SINGAPORE - Indie rock band Electrico, who have been quiet in the last few years, are back with new videos and refreshed songs from their back catalogue.
Other notable home-grownworks put out in the past month include electronic pop singer Jasmine Sokko's empowering anthem Medusa, rapper Yung Raja's catchy Mami and pop singer Gentle Bones' duet with Filipino singer-songwriter Clara Benin.
Check out the releases on music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.
1. Indie Rock
Shadow by Electrico
The indie rock trailblazers make a comeback with a new video, an updated live version of Shadow. The tune is taken from their third album, We Satellites (2008), which was recently released on streaming platforms and which is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon Music.
Singer-guitarist David Tan, bassist Desmond Goh and drummer William Lim Jr recorded the song at the Pasir Panjang Power Station, bolstering their line-up with additional musicians that include a chamber quartet.
This and next month (April and May), the band will also put out their first two albums, So Much More Inside (2004) and Hip City (2006), online, as well as three new live videos featuring updated versions of their old songs.
All four live tracks will be compiled in an EP, B-sides Live At The Power Station, which is set to be released on May 7.
"Re-recording the four songs allowed us to introduce a deeper side of the band," says Goh, adding that they are" more mellow and mature".
2. Hip-Hop/R&B
Who Could Imagine by Rauzan Rahman, MEAN, Mickeyleano, Weish and PRAV
Sports giant Adidas roped in five acts from the home-grown hip-hop and electronic scene for what is billed as a "future of sport" anthem.
Who Could Imagine is produced by Rauzan Rahman, with input from deejay and beatmaker Prav, while singer-songwriter Weish from .gif sings on the chorus. Rapper MEAN drops the first verse and the follow-up is done by rapper/singer Mickeyleano from Mediocre Haircut Crew.
A music video will be launched on April 10 at the opening of the new Adidas store at VivoCity.
3. Hip-Hop
Mami by Yung Raja
The rapper celebrates women with Mami, his first song to be officially released in the United States under Alamo Records. The label counts prominent hip-hop acts such as American rappers Lil Durk and Smokepurpp in its roster.
Like in his previous songs, Yung Raja spits tongue-twisting verses in both English and Tamil.
4. Electronic/Pop
Medusa by Jasmine Sokko
The electronic pop artiste taps into Greek mythology with her new single, which is named after the snake-headed creature she describes as her muse.
"Medusa is a misunderstood 'villain' in the modern world," she says. "She has inconveniently become the term to 'demonise' females who come across as domineering or threatening. Yet, there is something very independent, hardy and powerful about her that I draw a lot of strength from."
She co-wrote the tune with Canadian executive producer Jenna Andrews (BTS and Benee). The song was produced by British producer Oscar Scheller (Charli XCX and Lily Allen).
The music video, filmed at National Gallery Singapore, is Sokko's first collaboration with music video director Jasper Tan from Vadbibes. It features her wearing a mask named Nagini that was handmade by Singaporean designer Josiah Chua, who also styled the singer for the video and publicity photos.
5. R&B
Replay by Dru Chen
The Singapore-based Australian singer-songwriter reminisces about his teenage years in the 1990s in his new single.
He describes the neo-soul song as "a nostalgic look at love discovered and renewed through the VHS-tinted lens of a 1990s kid who grew up with neo-soul music, high-top sneakers, and baggy jeans".
The music video, set in a 1990s-inspired bedroom with a vintage television set, features Chen singing a stripped-down version of the track.
He says of the shoot: "All my memories came flooding back and I instantly felt like a kid again, writing those innocent songs on my guitar at a simple age. What I'd give to spend a day back in the 1990s."
6. Pop
want/need by JAWN
Singer-songwriter JAWN moves away from his previous folk sound and explores a more expansive one in his latest single.
He explains the inspiration behind the song in an Instagram post: "Half a decade ago, I asked an influencer out and she said no, but I got this song from that, which is nice."
7. Pop
A Day At A Time by Gentle Bones and Clara Benin
Singer-songwriter Gentle Bones' new song, A Day At A Time, is a collaboration with Filipino singer-songwriter Clara Benin.
With travel curtailed, the pair worked on the song through WhatsApp texts and calls over three months.
Gentle Bones, whose real name is Joel Tan, says: "She has great lyric writing and her voice is beautiful. She makes music that I really look up to... so I wrote a song I thought she'd be perfect on and we managed to get it started."
8. Pop/Folk
"I Love You." by Vivien Yap
This three-track EP from singer, songwriter and poet Vivien Yap is the follow-up to her 2019 debut EP Fables.
She first came to prominence as one of the budding musicians of the National Art Council's Noise Music Mentorship Programme in 2017. The following year, she released her first book of poems, Can You Hear Me Now?.
9. Heavy Metal
Scene Of The Wild by Witchseeker
Witchseeker keeps the spirit of 1980s metal music alive with their second album, Scene Of The Wild.
Formed in 2012 by singer and musician Sheikh Spitfire, the band have evolved from a one-man project to its current iteration as a quartet. Their debut album, When The Clock Strikes, was released in 2017.
10. Pop/R&B/Hip-Hop/Folk
Be Alright by The Great Singapore Replay Artists
An anthem for optimism during the pandemic, Be Alright is a medley of songs by budding young music talents who were part of the second season of music initiative The Great Singapore Replay in 2019.
The acts include singer-songwriters Namie, Rene and Aeriqah, pop-funk band Fingerfunk, electronic pop duo whirring as well as stalwart Tim De Cotta.
While most of the verses are sung in English, The Cold Cut Duo sing and rap in Mandarin, Marcus and Zalelo sing in Malay and Marian Carmel in Tagalog.