJ booth. But they didnt give a crap. Too much to distractions and chatter for me - left at 3am. Phew!

Das Moth (東京, JPN) (Saturday 8th February 2014 @ The Powder Room)
Thanks to ChrisHo's gig of the week recommendation which I read at 11pm that evening, I made my first visit to The Black Swan's Power Room at Cecil Street just after midnight. Some interested nu disco, post disco and remixes by a DJ that I thought was gonna be Japanese. But apparently he wasnt. What was more interesting was how the Czech bartender kept the cookie jar containing chocolate coated figs far away from us after we took a piece from there. But little did he care that one of this non-freeloader had actually purchased a bottle of Japanese whisky. But that didnt matter. And what else was interested was how this club does their precise checking of their alcohol inventory at the end of the night - that was an eye-opener - worthy of a facebook post.

Jubei (Metalheadz, UK) (Saturday 15th February 2014 @ HomeClub):
Jubei is the name on the lips of almost every top-flight drum & bass DJ. But it didnt go as expected. From Jager to infidelity to Jager to more infidelity to Jager to atacid to Jager to depression to valet service to Bedok North to HomeClub. Crappy night. Big time.
Sorry Jubei - hope to hear you proper the next time.

RedShape (Saturday 22nd February 2014 @ Kyo):
The man in the red mask returns to Singapore shores. The last time being in 2012 at Velvet Underground for Midnight Shift’s 3rd year anniversary. The phantom of techno, Sebastien Kramer aka Redshape took us for an analogue sounding trip with a live set and a dj set. Lived up to expectations. We the lucky few that witness the unveiling of the famous redmask after his set. He looks like Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins - a bit shorter but better looking.

Skream (UK) (Saturday 1st March 2014 @ Velvet Underground Dance): You would think that Skream (sans Benga) would be better without the latter as there would be none of that crappy 1990's "I say Skream, you say Benga! I say Skream, you say Benga" like last year(May 2013 at Zouk). But no no no, it was just down EDM. Leave at 2.30am as Ms S. wanted to eat - ended up having hotdog outside Zouk.

OM UNIT (UK) (Saturday 8th March 2014 @ Zui Hong Lou (Gem Bar)):
This beatmaker introduced us to his own unique blend of hip hop, drum & bass and Chicago footwork rhythms. Om Unit rightfully stands at the fringes of drum & bass, dubstep and future-gazing bass music. Ended at 3am or was it 2am ?! Followed by Kyo for Darker Than Wax's Basic Soul Unit with Maxx Mortimer(CAN).

Stefan Goldmann (GER) (Saturday 15th March 2014 @ Kyo):
Ended up in Kyo so unexpectedly after a night with VJ and Brendon P for Tiramisu at an Irish Bar at 313 Sommerset, Circular road(hunting for green beer) and The Spiffy Dapper. Some interesting techno sounds by Stefan Goldmann till 4.15am.

Ken Ishii (Japan) (Friday 21st March 2014 @ HomeClub):
So good moments in this biggest musical export from the land of the rising sun, Ken Ishii's diverse range of influences for over two decades delivered his unique blend of jazz, classical and electronic influenced techno from the far east to the homeclub.

Norman Jay (UK) (Saturday 14th June 2014 @ Velvet Underground Dance):
It was like a lesson of all the genres in music before 1995 including DrumNBass, sans hiphop and RnB, thank God. And with totally zero mixing. Felt I was turning in to a station-scan on a car radio at that period but without the ads or live djs on it. 4/10

Aardvack (Mike Kivits) (Saturday 19th July 2014 @ Kilo Lounge):
My first visit to Kilo Lounge at Kampung Bugis, Kallang - the middle of nowhere.
Having heard Aardvack's detroit acid house mix on lush99.5fm at 6pm, I decided to check it out. And I wasnt disappointed at all - nice samplings of popular classics. The only disappointment was the poor soundsystem and the lack of proper airconditioning.
(Ref: "No gilette" remarks night).

Miss Kittin (France) (Saturday 25th July 2014 @ Velvet Underground Dance):
Hate the venue. Just too crowded. Caroline Hervé, aka Miss Kittin is known for the harder edged Techno, rave classics, Chicago, Acid and Detroit Techno and has also established herself on the more leftfield, Electro and electronic realms. And she lived up to it. Meow to that! 8.5/10

Kenny Larkin (USA) (Saturday 20th Sept 2014 @ Kyo):
Day 2 of the F1 weekend with Kenny Larkin. Detroit native impressive 20-year history of creating arguably some of the most timeless, soulful techno ever created, is unquestionable. One of the best nights in a loooooooooooong time. Pleasant surprise visit by Harv and Rachael. Ended at 5.00am. I would have enjoyed it 100% if not for the heavy hipster traffic behind the DJ console. Definately a 9.9/10

Terrence Parker (USA) (Sunday 21st Sept 2014 @ Kyo):
Day 2 of the F1 weekend with Terrence Parker. A night of classic sound of the Detroit House Music - with no musical stones were left unturned. Every single song played/remixed was a total classic. And another great night. 9.9/10

Bradley Zero, Lefto, Thris Tian (Tuesday 21st October 2014 @ Kyo):
DJ KFC opened the night - fairly decent as expected. Too much fluff, hype and performance from Bradley Zero(Boiler Room). In my books he was his last name compared to the other two. Followed by Lefto, which was not entirely dancefloor friendly but still pretty interesting in his selection of acid jazz tracks. Closing by Thris Tian which I think was the underdog for the night. Guess the best for the last.

SUBB-AN (Berlin) (Friday 24th October 2014 @ Kyo):
24 years old, Ashique ‘Subb-an’ Subhan played well. Couldn't find no fault in his house music. But strangely, I didnt feel it. But no regrets in going down. Will check him out again the next time he plays.

UNTOLD (UK) (Saturday 25th October 2014 @ Kyo):
Third time to kyo in a week! The truth be untold, Untold aka Jack Dunning played old school techno with loads and loads of weird goodbumps noises and sounds. Just too goooooooood. 9.5/10
https://soundcloud.com/untold/dj-set-the-shelter-shanghai-oct-2014

Jon Hopkins (UK) (Friday 7th November 2014 @ Canvas):
English producer and musician Jon Hopkins writes his own melodic electronica and dance music. Lots of high-speed plane crash of chaotic noises and explosions, glitch by unexpected glitch. At times you ever gotta cover your ears for fear of busting your ear-drums. Somehow reminded me of a younger Richard David James (Aphex Twin). Was good - would have enjoyed it much more if not for the distracting crowd.
9.5/10

RØDHÅD (DE) (Saturday 15th November 2014 @ Kyo):
So other than me being mistaken for Rødhåd by a completely random suited stranger, I must admit I enjoyed the opening DJs EJ Missy and Avneesh more. Glad to still have caught this Berlin talent.
7.5/10

Mumdance (UK) (Friday 21st November 2014 @ Canvas):
Kinda reminded me of Jon Hopskins. Though with far less of a crowd. Strangely.
Some old skool techno, Some rave, some jungle, some drum N bass.
9.0/10

OXIA (FR) & MANIK (USA) (Saturday 29th November 2014 @ Kyo):
French music producer Olivier Raymond, better known as Oxia, made his 3rd visit to Kyo and I was told that I MUST go for his set. So I did, despite listening to his sets on Soundcloud which I wasn't feeling. I left after 20 minutes for Syafii at Canvas(with Harv) which in my books was much better. Went back to Kyo after 45 minutes, DJ Manik was playing. Okay I guess. Oxia closed the night at 4am with his signature track which didnt mean much to me but hellofalot to others. Took Harv to my private 5am idaho.

Kode9 & DJ Spinn (UK) (Saturday 6th December 2014 @ Canvas):
The night started with 2 random Chinese girls coming up to me asking for my picture. To which I asked why. And their response was I was Kode9(which I denied) but they continued how they had seen my gigs in Germany and Hongkong.......The picture was taken but I think they must have felt silly later in the night when Kode9 came on. It started good but then it just got too UK Bass.
This was followed by DJ Spinn which was too much to handle for one night. Left at 3.30am.

Digital (UK) (Saturday 27th December 2014 @ Art Bar):
Probably the last event at Art Bar before the fat lady sings her song in a couple of weeks' time and the curtain falls on The Butter Factory. Started the rainy night pretty well with some mean screwdriver drink(thanks to Anwar for jumping queue for me during the 2 hour of free-flow in which there was only 30minutes left), followed by some yucky Absolut Peppar Vodka shots with a whole load of friends(& some friends to be).
As for Digital - drumNbass yeah, but no great shake.

Sven Väth (GER) (Friday 23rd January 2015 @ Zouk):
My 3rd time seeing Sven Väth in Zouk,Singapore. And as expected, he ended at fashionable 5.25am. Though I gotta admit it started off okay, then got kinda dull and then it got good at 4am with some ambient techno till closing.

Kirk Degiorgio & Ben Sims (Saturday 24th January 2015 @ Kyo):
Of Absolut Mango, Anwar, Ansar + Sunny(Delhi), FuramaHotel, 9.33am.
As for the music, totally didnt feel it.

Space Dimension Controller (UK) (Friday 16th January 2015 @ Kyo):
Opening set was by Ramesh K - totally innappropriate for Kyo - more suited for Happy Hour before 8pm(the views of a few including myself). As for SDC, it started off good, like a journey, then it just lost its way with disco, new wave and back to techno. Sadly, noone mistook me for Space Dimension Controller!

Nicole Moudaber (UK) (Friday 6th February 2015 @ Velvet):
Went to Velvet for Nicole Moudaber "after"/during "Our hobby is Depeche Mode" after-party by DJ Aldrin and KFC at the Henderson Project on the persistence of AJ Mister. Didn't really feel it. Stayed till closing. Went for the after party at Dickson Rd till 8.45am. Now that I felt.

Osunlade (GR??) (Saturday 14th February 2015 @ Kyo):
Valentine's Day. Osunlade at Kyo. Last year it was at Velvet. Was I feeling it ? No...no...yes...no...no...yes....no...yes..no...no.

Pete Herbert (UK) (Friday 20th February 2015 @ Kyo):
No recollection. Didnt feel it. The 1st after party at Koi & Bangers till 8.30am was better with a bowl of semi-cooked fried rice.

Paul Woolford (UK) (Saturday 21st February 2015 @ Kyo):
No recollection. Didnt feel it. The 2nd after party at Koi & Bangers till 8.30am was better with a bowl of maggie instant noodles.

Goldie (UK) (Saturday 28th February 2015 @ Canvas):
The godfather for DnB returns to the former HomeClub(now Canvas) for the upteenth time. MC Roz was (un)surprisingly quiet that night. Maybe because Goldie was doing all the yacking yacking yacking yacking and more yacking. And did he run out of DnB tracks the last 30minutes that he had play Human League and other new wave music ?
After party at Koi & Bangers till 7.45 with a bowl of cold cold fried rice.

Chez Damier (USA) (Friday 6th March 2015 @ Kilo):
1st time after Kilo after the 6-months of renovation/no-permit blah blah blah.
Distracting green projector light gets in the eyes. Industrial fan blowing hair from the back. Rubbish airconditiong. Too crowded. Random chick places finger on my shoulder then head and wanted me to spin! wtf. Will such distractions, how does one appreciate house music legend Chez Damier ? It was only when he ended his set, and the plebians left en masse and Jeck Hyde took, over only then it got good.

Jacques Greene (CAN) (Saturday 7th March 2015 @ Velvet):
Started off good from this 24-year-old Canadian producer. The it got too Americano hiphop. And when he played Kanye West's "All Day, Nigga" that was our cue to leave. Disappointing Jacques Greene. He should have stuck to what he was good at and leave the rubbish music for the commercial DJs.

John Heckle / Tapirus (Saturday 28th March 2015 @ Kyo):
Definately didnt enjoy Tapirus's set who played before John Heckle. As John Heckle himself, didnt feel it.

Ikonika (UK) (Saturday 11th April 2015 @ Canvas):
Ended up at Canvas instead of Kyo for Guy J (ISR) as the airconditiong was down at the latter and this polarbear couldnt take more than 5 minutes before feeling like hyperventilating sets in. Ikonika was Ikonika. Full of energy non-stop as expected. Her typical freshsound style and speed. And as I've attended previous Ikonika's gigs, I didnt feel this one too. Its me - not her. :-)

Oneman (UK) (Friday 17th April 2015 @ WonderBar, Sultan Hotel):
Niko was the opening DJ. Did a good job despite trying to fit several genres within a space of 1.5hours. Followed by Darren Dubwise which went all downhill with loads of hiphop. Lasy ass Oneman didnt do any changes when he took over as he just kept the same hiphop vibe going which was too much to take. So left after 15 minute for Kilo(with Aiden) but was too crowded to get in so left for Velvet for Joseph Capriati. This Italiano save the night along with the Neon LED Nazi middle aged dancer.

Frank Muller (GER) (Saturday 18th April 2015 @ Kyo):
Not to be confused with the Swiss watch-maker Franck Muller, Frank Mueller a.k.a Beroshima has been a pioneer of electronic music since the mid 1990's. But I couldn't help myself from looking at my watch constantly. Didnt feel it.

Defected In The House with Franky Rizardo & Sam Divine. (Friday 24th April 2015 @ Kyo):
Preferred Sam Divine who played before Franky Rizardo more than the latter for her house music. Got a fan and lanyard for the night. Other than that, no biggie.

Nick Warren (UK) (Saturday 25th April 2015 @ Kyo):
Anwar told me I should check out Nick Warren and I did. He played the favourites. Nothing exciting. Gave him a lift back to his hotel at M Hotel with EJ Missy before going to Koi @ Circular Road for the after-party. Thanks to Anwar, I got a Tropicalab Tshirt after sweating like a dog at the carbar.

Tessela (UK) (Friday 1st May 2015 @ Kyo):
Many said I should check out Tessela. And I did (prior going to Koi for the after-party and then straight to KL for my Shits and Giggles). Didnt feel it.

Surgeon (UK) (Saturday 9th May 2015 @ Kyo):
After listening to 2 hours of Surgeon for Rinse FM on SoundCloud, went to Kyo with great expectations for the night. Didnt feel it. Well, actually I did, but at 3.30am but only for a short while. Then it got boring again.
https://soundcloud.com/dynamic-tension

Few Nolder (Saturday 23rd May 2015 @ Kilo):
Anwar got a whole bunch of us in through Nadia which I appreciate. As usual, stayed till closing but didnt feel it until Zig Zag did the closing.

Dennis Ferrer (USA) (Friday 5th June 2015 @ Velvet):
As Anwar had insisted I must go for the legendary Dennis Ferrer, I did(after Attiqah's set at Zouk Wine Bar at 3am). Kinda hard to remember much of it especially when one is in deep conversation about floating/dying gold-fish. Who ends their set at 3.45am at Velvet ?! What was memorable about the night was the afterparty at "Z"'s place till 11.30am with good music by Attiqah and Jack Hyde.

LEFTO / Kyodai (Friday 19th June 2015 @ Kyo):
LEFTO returns to Singapore and Kyo 8 months later. With a sick body I drag myself there but was disappointed with his selection which covered all genres - from acid house to acid funk and everything inbetween. With basically screw the dance floor - Im playing what I wanna play mentality. Now Kyodai, apparently brothers from Spain saved the night. The body was shiverring from a fever by then but the mind was too weak to leave. They were the true RIGHTO.

Kyle Hall (Saturday 20th June 2015 @ KOI Brunch + Beats Circular Road): With a body pumped of cough syrup and paracetamol and loads of sleep the entire day, I was so looking forward to Kyle Hall. CarBar-ed with Anwar. Kyle Hall came, played his 2 hours set and he left immediately. Not sure if the music got better when the lights got dimmer. Or I was just still below the weather. I left immediately after Kyle.

TIMMY REGISFORD (Friday 26th June 2015 @ Kyo):
A legend according to Aiden. Listening to him play is listening to all the classic vocal house tracks sampled on different tracks. So its like listening to two songs at the same time with a familiar vocal but a totally different beat. Interesting I suppose. Like having a BigMac with sambal sauce.

SCARLETTE ETIENNE(UK) (Saturday 27th June 2015 @ Kyo):
Started off fairly decent(aka safe) then it just got a tad too monotonous by this hot model/DJ. By 3.30am the dance floor was almost empty. I was dying to leave and I did with not a sight outside Kyo which has never happened before.

OSUNLADE (USA) (Friday 3rd July 2015 @ Kyo):
Seeing and hearing Osunlade for the 2nd time in Kyo within months, the latter which I didnt get to do much as was busy talking talking talking with everyone including Caroline. And nope, Osunlade's mum didnt accompany him as she had found a new boyfriend. Bummer.

ANTHONY 'SHAKE' SHAKIR(USA) (Saturday 4th July 2015 @ Kyo):
Born in 1949, Anthony Shakir definately looks 10-15years older than his age with the walking stick and wheelchair. But its all about the music and not the person, right ? Its started off a bit shakey initially then there was some old vinyl skipping and scratching and a whole lot of detroit sounds. But by 3am for some reason Anthony was replaced by the opening Djs. Maybe it wasnt up to mark for some trained ears. Went for supper with “ms paint brush” and bouncy Ryan at Maxwell Road Market.

ANSWER CODE REQUEST (Berghain, Berlin) (Saturday 18th July 2015 @ Canvas):
Back at Canvas with more than a dozen compliments on my HomeClub polo shirt. It was a night when all the "users" were out in full force paying their respect to the birthday of their "pushers" with bottles of GreyGoose vodkas and others. As for the music, it was heavy heavy Berlin Techno. With one or two or three less heavy tracks but the rest just too heavy and hardbanging for me.

Lone B2B Konx-om-Pax (DJ/AV Set) (Friday 24th July 2015 @ Koi Brunch + Beats, Circular Road): From UK garage to UK bass to rave, rave, rave and more rave from 1992 to 1994!

Objekt / Puzzle (Saturday 25th July 2015 @ Kyo): Had a bit too much of peach vodka to really appreciate Puzzle who started the set first followed by Objekt aka TJ Hertz. Maybe next time with zero alcohol.

Sébastien Léger (Saturday 1st Aug 2015 @ Kyo): From Cato for Arjun's birthday to carbar to Sébastien Léger, a unique techno producer, to MacDonalds at Shenton Way till 8am with still too much peach vodka in my system.

KEN ISHII (JP) (Saturday 22nd August 2015 @ Canvas):
Opening DJ Tony Tay was boring like F. Totally flat. When Ken Ishii came on he basically carried on Tony Tay's monotonous tempo. Only enjoyed the first few tracks with the Kraftwerk sampling and the last few that started with New Order.

Felix Da HouseCat (Friday 28th Aug 2015 @ Kyo): From House to Techno to everything danceable with not even one mediocre track. Only one word sums up this HouseCat. Wow. Wow. WOW. 9/10
Culoe De Song (ZA) (Saturday 5th September 2015 @ Kyo): Kyo's launch of KyoAsYouAre with a members' party which saw myself in loungewear(pjs and robe) followed by Culoe De Song(black dude with a massive parkranger's hat). A night of fish out of water, Italiano with bad breath, broken bedroom slippers, bearfoot to the car and missing wallet.

Paul Johnson (UK) / Agoria (FR) (Saturday 19th September 2015 @ Kyo): The F1 weekend started with the legendary Paul Johnson who brought memories of MoS. And also the first person to tell me "excuse me" in a crowded Kyo. Followed by Agoria's set. Totally flawless and most enjoyable. He knows his stuff and how to work the dancefloor to his beat.

Move D (GER) (Wednesday 23rd September 2015 @ Kyo): My first visit to Kyo on Wednesday(okay, it was the eve of Hair Raya) for Kyo's new night called Modal. As EJ Missy has set the mood of the night with her flawless deep house set from 10pm to midnight anything after her, namely Move D, aka David Moufang was probably judged (un)fairly. From House to Deep House to some good and some not "that" great. Overall, it was still a non-regretable night.

Defected in the House featuring Simon Dunmore / DJ Rae (UK) (Friday 25th September 2015 @ Kyo): DEFECTED’s big kahuna, Simon Dunmore started of the Defected label with commercial house music followed by DJ Rae who started of with more vocal tracks plus her vocals followed by more deep house towards the end by which it got interesting then only.

Scuba (UK) (Saturday 26th September 2015 @ Velvet Dance): Paul Rose – better known to the world as techno maverick Scuba, started his set at 1.30am-ish, delivered a short and sharp 2 hour set - and not a minute longer and he was "instructed to stop"(or so I was told based on the DJs' body language). A guest DJ ending his set at 3.40am in Velvet seems wrong. Totally wrong.

Danny Tenaglia (USA) (Friday 23rd October 2015 @ Zouk): Zouk's farewell party to its founding father, Lincoln. Went at 2.45am after Kyo but surprisingly it was only 1/4 of its usual capacity - guess the young can only accept EDM and nothing else. I loved his passion and energy and not forgetting when Danny Tenaglia went down to the dancefloor at 6.30am to pose with his followers while some of us decided to have the breakfast that was spread for true Zouk clubbers at that ungodly hour. It ended at 8.45am. That being the first time Ive stepped out of Zouk at that hour.

DJ DEEP (FR) (Saturday 24th October 2015 @ Kyo): Teetotaler DJ Deep obviously doesnt live up to his name with his heavy techno beats. But gotta give him credit for his passion.

MR G (UK) (Friday 6th November 2015 @ Kyo): Was really looking forward to Mr G after seeing/hearing him on YouTube/SoundCloud for more than 4 hours. Known for his high energy, after the initial 15 minutes of seeing Mr G jump, dance, breakdance, more jumping and more during his live 60 minutes set, I was waiting for the real music to start but that was basically it. Just too much fluff. Too much hype. Though I wished I had half his energy level at this age.

Matthias Meyer (GER) (Saturday 7th November 2015 @ Kyo): Nursing another bad throat, Matthias Meyer was good on this crowded Saturday night.

Apparat (GER) (Friday 13th November 2015 @ Velvet Dance): I enjoyed it more on SoundCloud and YouTube than in Live. Same story, different night.

Deetron (Saturday 14th November 2015 @ Kyo): Despite all the hype on Deetron playing at Kyo, I wasnt feeling it. Left at 3.30am with Aveneesh for John Digweed at Zouk.

John Digweed (Saturday 14th November 2015 @ Zouk): Reached here at 4am after a not-feeling set by Deetron at Kyo, the only regret being not reaching there early. Definately better than Deetron maybe because it was more old skool as expected from a legend. Ended at 4.55am. Nice.

Chris Liebing (Friday 27th November 2015 @ Zouk): Techno. Yawn. I wished I had gone for Steve Bug at Kyo instead - so needed to wear a shirt so appropriate for the night.

Calibre(IRE), Marcus Intalex (UK) (Saturday 28th November 2015 @ Canvas): DrumNBass night ruined by MCs - 1st it was Kane Benjamin Cunico's repeated "Yo Disco" followed by MC DRS. They gotta learn to stfu.

Oxia (FR) (Saturday 5th December 2015 @ Kyo): So Oxia graces this tiny red dot again. Didnt feel it. Was waiting for it to end so that I could go for the Dusk Till Disco after- party at Gillman Barrack's Red Baron featuring Cats on Crack instead. Now that was a party worth staying up till 8am.

François K (NY) (Friday 18th December 2015 @ Kyo): I think this "legendary French music producer and DJ" François K was too busy looking at his screen to read a crowd. He did his own stuff. He played what he wanted to play and it was good. Very passionate. Now to listen to his mixed compilation CD by kyō Records which Treyna got me a copy. It ended with some Aphex Twins as closing track.

Osunlade (GR) (Friday 25th December 2015 @ Kyo): And Osunlade returns again. And he remembered me without having to mention his mamamama again. As for his music, it was Osunlade, the black guy with the droppppy ear-lobes. And he will return in 90 days.

DJ RAE (DEFECTED, UK) (Friday 8th January 2016 @ Kyo): DJ RAE returns to this little red dot wearing nice heels as usual. It started all comericially and safe with her singing then it got going well. Definately an improvement from the last time. No regrets.

&ME (GER) (Saturday 6th February 2016 @ Kyo): &ME was good. Then a not that great. Then good again. Then not that great. It was a pattern through out the night till 4.30am. And apparently it is considered disrespectful to the DJ if a guy removes his shirt and goes topless - that warrants a one-day ban.

Chus & Ceballos(Spain) (Saturday 9th July 2016 @ Canvas): AJ enjoyed it. I didnt really feel it.

ICICLE(UK) (Saturday 13th August 2016 @ Canvas): Went with zero expectations after soundcloud-ing him. Way too drum-step for me. Not to mention an MC that doesnt know when to stfu.

Marco Shuttle(IT) (Friday 2nd September 2016 @ Cato): Pre-gig beverage at Spizza for Friends with Marco. Crowded as expected. No regrets for this Atiqah's night.

Chelina Manuhutu (HL) (Sunday 11th September 2016 @ Canvas): Hot chick in a white tube top. Didnt really feel her music so much.Went to Canvas more for Vanam M. & Fyan H. which I enjoyed much more.

Sébastien Léger (FR) (Saturday 17th September 2016 @ Kyo): Other than it being EJ's surprise BDay, a totally enjoyable techno night by French DJ, Sébastien Léger till the very last track at 4am.

Detroit Techno Militia (Saturday 24th September 2016 @ Canvas): Canvas's 2nd Aniversary with DTM. 2 DJs, 4 turntables and a whole lot of wax. Totally didnt feel it as it was too heavy for me. Left at 2.40am. I think the earliest I've left a club in a long while.

Antigone (FR) (Saturday 1st October 2016 @ Terra): French Techno by young Parisian artist, Antigone at Terra instead of Kyo because of the latter's " licensing matters" with the authorities. Maybe because of the bar-ish enviroment he didn't go the whole hog. But still no regrets. Ended at 3.10am.

Heiko Laux(DE) (Friday 21st Oct 2016 @ Cato): Atiqah said that this is her favourite artiste. Too many hiccups in the sound mared the enjoyment of the gig. Maybe next time.

Sven Väth (GER) (Saturday 28th January 2017 @ Zouk):
Sven Väth, the undisputed figurehead of the German club scene, returns to Zouk - the new Zouk at Clark Quay, which was my first visit. Probably catching him for the 5th or 6th time. Good sounds for sure but I cant same the same for the venue. He ended at 4.00am.

LEFTO (BEL) (Thursday 16th March 2017 @ Kilo Lounge):
Disappointing. Very random. Doesn't flow. Too many lows and highs. Just when you think it was getting good, it gets bad.

Heiko Laux (BERLIN) (Thursday 16th March 2017 @ HQ):
From the disappointing LEFTO at Kilo Lounge to the Heiko Laux from Berlin who saved this birthday boy's night with the usual Berlin sounds.

Octave One (Live) (Saturday 18th March 2017 @ Kyo):
Detroit Techno at its best which was soulful, funky and groovy and with sooooooooo much passion for the full 90minutes.

DJ Tennis (US) (Saturday 8th April 2017 @ Kilo):
So I ditched Nick Warren at Kyo at the last minute for DJ Tennis - bad move. I hate Kilo, I hate Kilo, I hate Kilo and I hate Kilo. Ill-mannered beautiful crowd. As for DJ Tennis - guess if it wasn't soooooo crowded it would have sounded better, ignoring the bad sound system.

Franky Rizardo (NL) (Friday 14th April 2017 @ Kyo): Pretty enjoyable favourite house tunes by Franky Rizardo till 3am. Followed by Haz at Kilo Lounge. And roti prata at circular road.

Mark Henning (Germany) (Thursday 27th April 2017 @ Headquarters): Techno. Didnt feel it.

Kyle E From Egg London (UK) (Friday 28th April 2017 @ Headquarters): An otherwise good night marred by rude Chinese dude from "Los Angeles, Long Beach" who kept on repeating loudly "He is so boring, Im bored" over 15 times, who wanted to fight with me outside when I asked him why was he still there and what sort of music did he like.

DJ MARKY (Wednesday 17th May 2017 @ Canvas): Didnt go for the DJ Marky's Drum&Bass gig on Saturday as MC Kane was gonna ruin it with his rubbish "yo disco". Thus when this last minute event by Canvas for Marky to play his influences from funk, soul, Disco to HipHop to Drum & Bass and everything in between, I couldnt resist. Basically all the classics were played and just watching Marky's passion when he played his favourites was a treat in itself.

AIR Live in Singapore (Saturday 27th May 2017 @ Esplanade Theatre):
AIR live in Singapore. Played all their famous tracks. Nice.

A Guy Called Gerald (UK) (21st July 2017 @ Kilo):
So this guy is an early 808 State member. Cool. Sadly, his set sounded like he has been practicing it for the last 18 years. The night should be renamed "A Guy Called Ulysee(Council, SG) with Gerald(UK) instead.

Ben Pearce (4th Aug 2017 @ Esplanade Annexe Studios):
So apparently emotionless Ben Pearce almost feel asleep while playing. The crowd didnt feel him. He didnt feel the crowd. As predicted, he ended at 2am sharp. Guess the cheque was ready then. Interesting pop-up venue - nice and dark.

M.A.N.D.Y. (25th Aug 2017 @ Zouk):
There will always be clowns on the dancefloor and this was no exception. It would have been more enjoyable if not for these clowns as its a distraction watching them and keeping out of their way.

TEN WALLS (Friday 29th September 2017 @ Zouk):
Boring. Waiting for it to pick up but it never did and when it finally did, it was Ten Wall's closing track which was his 2014 single, "walking with elephants".

AME (Saturday 14th October 2017 @ Zouk):
Love his passion. But hate the venue. Too much distraction - chit chat, pushing and shoving, more chit chat, guys picking up girls. Too much happening. Wish I could have focused more on the music. Hope he comes back to Singapore.

Eric Cloutier(USA) (Saturday 9th December 2017 @ 99B Amoy Street): Intersellar's pop-up event with Eric Cloutier. Interesting and pristine empty office space on a 2nd floor of a shop house in Amoy Street. With a BYOB, that was the best Meji low fat chocolate milk I've had in a club setting before. Musicwise, it had it moments. Still, no regrets for the night.

Apparat (Friday 29th December 2017 @ Zouk):
Boring music. He ended at 4am sharp. With zero encore. But good company. Watered the tree the outside the Hindu temple at Tank Road with a 29 year Champagne and cycled to Zouk afterwards.

Sven Vath(Saturday 3rd February 2018 @ Zouk):
Papa Vath is in da house. Crowded no doubt. It was okay. Wasn't great. Guess more hype than for what it is really worth. Ended at 4am.

Tin Man (Live) (Saturday 21st April 2018 @ Headquaters):
Neo-acid genre played by Vienna's Johannes Auvinen, better known as Tin Man. I didn't feel it. What I felt was Yadin before Tin Man and Yadin again after Tin Man till closing.

Acronym (Friday 27th April 2018 @ Pulse):
My first visit to Pulse for Interstellar's event - Acronmy. Sadly I wasnt really feeling it. But still no regrets. I left at 4.30am.

Lady Starlight (Live) (Friday, 29th June 2018 @ HeadQuarters): Lady Starlight, following her own star by choosing to integrate various influences just like her approach to dance music which takes no prisoners, favouring a pacy, dance-floor friendly slant to acid and techno and this came through that night where she went longer than her 1 hour set. Trust she enjoyed the freshly squeezed orange juice from i.jooz that night.

Sunil Sharpe (Saturday 15th September 2018 @ 360 Lounge): My first official event at 360. Lightings and decor by the talented Interstaller label for Irish techno DJ Sunil Sharpe who turntable wizardry was obvious. Sunil had played at Berghain on 6th October just before his Singapore gig. Nice. A no regrets night.

Nic Fanciulli (Saturday 13th October 2018 @ Zouk): Nic Fanciulli, supposedly an important purveyor of underground house and techno music under the Soulfeed night at Zouk. Repect to DJ Adrin for helping Anwar J to get an autograph of Nic Fanciulli before his set. Good to see your friend enjoy his favourite DJ.

DJ Stingray (Friday 28th December 2018 @ HeadQuarters): Detroit native DJ Stingray has been a name synonymous with dance music since the 1980s. As both a DJ and producer, DJ Stingray is a master of light-speed, futuristic electro, preferring fast tempos and inventive beat patterns to more accessible, club-friendly rhythms. First heard his sound when I was wandering in Berghain(Berlin) on a Sunday night, before leaving for Helsinki the next morning. What sound it was the first time I heard him. And once again at "HomeQuarters". As a tribute to DJ Stingray, "someone" wore a ski-mask to the event and some DJs and guests thought he was the real DJ Stingray. The silly things I do sometimes.

Sven Väth (Saturday 2nd February 2019 @ Zouk): The day before my Greece trip. Old Skool Rave, Acid. Was kinda busy talking to people at the back. Nothing ground-breaking. But what was good was it was nice and dark this time in Zouk.

Charlotte de Witte (Friday 1st March 2019 @ Zouk): From Belgium, Charlotte de Witte, 26 years old packed in the crowd. Never have I seen Zouk so crowded before on a Soulfeed night. Musicwise, too heavy banging Techno and towards the end it sounded a bit trancey and edm-ish. But the crowd was lapping it up. Good for her. Good for them.

Boris (Friday 15th March 2019 @ HeadQuarters): Berghain / Panorama Bar resident Boris delivered a 4 hour set. Just watching him enjoy his set was good enough.

Resom (Saturday 23rd March 2019 @ HeadQuarters): Resom (://about blank, Berlin). She knows her music and it shows. So much passion right up to the very last few tracks where she came out of her "cage" to dance with her fellow plebians despite the lights coming on as a indication that the night had ended. As she was a fellow friend of Diwa(://about blank, Berlin), I gave her a box of Ferraro's for Diwa.

• dogs
• arts
• humanities
• books
• singing
• performing arts
• fashion
• photography
• coloring
• make up
• festivals
• dancing
• dining
• chocolate
• wine
• white wine
• indian food
• beer
• marathon
• partying
• drinking
• clubbing
• happy hour
• boating
• shopping
• technology
• reading
• traveling
• coding
• magic
• music
• live music
• electronic music
• jazz
• guitar
• drums
• dance music
• outdoor activities
• hunting
• surfing
• scuba diving
• boxing
• track and field
• tour de france
• communications
• emergency services
• history
• beaches

音乐、电影和书籍

Music: Love electronica, chillout, lounge, ambient, dance, IDM(Intelligent Dance Music)! etc.
Examples: Boards of Canada, Plaid, Art of Noise, Kraftwerk, Craig Armstrong, Orb, Orbital, Future Sounds of London, Apex Twin, Black Dog Production, Autechre, Sakamoto, YMO, Moby, Thievery Corporation, Kruder & Dorfmeister etc.

Movies(2008): Not a fan of hollywood blockbusters. I prefer the more low budget or artsy or foreign movie to Superman3 or The Xmen etc.

Movies that I like(seen in 2010/2009/2008): Aftershock(Mandarin - wow, which child do you pick to save in an earthquake ?), Gomorrah(see I told you Naples is dangerous!), Slumdog Millionaire(I love this movie!), My Magic(local, pretty good), Bad Habits(Spanish), Sex and the City(= definately a chick-flick with too much product placements!), Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Ayat Ayat Cinta(Indonesia), Kite Runner, Persepolis, Juno(<<< hated it! what's the moral of the movie ? Teen pregnancy is okay ? then move along with your life. Hate this movie big time!!), (will try to remember the others - I have a bad memory for name of movies), Vicky Cristina Barcelona(only for the Barcelona sights - nothing more).

Some of the movies I saw/liked in 2007 and before that: Superbad(hehehe!), Sicko, An Inconvenient Truth, 300, Mr. Average (Comme tout le monde), Super Size Me, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (hehehehe!), Artic Tale/March of the Penguins, The Passion of the Christ, Hard Candy, Lust,Caution , Curse of the Golden Flower, Fahrenheit 9/11, will try to think of other movies!

Books: Sadly, no time to read books for some time now. Magazines - have a big big pile thats needs to be "read".

Speaking of books, I've not read more then 4 pages of a Lonely Planet book in my entire life. And the 1st page was read onboard the plane to my destination, and the remaining 3 pages on the plane too - on the way back(home)! In short, I go with the day to day flow when I travel.

我做过的一件不可思议的事情

Nothing comes to mind!

教，学，和分享

My mum - who taught me lots about Social Etiquette - which sadly is dying, if not already dead(social etiquette, that is).

我游览过的国家

Australia, Brunei Darussalam, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

我居住过的国家

Singapore, United States