A switch in mindsets

SINGAPORE - One of the more interesting music duos to pop out from Singapore in last year or so has to be .gif (pronounced “dot jif”), electronic duo comprising Weish (Chew Wei Shan) and Din (Nurudin Sadali).

The 23-year-old Weish is probably the more recognisable of the duo, having already made a name for herself as an electro pop musician, with songs such as Tick Tick and Rushing On By garnering much online buzz. She also recently appeared on a short SG50 film, a charming tale about a young girl (played by Weish) discovering that her grandfather was the guitarist in one of Singapore’s top bands of the 1960s, The Silver Strings.

Similarly, when .gif are on stage, you can’t not be charmed by the synergy of Weish’s hyperactive energy and Din’s languid cool. Speaking of stages, the band has been fairly active of late, performing at the Sounds Fair in Jarkarta and Urbanscapes in Malaysia. Come Jan 24, .gif will grace one of the biggest stages in Singapore music calendar when they become a member of a very select group - local artistes who have played at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival.

Q: Is making it on the Laneway bill a sign that .gif has made it?

Din: We’re definitely stoked about the huge opportunity, but I think our definition of “made it” is a little different.

Weish: I mean, we haven’t yet organised our lives around what we love doing, or figured out how to sustain our passions, so I think we’ve got a long way to go!

Q: Is having Singapore bands at Laneway an indication of where the scene is now?

Weish: Though it’s definitely a milestone in terms of reception ... that organisers are ready to put Singaporean acts on the bill of a major international festival surely signals a change in listener attitudes. For that we’re very, very grateful!

Din: We were all so excited when Vandetta, Gema and The Observatory were announced last year! If you’re talking about talent, I don’t think we’ve ever had a shortage. There’ve been so many insanely great Singaporean bands who’ve been around for ages.

Q: What is the first thought that came into your head when you heard .gif was playing Laneway?

Both: Huh?! Fake one lah.

Q: How are you guys preparing for Laneway? Any special plans? Costumes? Pyrotechnics?

Din: We’re getting the music down first, of course. But once we’re confident enough we’ll definitely consider costumes and pyro. Thanks for the ideas.

Q: What was your recent experience like playing at the Sounds Fair in Indonesia?

Din: We were blown away. The crowd there is so giving, and so warm. All the Java Festival Production crew were amazing, too ... we felt like royalty. To top it all off, it was overwhelming to be on the same bill as The Jacksons, Cibo Matto, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Yuna, Asian Dub Foundation ... and our buddies Cashew Chemists. We’re definitely planning to play in Indonesia again.

Q: Any plans for SG50? What do you love about contemporary SG?

Din: We have some projects planned, but nothing we can talk about just yet. We love Singaporean music, theatre, literature, and art.

Weish: Most of all, though, we love its people: We’ve been surrounded by a passionate, hardworking arts community who give so much of themselves to creating, promoting and developing art in Singapore, regardless of the pay-check. We’re very inspired by them.

St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival happens on Jan 24 at Gardens by the Bay. Tickets from http://singapore.lanewayfestival.com/tickets/