BK: How did you end up signing with the Small Room label?
Na: We’re all from Chiang Mai and have been making music for about five years. Three years ago, we had a chance to meet with Pol, the guitarist of this indie band with Small Room, Lomosonic, and we gave him a demo of our song. He gave it to Small Room and, next thing we know, we’re here.

BK: What does Polycat mean?
Piew: “Poly” was the model name of our old synthesizer, and we love cats. They’re everywhere and they’re so fun. We wanted people to look at our band as a fun band, kind of like a cat with many sounds.

BK: How did you get to play in The Hangover 2?
Piew: The casting team for the movie was a team from Chiang Mai. They were looking for a local band to play a small part in the wedding scene and did not want a band from Bangkok. We went to the audition and out of 20 bands, we were chosen for the part. We all were very shocked and happy at the same time because we were fans of the movie and never expected that we would end up getting the part.

BK: Any performance nightmares?
Pha: Once we were playing at this event and there was a member of the audience who regularly tried to steal the microphone and the tambourine. It was funny at first but started to get a little crazy when that person refused to stop.

BK: What’s the hardest part about being a musician?
Na: Staying true to yourself and keeping your work at a high standard.
Pha: I think the hardest part is to remember where you came from and to not let your egos take over. Also, it’s important to be yourself and value the friendship within the band.

BK: What sets you apart from other synth-pop bands out there?
Na: First our lyrics. Our songs are not about ranting or complaining, they’re about telling the truth and looking at things from a different perspective. Second is the fact that we’re probably one of a few synth-pop bands with a trumpet and saxophone in our instrument line up. We used to play reggae and SKA music and thought it would be cool to incorporate those sounds into our music.

BK: What was your best gig?
Piew: The “No Signal Input Chiang Mai Indie Concert.” Chiang Mai is our home town and it’s a true indie concert, meaning people don’t go there just to get drunk, they come for the artists and the music. The show was unbelievable, people were jumping and dancing all over the place; the energy level was just amazing. It’s very different from playing at clubs where you don’t really know if the audiences are enjoying your music because they’re drunk or because they just love your music. Polycat is Rattana Junprasit (Na)—vocals, guitar, Pongsatorn Sawaschuchwan (Pha)—synthesizer, saxophone, chorus, Palakorn Gunjina (Tong)—synthesizer, trumpet, Kaweewit Chaikaew (Doy)—drums and Piew Watanabe (Piew)—bass, synthesizer. Find them at www.facebook.com/polycatband

The Mayans predicted that the world would end in 2012. What are three tracks you would play to quell the apocalypse?
If those Mayans are right I’m going to be pissed. Dead, yes, but pissed none the less. I haven't even been bungee jumping yet! Given their success in predicting small pox 500 years ago, I'd say we are safe. However, in the event that I’ve got to calm the supernatural powers that be with some wicked tunes, the tracks would be Frankie Knuckles & Jamie Principle’s “Your Love,” Orbital’s “Halcyon + On + On” and anything by Luther Vandross.

If your mixes took the form of a woman, she would be…
A half-Irish, half-Brazilian supermodel drinking a bottle of Patron and driving a stolen Ferrari down the wrong side of the road at 4am on a Tuesday.

Your preferred BPM…
That's a tough one. Really depends on the mood and setting, but to average it out I would say 129 BPM.

Strangest display of affection you have received from a fan...
Midway during a set, someone comes up to me and says, "I really want you to meet my uncle. He's a priest, you guys should talk."

Perfect meals for the New Year season…
New Year's Eve, I'd have to say a prime piece of beef from Cut at Marina Bay Sands. New Year's Day would be a home delivery of anything unhealthy and fried, with two aspirins.

How do you stay pumped up for your massive sets?
Vodka, vodka and more vodka.

What kind of a night can Pangaea punters expect?
Outrageously good-looking partygoers, music that keeps you dancing until sunrise and a night that'll have you coming back week after week.

Boudoir Bash takes place at Pangaea, December 31, 10pm.
 

Can you train the mind to be tough?
If you ask me to train someone to pass their IPPT, it’s simple. But how to make someone mentally stronger is a tough feat. Make the training hard, man! The training must be severe. To master kungfu, you must first master pain!

If someone gives up during your class, what would you do?
CrossFit is like a very strong medicine. Strong medicine comes with a lot of side effects. You can only bring a horse to the well. You cannot force it to drink. I can show you what my strong medicine can do. If you follow my prescribed instructions clearly, you’ll become very strong, very fast and very healthy. But it doesn’t come like that overnight. This is what I offer and it’s up to the individual to stay on the program.

Do people often get over-trained?
It’s a misconception. People think that when their muscles ache or are swollen, they’re over-trained. Competitive athletes train 9 to 5 and only a couple of them will get overtraining symptoms.

How would you feel if you were away from the gym for two weeks?
That has never happened. I’ve always been the first guy to open the door and the last one to leave. Day in and day out for 365 days without fail. Even when I am down with a cold I still come in to supervise. The times when I’m not here are the times when I need to train new trainers around the region, but it’s normally just for the weekend.

Have you trained people from other countries? Are they any different from Singaporeans?
I’ve trained some people outside Singapore who are pretty high profile. I’ve had the honor of working with the Australian SAS, US Marines and Navy SEALS. But wherever they come from, the Crossfit bond is universal. We all understand and speak the same language. It could be in the US, India or a small garage in the UK, we all go through the same pain together.

Any thoughts on nutrition?
Nutrition is the foundation to all training. You can’t build fitness on a rubbish diet. Very often I hear people say you can eat anything you want because you work out a lot. It doesn’t work that way.

So you go on a fixed diet?
Man is not wired to eat like a monk. So I’m a big fan of rewarding myself once a week with whatever I like to eat. The thing is, when I’ve been on a specific diet for so long, my body rejects the foods I’ve been avoiding so I get an allergic reaction to it. Even if I want to enjoy a big piece of cake, I can’t. For me I get carb crash and I don’t get to enjoy it as much as I want to. Actually, the Paleolithic diet is pretty savory. It tastes good and it works for me.

Our musical heroes are… David Bowie, Lesley Gore, Outkast, Patience & Prudence and Wu-Tang Clan.

Our first single “Go Outside” from our eponymous debut album… was written in 30 minutes; glockenspiel and automatic writing fit like a hand in a glove.

We didn’t have a clue what was going on… when we opened for Sleigh Bells in May 2010. We were epic failures and didn’t even know how to play but we are much better now.

We try very hard to be… mature, but are far from it. We are playful, like a bunch of childish pranksters.

We love playing festivals like Laneway because… it’s a great opportunity to reach out to folks who might not have heard of us.

Chant along to the playground tunes of Cults on February 12 at Laneway Festival 2012 at the Fort Canning Park.

I had a great childhood. My parents were always bringing my brothers and me on trips. Being a child of the ‘70s, we didn’t have console games or the Internet, so we had to be a little more creative to entertain ourselves, creating things to play with like swords, shields and masks using cardboard.

We spent most of our time outdoors. Don’t think it’s the same these days. Everyone looks so fair now, like Fann Wong.

Funnily enough besides being a DJ, I’ve always wanted to be a fireman or policeman. I guess I’m one of the few lucky people who get to do what they really want.

Almost everything is funny! Funny is all around us. It just depends on how you look at things and your sense of humor. I laugh quite a bit, but unfortunately I find that most people can’t laugh at themselves.

People shouldn’t take everything so seriously. Then maybe a billboard of a half naked man wouldn’t make them so upset.

I took a level 30 challenge spicy chicken wings at Sunset Grill once. Ate six wings without blinking but three hours later it felt like someone was stabbing me in the stomach! I just lay in bed writhing in pain.

I never switch off. No matter what I’m doing—having dinner, watching a movie or clubbing—I’ll always look for material I can use on the show. Even when I’m clearing my bowels.

My co-host and good friend Justin Ang is a major influence in my life. We’re always thinking of new ways to entertain and he also inspires me to be creative.

My girlfriend Jayne turns me on. Guess you could say she’s my muse. There’s nothing I can’t talk to her about and she always gives me new perspectives and helps me see things in a different light.

Taxis are getting way too expensive these days. Petrol is expensive, property is expensive, cars are expensive, food is expensive… even buses and train are expensive! If you’re not a doctor, lawyer, banker or politician, you’re struggling like the rest of us.

If I weren’t living in Singapore, I’d be living in my own world.

Aren’t politicians always trying to persuade you? I just vote for the person I think can do the best for my constituency. Did I mention that the PM is my MP? I love my estate.

When is anyone truly happy, really? There’s always something more to strive for. But I guess I can say I’m very happy now because I’m very much in love, I have my health and work is going very well. So yeah, I’m happy.

You spent over seven years documenting the images for your work. Tell us more about the process.
It’s important to note that I photographed all these interior spaces in Singapore without ever having to talk to the owners of these spaces. Therefore, it is not a project buried under administration and negotiation. I wanted a system of collecting, which is much more like stealing something, in this case, stealing a moment of a publicly accessible interior space in Singapore surprisingly devoid of people.

Briefly describe what the project is about.
It can be viewed in its entirety as a novel about interior spaces as well as an historical and imaginary fictional document of interior spaces. It also relates to how we can place ourselves in a narrative. I think this is important for all Singaporeans, which they need to construct their own idea of what stories they want to have in order to imagine for ourselves: A home.

Conceptualism and a certain sense of absurdity are common themes in your oeuvre, why do you choose to delve into those spheres?
It’s not so much about f*cking around with people’s impression of art as much as trying to introduce different points of view about how to see art. I think people need to discard this perception of conceptual art as an easy import from Western societies, to discard this whole East-West binary of seeing things. There’s nothing easy about conceptualism. It is a practice that requires absolute concentration and precision to execute. It’s about placing something at the right time, at the right place so that one can have a new insight.

Calendars 2020-2096 runs through January 29 2012 at NUS Museums

What’s the best conversation you’ve overheard at a BEAT! gig?
Two people sauntered drunk into the loo. “That girl is hot”, said one friend to another. “Yeah. You must get her number,” the other egged on. What’s funny is that both of them were females chatting away in the men’s. I really like this randomness.

What exactly does being indie mean in Singapore?
It’s up to each individual. Art and music like rock ‘n’ roll inspires some indie music fans to be the sweetest, compassionate and kindly individuals. On the other hand, I’ve met loads of indie fans who are arrogant, brattish and a world unto themselves. For the latter, it’s just a genre and a form of entertainment. For the former, it’s an inspiration and godly.

How do you craft your set lists?
At the start of the night, I’ll pop in stuff I dig. When the crowd fills the floor, I keep the uppers going. The last quarter are familiar favorites with some oddities thrown in here and there.

If you had the power to bring back any dead person to create a ruckus in Beat 5. It would be…
John Peel? Nah, I’ll just let him rest in peace.

Soak up the festive vibes of BEAT!’s 5.6th Birthday Party on December 23 at Home Club.

Having my first film out feels like giving birth. And now I have to take care of the kid. The marketing is driving me nuts!

I wrote the script 10 years ago at a time when I was feeling kind of low in my life and career. Most of it is about my experiences.

The lead character is very much like me. She’s determined. She’s hungry. She never gives up.

I was diagnosed with clinical depression when I was 17. I’m still seeing a psychiatrist. I don’t usually talk about it because I don’t want people to think I’m creating publicity for the film.

I try not to have an idle mind because that’s when it’s worst. Keeping busy is a good distraction.

My favorite film is Pretty Woman. But with my own film I didn’t want to have any references in mind because I didn’t want it to feel like any other movie.

My idea of the perfect night in is painting with a glass of chilled white wine.

Even though I’d never directed before it didn’t feel like the first time because I’ve done quite a few dramas and you just pick up things here and there.

I wouldn’t say I have a flair for it, but I’ve always been interested in the technical aspect of things and always observed how different directors would film and edit their work.

My ideal soulmate is someone who’s kind, talented and has a crazy sense of humor.

If I could change anything I’d make changes to MediaCorp to make it easier for aspiring filmmakers to blossom. I approached Raintree [MediaCorp’s film division] with Already Famous, but they said no. They didn’t give a reason. They just said no. So I financed it through my own production company.

Even though I’ve said I’ll never act again if I got a call from Zhang Yimou I’d say yes in a heartbeat.

The negative Malaysian reaction to my Malaysian accent has been taken completely out of context. It was like three people on YouTube out of 300!

Making this movie has been very good for character building. The critics don’t upset me that much. It’s the general public’s comments that affect me the most.

Lots of people on Facebook and Twitter said some really touching things. Someone said they’d watched the film eight times in two weeks! I can’t even watch it eight times in two weeks!

Any publicity is good publicity.

Being famous means not having to queue at immigration.

I have always been inspired by… the unpredictability and extreme dynamics of classical musical composers like Debussy and Ravel.

My eponymous debut album was… partly recorded in my parent’s attic.

I am currently obsessed with… the sounds of West Africa, especially the sweet drumming.

I would exchange my soul to the devil if I could write a song like… David Bowie’s “Lady Grinning Soul.”

Laneway fans can expect me to… perform in the most passionate way but it will be slightly different from my usual intimate sets.

Catch Anna Calvi alongside the alongside 13 other indie acts at the second edition of Laneway Festival on February 12, 2012 at Fort Canning.

You’ve played Elphaba in productions since 2006. Does it take a kind of mental stamina to play one role for so long?
I’ve thought about this myself. How can I do a show for this long? But I honestly think its because the show is so wonderful and the character I play has so much detail. I get to sing the most amazing music that I still love and it’s still a challenge for me. I’m learning from the role every day. I honestly don’t think, if I was doing any other show, that I’d be able to do it for this long.

Do Elphaba’s awkward movements come naturally to you?
I’m a dag! I’m just that type of person who’s a little bit kooky. One of my favorite things is when I do something quirky on stage and I hear the audience laugh. I get a buzz from that. It comes very naturally.

What’s the most demanding part of your role?
The most difficult part—and my most favorite—is performing the number “Defying Gravity.” It’s the bit where I actually get to fly so it’s a big spectacle in itself. The song just soars, so that means it’s quite difficult to sing. I first sang it in 2003, before I’d joined the cast. Wicked had just opened on Broadway and I bought the CD. I started singing it because I loved the music so much and I remember thinking ‘I could never do that!’

How do you feel once you pull off that scene?
When I punch my broom in the air right at the end and I hear the audience respond, it hits me. It’s pretty amazing and sometimes my breath gets taken away.

Wicked runs through February 26, 2012 at Marina Bay Sands’ Grand Theatre  $55-250 from Sistic.