Couleurs Sur Paris

Rating 3/5
Nouvelle Vague/Kwaidan Records
The French supergroup Nouvelle Vague’s fourth studio album Couleurs sur Paris (Colors on Paris) pays tribute to their angsty punk roots and the economic bitterness of 80s Europe in subtle yet inspiring fashion. In collaboration with current French chart-toppers such as Yelle, Vanessa Paradis, Cocoon and Camille, the band delivers a flowing, free-spirited sound. Tracks like “Ophélie” featuring Yelle and “Sandy Sandy” featuring Soko are perfect for that café session playlist. ZA

Live in London

Rating 3/5
Regina Spektor/Sire
The beauty of live music recordings lies in the fact that they capture all the flaws and intensities that happen on stage which studio recordings rarely do. Ditto Regina Spektor’s sold out 2009 concert held at London’s HMV Hammersmith Apollo. From the soaring to the brittle, Spektor’s voice is a thing of curious beauty, floating between the likes of Tori Amos and Joanna Newsome—resulting in one of the most affecting live recordings to date. There’s even a bonus concert DVD to enhance your listening experience. TO

Star of Love (Bonus Edition)

Rating 3/5
Crystal Fighters/Love Da Records
One might think that fusing traditional Basque folk music with contemporary electronic vibes is just crazy talk. So Spanish band Crystal Fighters’ debut album Star of Love is a little crazy, but that only makes their Animal Collective-ish left-field, Major Lazer-ish reggae, Derrick May-ish house vibe and a little Sepultura-ish ripping riffs all the more interesting. An erratic fusion of genres is melded with melodies of traditional Basque folk music in their distinctive lo-fi flavor. Highly recommended cheer-up material. ZA

The Party Ain’t Over

Rating 5/5
Wanda Jackson / Nonesuch
You can never put a good woman down, and you sure as hell can’t put Wanda Jackson down! The rockabilly music queen proves that, at 73, she still has the growls and grit to put her contemporaries to shame. Of course, she has only the best support, from the likes of Jack White (The White Stripes) producing and veterans like T-Bone Burnett on backup. From the rousing openers “Shakin’ All Over” (filled with guitar jams so powerful, it might just blow your speakers) and “Rip It Up” to the kitschy “Rum and Coca Cola,” Jackson is ready for blast off. TO

How important was your time in New York?
When I first went to the Paradise Garage club in ‘85, it was a very unique atmosphere. Towards the end of the 80s, the experience playing with Larry Levan (in the US) gave me lots more energy and since then I have kept playing house music in Japan. Little by little, what I did infiltrated the scene (in Japan) and in the 90s, the movement accelerated. Rather than me building anything in New York, I know some people evaluated my work through me bringing down house music to the Japanese scene.

What was last year like for you?
I played in Seoul and Hong Kong in 2010 for the first time. I met many people and experienced an emerging Asian scene.

Define your music style and what about it appeals to you.
I just love good music. I play any music in which I love its lyrics, sound qualities and grooves.

You will be playing at the Amex Asian Masters and on the same day chef Shigeru Shiraishi of Takumi restaurant will be cooking up a feast. Are you a foodie?
Yes I am! I love any kind of food but I am the kind of person who is loyal to restaurants which have their own unique style.

Are there any similarities in DJing/producing and cooking?
Just like the best cooking ingredients, we all love music that has been taken good care of in its production. And we love it for a long time afterwards!

How do you think electronic dance music has grown in Asia over the years?
It’s not like the old days anymore. It’s been growing on a global basis. I am sure we can expect much more growth in the next few years.

What would you like to see more of in Asia’s music industry?
I would like to see Asian people cooperate with each other more and build a good organic music scene.

What are some of your favorite tracks at the moment and why?
It’s not a track but I was smashed with Herbie Hancock‘s latest album The Imagine Project simply because it just sounds great.

How does 2011 look for you?
Well, I’ve already been invited to Singapore and it’s wonderful. I would love to spread my work more outside of Japan.

What can we expect from your gig at Privé?
You can all expect comfort, great vibes and grooves generated by my music.

Catch the Sunset Sessions with DJ Nori at the American Express Asian Masters on Jan 28-29, 6pm. Privé Waterfront Bar, 2 Keppel Bay Vista, Marina at Keppel Bay, 6776-0777. $68 includes two drinks and free flow of Asian tapas from 6-9pm.

What sort of audio-visual art gets you all hot and bothered?
That’s an interesting way of putting it. Gaspar Noé’s film Enter the Void is one of the most important works out there right now as far as I’m concerned. It hits very close to home in so many ways, delving into the psychedelic experience, life and death. Everyone should see this movie!

How do you marry the different elements of audio and visual so seamlessly?
In many ways that is the Holy Grail for a lot of us. There are more and more people incorporating visuals into their audio sets, and it is always an incredible challenge making everything synthesize in a natural way. I feel that the climate for this sort of thing is really great now for live-cinema. There are so many possibilities, and the technology is really catching up to what a lot of us have been dreaming about.

Why the name Strangeloop?
A “Strangeloop“ is like a Mobius strip. It’s a tangled hierarchy wherein one can travel from one point in the hierarchy to another and get back to where you started. I feel that life and nature is like this. It is cycles within cycles, which to me, is one of the most beautiful and frustrating things about life. We lose ourselves and find ourselves, over and over again. We are in a continual process, and to me the idea of a “strange loop“ embodies a lot of that. In other words, as Douglas Hofstadter put it, “I am a strange loop.”

Some visual artists struggle to make their audience “get” where they are coming from. Does that concern you?
Often I’m kind of searching in the dark, I don’t know what people will think of what I’m doing, but within it is some sort of multi-faceted question that I feel I have to ask. I’m searching for new ways of thinking, deeper currents in the world. The work, most of the time, is like therapy. I’m searching for a way out of these apocalyptic times, a way out of how my culture has programmed me, a way to inform myself. Then sometimes, it’s just there, I don’t need a way out, because there is nothing to get out of. I’m complete within a creative process and satisfied.

Where do you “go” to create your work?
I go to a lot of places, but wherever I am, it’s always about tuning into this current. A frequency. It’s that inward place where your imagination runs wild, and you’re just taking notes—in the form of music, visual art, etc. It’s tuning into those worlds that unfold in front of you, without any effort, without any expectations. It’s a place in my mind, where all things fit together in a kind of cosmic puzzle, and just as easily come undone in a din of broken images and sounds.

Do you feel that artists appreciate artists more than the neutrals do?
I think this is an interesting term “neutrals.” When I think of America, on many levels, I think of a neutralized nation. The zombie archetype comes to mind when trying to understand what has happened to us through our relationship with mass media. I used to have nightmares about zombies all the time, and then I finally realized that I was the zombie, that this was our national condition. A kind of over-stimulated catatonic stupor; we’re put under a spell by mass media, turned into amnesiacs with no history or future. The game in modern America is: How do you break out of that?

How do you?
I think people are innately creative. I think the notion of creative people and non-creative people is a myth. If there is any sensible purpose for us being here, in my mind, it is to create. We need to create systems that support that. More than just please people, artists or not. To me, art is an evolutionary pursuit, rooted in a desire to play and evolve through the act of playing.

What can we expect from your Syndicate gig at Home Club?
I’ve never been to Singapore but I am very excited. I have heard great things and am very curious. Something different ... but I’m not sure what yet. We can find out together.

Immerse yourself in a rare audio-visual spectacular from Dr. Strangeloop at Syndicate’s F1rst Ann1versary on Feb 5, 10pm. Home Club, #B1-01/06 The Riverwalk, 20 Upper Circular Rd. 6538-2928. $15 includes one drink.

How did the band get together?
We were already playing in other rock and indie bands before Holy F***. I always had this creative need within (when playing with other bands) to make something different and also to have a band that we can have fun in. So the idea really was to create a band that allows us to experiment with music and sound collages, and to make crazy improvisation with kooky equipment.

Have you ever felt that your experimental streak has been exhausted?
Well, that only means that I am not working hard enough. My creativity comes in sparks and I need inspiration to create. That doesn’t mean heading into isolation; it’s about thinking more, trying out new things, meddling with equipment—basically being an alchemist of sound. You’ve also got to remind yourself sometimes that it’s fun and you can’t be afraid of failing or coming out with something really stupid.

You guys travel a lot, does that affect your creative process?
It definitely affects it. When we are on a long tour, we usually end up playing the same set night after night—and sometimes we feel like we’ve got ourselves in a rut. But within that, there are little pockets of creativity that we must find and that helps the creative process when we head into the studio.

Do you write your music on the road or are you guys more studio-orientated?
On a grander scale, it is not like we write an album on the road because we can’t set up all our equipment wherever we go. I can’t just simply spread out all my keyboards and gadgetry like I do in my basement. We don’t have that luxury. So we do most of our work in the studio.

How has the band evolved between your eponymous debut in 2005 and 2010’s highly acclaimed Latin?
It was a slow evolution. For the first album, we had no idea what we were doing—honestly. We just made sound and played around with whatever equipment we had and released it as such. We toured a lot on the release of our second album and that grew us up in a way. Latin was a lot more focused. The band had a sense of continuity since Brian Borcherdt and Matt Schulz have been with us for over two years, and we recorded the album in the same studio we did for the last two albums. It gave us a chance to pick up from where we left off instead of starting again from scratch.

Have you ever been to Singapore?
Never! That’s why I am really excited to come. I never even heard of the place before (laughs).

What can your fans over in Singapore expect?
It will be a loud chaotic show!

Prepare yourself for a riotous gig with Holy F*** at Laneway Festival on Jan 29. Fort Canning Park, 51 Canning Rise, 6332-1302. $109 from Sistic.

You guys returned to Glastonbury Festival in 2010 after an eight year hiatus—why the comeback?
After playing second headline to Coldplay in 2002 we didn’t think it could get much better, and indeed we turned down other slots we were offered at Glastonbury over the years. But in 2010 after the release of our sixth studio album The Dance, we were asked to play the second headline to Stevie Wonder, again on the main stage. To close the festival on its 40th anniversary and to play before one of the greatest artists of all time was such an honor—we really wanted to play the best set of all time.

What was it like playing just before the legend?
He has been making hit records since he was a child, has a career that spans generations, and has overcome so much in his life—a real star. So it was a very humbling experience to even breathe the same air! He is one of Maxi’s all time heroes too, so he was particularly blown away that we were asked to play that set—his mum was very proud!

What was the approach towards the making of The Dance?
It was very relaxed, and we felt very positive as our deal with a major label had ended so we decided to release it ourselves in our own time, as the creative process dictated.

This is your sixth studio release—was there pressure to emulate the success of charters Outrospective and No Roots?
This time, as it was released on our own label there was no external pressure from the label’s point of view but there is always that internal pressure to make the best music you can make, to move on with your sound, to reach as many people as possible without diluting your message or being cheap and cheesy.

Is this a return to your club roots?
We absolutely wanted to make an album that reconnected with our club roots, and to deliver the anthemic side of Faithless we know people love, as there is no better feeling than watching a crowd go nuts to your song in a club or at a rave. And we were aware that our last two albums were a departure from that sound, more mellow and reflective. So it felt like the right time to step back into the fray!

Maxi Jazz has been commended by critics and fans alike for his positive lyrics. Where does his inspiration come from?
His Buddhist faith impacts on his lyrics as it informs his whole perspective on life.

Dido seems to fit in with Faithless perfectly.
She is family, so it was really easy to work with her. She has great melodic ideas and it’s a pleasure to create music for her to write songs with. She also found her initial success with Faithless; she was on tour with us for the first tour, and has performed on all six of our albums.

Read our 2006 interview with the band

How has the band evolved over the years?
I think the same things matter even more now than in 1995; friendships, and family especially as we have had to spend so much time away from them over the last 15 years. Being in a band is quite tough on relationships, and these are the things that keep us grounded so we definitely try to build our touring schedule in a more family-friendly way now than when we started! Musically, I think we've always wanted to stay relevant, and my DJing around the world allows us to keep in touch with what’s going down on the club scene.

It's the first visit for the group but you've been here many times ...
I have been here many times to DJ at Zouk and every time I'm here, I am overwhelmed by how friendly everyone is, and how passionate and knowledgeable they are about electronic music.

What can we expect from your upcoming gig in Singapore?
It’s a full-on live experience—an eight-piece live band playing music from all six of our studio albums with energy and passion!

Faithless plays Feb 22, 8pm. Fort Canning Park, 51 Canning Rise, 6332-1302. $98, $114 and $140 from SISTIC.

Adrian Pang, Actor

The worst pick up line I ever heard was…”Are you Jamaican? Cos Jamaican me crazy!”

My worst date ever was…when I was 18, I chatted up this really cute sales assistant at a shop in Parkway Parade; asked her out for a drink when she knocked off work; and in the middle of our date, her boyfriend and his five buddies interrupted us, beat me up and rob me. Till now, she’s “the one that got away”.

Valentine to me is…over-priced jewellery.

Ginette Chittick, DJ and label founder & owner, FrüFrü & Tigerlily

The worst pick up line I ever heard was… "Hey sexy" whispered to me by an old man taking a rest on a stone chair. Don’t know which was worse, the fact that he whispered to me or that pick up line.

My worse date ever was… ages ago when I went to watch Blair Witch Project. I walked out half way with a bout of motion sickness as I was seated quite close to the screen!

Valentine to me is… a day to spend with a loved one, it could be cooking a meal together! I am not one of the jaded ones who'll put it down as an opportunity for restaurants and florists to make money. I'm a hopeless romantic and I think it's nice to have another excuse to celebrate one's love for the other, even though I buy gifts for my boyfriend every now and then.

Lauretta Alabons, Founder/Owner, LAMC

The worst pick up line I ever heard was…”Weren’t you in that photo with my friend?” It’s bad because it makes you reply to it even if it wasn’t true.

My worst date ever was…I’ve been married for so long; I can’t remember!

Valentine to me is…another day. My husband and I work together and we constantly see each other everyday; not many people have that. I don’t need my husband to waste his money on gifts or dining in an expensive restaurant because to me Valentine is everyday.

Holly Grabarek, VJ, MTV

The worst pick up line I ever heard was…”What are you?” Uh, not yet 21.

My worst date ever was…at the beach! Sand in my pants makes it for me to think of anything else.

Valentine to me is… a chocolate fountain with marshmallows. That would me make me very happy!

Pat Law, Social Media Specialist, Goodstuph

The worst pick up line I ever heard was…None. I don’t get picked up, sadly enough.

My worst date ever was…for some reason, I agreed to go on a blind date with this person. The person was late for over an hour, and looked so hungover, I thought of calling the ambulance. Naturally, the conversation was limited and as soon as I found out the person worked for a brand I fancied, I tried pitching for the business! How classy of me. Needless to say, we never kept in touch since.

Valentine to me is…the only reason why guys would even subject themselves to holding ugly big teddy bears in public.

Tracy Phillips, Founder & owner, Present Purpose

The worst pick up line I ever heard was… I saw you in a magazine; can I get to know you?

My worst date ever was… so dull my eyes had glazed over by the time the main course arrived. The lesson learned: first dates warrant drinks only.

Valentine to me is… insignificant but I won't say no to chocolate.

Timothy Chia, Events & Marketing Manager, Zouk

The worst pick up line I ever heard was…the "hello" that was uttered by the random naked man who came up to me and my friends at a beach party in Scotland (read: freezing cold weather!). Needless to say, we quickly left the scene.

My worst date ever was…when I flew to a different country to meet this person I fancied at the time and found out at dinner that she had just gotten back with her ex on the same day I arrived. Thank goodness I was staying with a mate in that country!

Valentine to me is…a reason for the florists and chocolatiers to make big bucks. It's okay to express your love on other days of the year too, not just on the Feb 14, people!

My dad was into photography when I was younger. He had his own dark room and I was one of his favorite subjects. I would pose for him, pretending that I was smoking and this was when I was only two to three years old. It became a passion at a very early age.

When I was studying in Paris, photography became an obsession. Paris is such an amazing place, and is very inspiring. On the weekends my best friend and I would go out to take pictures of everything and anything. We would take photos in cemeteries. We had an attraction to cemeteries and I don’t know why.

I took part in a big photography competition in 1996, won and told myself that this will be my life. It was organized by the French Foto magazine, the Museum of Creative Arts and Tate, a big fashion brand, and I won first prize. So then I told myself that this is it, I will become a photographer—quit everything else.

I took a one-year intensive course in Europe Spéos Paris Photographic Institute. It was an amazing school that was taught by the top professionals in the industry. They weren’t just full time teachers; they were actually people who practiced the craft. I took the course to reinforce my knowledge.

I am constantly being shaped. I think if you don’t reinvent yourself, you are dead. I get bored very easily, everyone around me knows that.

If you put me in the middle of Africa to live with a tribe for a week, I will be able to adapt easily. Except maybe for the toilet part. I am very adaptable and I love that. I think it comes from my side of getting bored easily; I need to be a bit uncomfortable to be comfortable.

The outcome of photography in Asia is more reserved. Not in the sense of the photographers or the subject matter but in terms of the distance in the end result. It is less in your face.

Actors are great subject matters because they hate it when I ask them to be themselves. They are very interesting to shoot because once they let their guard and mask down they have to think about who they are. And usually they don’t know how to portray that person and they get very uncomfortable. I like that.

I don’t think I am a fashion photographer but I know I am a people photographer. At the same time, I am shy myself; so it is always an exercise for me to move forward and break that barrier.

I am very bad at faking. I wish I could be fake sometimes because when I don’t like someone, it shows.

Southeast Asia is a “Kodak” continent. Everyone here is taking pictures all the time and there’s this big lack of understanding that photography is an art form. Just because you have a camera does not make you a photographer.

I have felt drained and uninspired at times. I feel this everyday, but you got to snap out of it. Knowing yourself is the most important thing. Only you can get out of it and no one else will pull you out. There’s no point hating or blaming the world. If you look for people to bring you back to the path, you can dream on.

Featuring some of the most cutting-edge bands from across the globe, the festival has previously hosted top acts like Two Door Cinema Club, Cut Copy and The Antlers. The line-up to be staged at Fort Canning Park is similarly eclectic, and arguably even more exciting. We tell you what to expect.

!!! (Chk Chk Chk)
Take our word for it—the Californian eight-piece dance-punk band are a riot. Blending electronic dance, throbbing basslines and wobbly hooks, !!! make superlatives an understatement. Be prepared for a no-holds barred aural assault.

Deerhunter
If Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs describes their sound as “a religious experience,” you know they’re a big deal. Led by charismatic frontman Bradford Cox, the four-piece American indie band hypnotizes with their sonic soundscape of 60s-inspired pop, shoegazing ambient noise and art-school rock.

Foals
If you haven’t heard “Spanish Sahara,” it's time to get out more. That track saw the English band likened to Radiohead for their immaculately rich textural music. And with Yannis Philippakis’ emotive tugging vocals, we are truly sold.

Holy F***
With their spiraling math-rock and dance-influenced instrumentals, the Canadian band have sure got their equations right. Selling out concerts, dazzling with their use of musical instruments, partial-musical instruments and, well, strange objects … all we can say is, Holy F***.

Ladyhawke
New Zealand-born, UK-based singer-songwriter Ladyhawke aka Phillipa ”Pip” Brown is the breakthrough star of 80s-inspired pop-rock. Ruthless, melancholy and highly energetic, she's headlining a night you won’t forget.

Yeasayer
New York experimental rock band Yeasayer’s music is reliably unpredictable. Abstract and surreal, they've sold out concerts wordwide. Listen out for "Madder Red."

Laneway Festival is on Jan 29, Fort Canning Park, 51 Canning Rise, 6332-1302. $109 from SISTIC.

Welcome to Trans-Cool TOKYO; where the sounds of daily lives are made into an orchestra, a boat is made out of tentacles, and a taxidermied deer is dressed in glass balls. Featuring over 40 works from the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo collection, the exhibition locates the unique identities of 13 selected Japanese artists—both legendary and emerging—within the context of global pop culture.

Yayoi Kusama
The eccentricity in Kusama’s work can be attributed to rather unfortunate circumstances. She has suffered since childhood from psychoneurosis and schizophrenia, resulting in hallucinations where everything she sees is covered in polka dots, or “infinity nets” as she calls them. Her abstract paintings and installations also explore issues of gender and sexuality, often linked to a feminist theme. Her works have been critically acclaimed for their simplistic visual elements in a modernist context.

Kohei Nawa
Known for his works evoking questions of alternate realities, Nawa uses physical items like taxidermic moose and elks, children's shoes and a statue of Buddha, and layers them with crystal beads, polyurethane resin and even bubbling silicone oil to alter the way they appear.

Yoshihiro Suda
A hyper-realist sculptor, Suda’s work has been lauded for his meticulous detail and precision but frowned upon for the uncommon positioning and miniscule sizes of his work, creating a tension between the traditional and contemporary. Zul Andra

The exhibition is on through Feb 13. SAM at 8Q Singapore Art Museum at 8Q, 71 Bras Basah Rd., 6332 3222. Free.