Whatever your taste in nightlife venues, dancefloor jams and the fits to match, one thing many of us can agree on is what helps cap a great night out: that post-party meal. Ahead, we catch up with five names bringing new electricity to the party scene here as their founders chow down at their favourite after-hours dining spot.
Who’s behind it: The freewheeling art platform Orbit – run by the non-binary multidisciplinary artist Kansh (right) – with the help of producer Deanna Dzulkifli (left)
Supper haunt of choice: The longstanding, 24-hour institution that’s Al-Jilani Restaurant on Bencoolen Street – beloved for its trusty and hearty Indian fare
Their orders: Two plates of maggi goreng, though Kansh also loves having prata with curry and Deanna, fried rice
Why know it: Think of Cosmos as the Gen Z sibling to the fashionable, fun-packed and queer-affirmative nights held by industry veterans such as Bobby Luo. With the inaugural edition held at Kult Kafe in August, a typical Cosmos party is anything but with art and drag performances, friendly runway competitions and a roster of emerging DJs, including Kansh (who goes by the DJ moniker xaetherx), on the programme. Giving it much heart is a commitment to ensuring that anyone who turns up is welcomed and protected. Stickers labelling one’s preferred pronouns are available and invites explicitly state that bigotry of any kind must be left at the door. Says Kansh: “I believe in giving space to the community: queer music, queer people, queer dancing… A good party offers a safe environment where people can be and feel authentically themselves.”
What made you start Orbit?
Kansh: “I initially started it as a multi-disciplinary platform for art. As a multi-disciplinary artist myself I wanted to be able to do many different things. If I wanted to make art and sell them, I’d do it (for example, at the Singapore Art Book Fair back in May and the upcoming Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair in Dec), if I wanted to DJ and host a fun safe space for people I’d do Cosmos! And through that thought, Orbit was born.”
How has the response been?
Kansh: “It has been really great – in fact, we were surprised with the response as we had only released the poster a few days before the event. It managed to spread around really quick and the early bird tickets sold out – so much as that we had to extend at-the-door tickets by just a little bit.”
What’s the recipe for throwing a good party?
Kansh: “That’ll be good music, good energy, a safe environment for people to feel authentically themselves, as well as a good venue.”
Deanna: “To really be real about who your audience is and thinking about what would make a great environment for everyone to thrive in.”
What are the must-have elements at a Cosmos party?
Kansh: “Some elements of queer culture. I believe in giving space for the community, so some queer music, queer people, queer dancing.”
Deanna: “Sparkly clothes, eyeshadow and glitter. Jokes aside, I think the Cosmos party is warm, welcoming and possesses many bangers to dance to.”
What does a dream party look like to you?
Kansh: “I would love to host an outdoor rave with many elements involved like art, music, dance etc. It would be perfect in nature – however due to limitations and restrictions it’s hard.”
Deanna: “Honestly I think my dream party are all of my friends spinning, a great vibe-y venue, no work to do tomorrow and just everyone there to have a great time. Sometimes I feel like a rave on a mountain would be insane too.”
The best hangover cure is…
Kansh: “Just don’t look at the pictures and videos from last night!”
Deanna: “One litre of coconut water.”
Who’s behind it: The artist XUE (yes, one name spelt all in caps) who’s pictured here in the middle with fellow artist Hilary Yeo (right) and sound artist/electronic producer Mervin Wong (left), both of whom she often ropes in as collaborators
Supper haunt of choice: The divey Enclave Bar at Golden Mile Complex, which is known for its innovative and affordable craft cocktails served up alongside moreish Thai grub prepared by its neighbour BeerThai House Restaurant
Their orders: Pad see ew, or Thai stir-fried noodles, for XUE; prawn salad and mango sticky rice for Yeo; and Thai iced milk tea for Wong
Why know it: The Instagram bio of this pandemic-birthed platform reads “plague rave”, which brilliantly encapsulates its pop-up parties: raw and irreverent, with one never knowing what to expect. Initially held virtually, they’ve migrated to locations such as warehouses since the lifting of social distancing measures. Artwork, performances and videos by emerging artists light up the space while attendees – dripping in all manners of cyberpunk gear and fairy wings – vibe to pulsating techno beats by up-and-coming DJs. XUE describes the experience as “a zone of possibility in which people can reach for some profound madness outside of their everyday lived reality”, but there are still rules: Clean up your own puke; keep your hands to yourself and basically be a decent human being. “We are nothing without people,” says XUE. “Everyone who has given us love, music, art, money and good vibes are all part of it… Endless Return has lots of nodes. We are just the administrators.”
Endless Return (ER) throws some of the best raves in Singapore. What are some necessary elements to throwing a good party in your opinion?
XUE: “There are no hard rules for how to throw a good party, except for maybe not cutting costs on the sound system. Good sound is everything and also having some community guidelines so people know how to behave and stuff, there are a lot of predatory and garbage people who attend parties for all the wrong reasons. Oh and paying everyone – being upfront about what you can and cannot afford.
However, I have come to see parties as an art of chance, the gods really have to smile on you that day – after all, parties are all about vibes and that can be ruined by literally anything. There are a lot of forces at play when it comes to a party, from even the air temperature to a partygoer’s trajectory of their day from the minute they wake up to the very second that they arrive at the party.
We try our best, but after that it’s just maybe saying a prayer and telling the universe, ok this party is yours now, take care of your children. Also, I think intention is important, which is why we don’t throw parties so often, we really want to put care and thought into each one, giving each party its due.”
Hilary: “For me, intention and the meta experience you’re trying to bring to people is important. Once you (and the right people) have that down, everything else sort of flows into place. Bringing good energy to each party is paramount. That stuff is contagious.”
What do you want ER parties to be known for?
XUE: “Humour. We definitely don’t take ourselves too seriously. We just want to be the seed for an unforgettable or cherished experience and sometimes that can be very funny. Raves can be quite ridiculous and drama filled sometimes, they give people a chance to let their freak flags fly. I love it. We are freaks too.
Although, on a deeper level I would like for others to see beyond the rave itself — to use ER as a type of demoniac zone of possibility in which people can reach for some profound madness outside of their everyday lived reality. I would like our parties to feel ‘special’ and honestly also a bit like… degenerate. I can’t quite find the word for it. It’s a type of pleasurable entropy; very irreverent and unruly.”
XUE, the last time FEMALE interviewed you about ER, you said that ER came about as an avenue to expel all the pent-up energy and sorrow during the early days of the pandemic. Do you still feel the same way about it now, or has anything changed in how the team operates?
XUE: “ER has always been more of a conceptual experiment than just a party. I don’t think throwing raves is our end goal, it’s just one of the things that we do or happen to be doing at the moment. Perhaps in the past, ER might have been driven by my need to party during the pandemic? But it has really mutated into its own thing.
Honestly, ER is a revelation and continues to be with every incarnation. I did not expect so many people to rally around and contribute their talents and energies to us in the short time that we have been around. ER is nothing without people. Everyone who has ever given us love, music, art, money, good vibes are all part of ER.
Through the generosity of our friends, ER surpassed its own limits and aspirations to become a type of living-machine that I believe, can facilitate all types of collaborations and combinations.
In a bordered world where we are pressured to keep things clearly defined and where things are always perceived in closed binaries, ER wants to dissolve all of that gatekeeping and narrow-mindedness and do the complete opposite – which is to say scrap all of that, let’s invite Endless iterations, Endless permutations, Endless contradictions.”
How did Mervin and Hilary get roped into ER?
XUE: “Hilary and Mervin are good friends of mine and both of them have excellent taste. Mervin’s ear and musical capabilities are unparalleled and Hilary just knows how to call bulls**t when she sees it. I trust them completely and they are super open-minded people, so we can really dream together. I feel like these things can literally be applied to people you choose to party with as well. Anyway, our ‘team’ is a more decentralised thing. ER has lots of nodes, we are just the administrators.”
Mervin: “I got pulled into this. I’m usually wandering around and not rooting myself into any particular clique or scene. As a musician I am constantly chasing the flux of sounds, performances and ideas that seek to break or challenge conventions, and inspire visceral energy. XUE is a long time collaborator and friend – our first trial by fire was working on SLEEPWALKERS (2020), a four-hour butoh performance. I got a more intimate glimpse into Hilary through Angel Forest (2021). With ER, it’s honestly really exciting to be part of a wave that wants to rush new shores.”
Hilary: “I’ve been good friends with XUE and Mervin for a while now, I’ve collaborated with them on a number of projects outside of ER so synergy and chemistry is undeniable between us. Outside of ER, I’ve thrown a number of raves and alternative party outlets and art shows or however it is you wanna call it with collectives like Pure Ever and other friends. At this point, it’s pretty much just transferring all my experience and expertise from the past into ER. We all got to know each other through partying and making art together. I see what I do here as simply an extension of the wider underground scene in Singapore and the ultimate goal is to continue to grow it with whatever resources that are available to us.”
What does the ER team dig about Enclave bar?
XUE: “There aren’t a lot of underground/safe spaces left in Singapore and Enclave is perhaps the last stronghold. Especially with Golden Mile Complex’s impending en bloc. I’ve lived a couple of lifetimes in Enclave; I’ve moonlighted as a waitress there for a couple of months, got a free massage from a customer and even cried there once, all without anyone even batting an eye.
Enclave has a lot of overlapping energies with ER – I think we have a similar attitude towards diversity and letting things find their own place. Ritz (Ang, the owner) is really cool about letting people be themselves (all in the spirit of fun), I’ve seen some wild stuff go down on weekends especially when he lets people have the deck.”
Who’s behind it: This private members’ club on Bukit Pasoh Road has become one of the buzziest party spots in town thanks to the combined efforts of its nightlight director Joshua Pillai (left), culture manager Anmari van Nieuwenhove (middle) and Zaran Vachha (right). The latter is the managing director of Mandala Masters, which organises events and programmes that are open to the public under the Mandala brand.
Supper haunt of choice: The Tasting Room – an intimate space on the second floor of Mandala Club that’s usually used to host wine and cocktail masterclasses and where this trio sometimes unwind after a hectic (and fun-filled) night
Their order: Fried chicken and fries whipped up by the club’s kitchen
Why know it: Private members’ clubs thrive on exclusivity, but these folks – all tastemakers in their own right – know that a truly good party is an inclusive one. To accomplish this, Pillai has made it a point to enlist a diverse range of local musicians and DJs – from Jack & Rai to the house-and-funk veteran Brendon P – for the club’s weekly Boogie Pasoh nights that members can invite guests to. With a background in arts management, van Nieuwenhove has injected a cultural and community-focused edge into these affairs. Take the pink-themed edition held in June, which boasted drag performances and channelled all proceeds to the LGBTQ+-focused non-profit Oogachaga. Meanwhile, the club’s biggest party to date would not have been possible without Vachha. Staged during the recent Singapore Grand Prix, Mandala Weekender was a three-day music festival (open to all) that featured global stars like Armand Van Helden and Basement Jaxx and drew a crowd of over 7,000. A private members’ club that shares the fun with everyone? Sign us up.
What are some signature elements to a Mandala Club party?
Anmari: “Disco balls and tequila. Always.”
Joshua: “For me, I love to showcase local talents and create a platform to spotlight them. Our Boogie Pasoh programming which runs every Friday and Saturday features local DJs and musicians performing in an intimate setting with our members. Beyond the individual acts, I also reach out to some homegrown parties and bring it into the Club, they include parties like GrooveTop which features an eclectic range of music just to name one.”
Zaran: “For me, I want to ensure that we hit one of our main pillars which is ‘play’. We don’t want anyone in the crowd to feel alienated by the music going on. Making sure we book DJs that will play to the crowd instead of themselves. A ‘party’ to me is people dancing and moving their body. A ‘show’ is people watching a performance where all the eyes are to the front and people can decide to dance or not.”
OK, what’s up with Singapore’s party scene right now? Things have been looking crazy with so many new or re-newed party series coming onto the scene. Why is it so buzzing now?
Zaran: “The best thing to come out of the party scene in Singapore is the kids who have spent two years in their bedroom practising, putting up mixes online and now are giving the old guard a run for their money – smashing up dancefloors, creating their own events. There are pop up parties happening everywhere across Singapore not in traditional club settings. Playing music that you would hear in Berlin or Paris. I’m loving the amount of music that is being played that has been made in Asia. The scene has evolved and I’m so here for it!”
Partying in a post-pandemic landscape – what’s changed in how you approach and plan for a party?
Anmari: “I think safety and inclusion are things people have a renewed sense of. There’s also a sense of impermanence and carpe diem, which are all the right ingredients for a good party. It can’t be over orchestrated.”
Joshua: “People are into pop-ups for sure and the aesthetic creation for social media’s Instagram and TikTok culture is important as it’s here to stay. We need to ensure that we design our parties and spaces beyond the basics of just dancing, but also for doing cool and potentially viral videos.”
Zaran: “People who used to party a few days a week are happy to stay at home. People who used to drop tens of thousands of dollars a night have become less of a norm. The audience is much more selective of what they go to. You need to make sure your product hits the right notes. Appreciation of people’s time has become much more important. If you’re getting people to come down to a party it better be worth it!”
What does a dream party look like to each of you? Who’s playing? At where?
Anmari: “Just a small dark room with great acoustics where you can lose track of time with your best mates or someone you just met on a dance floor.”
Joshua: “A nice playground with a dope swing set in Singapore’s heartland area completed with a set by DJ Harvey dropping the dopest disco set. That’s going to be one playful party.”
Zaran: “A dream party would be booking out a villa in Bali. There is no set order. No rhyme or reason, just various legends jumping on the mic, DJing someone on the piano. Think Erykah Badu, Anderson Paak, Benji B, Questlove. It needs to be impromptu. It’s a jam not an event. It’s natural, not forced. Snacks made by chefs Gaggan Anand and Eddie Huang served on platters. There is a hum in the air of conversation of like-minded individuals. It’s by-invite-only but not in a New York night club way. In a ‘if you know you know’ kind of way. People need to think six months down the line; was that night a dream or did it really happen?”
Who’s behind it: Dione Keh – financial consultant by day, events organiser by night. The 27-year-old had helped co-found The Glass Hut brand with six other arts-loving friends when it operated a physical venue at 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace, hosting everything from flea markets to live gigs with a cool new age bent. When the space shut in August, she became the primary active member, with the others now chipping in and supporting her ad hoc.
Supper haunt of choice: The home of her musician partner Cruise Chen, where she works out of mostly these days
Her “order”: A salad of cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas and minced meat drizzled with organic coconut oil made by Chen. “To be honest, I love having cup noodles or anything that I can pop into the air fryer for supper, but I’m lucky to have a partner who tries to whip up something healthy and delicious even when we’re both about to pass out from exhaustion,” says Keh.
Why know it: With Keh solely at its helm, The Glass Hut remains highly sought after as a party and events organiser for its eclectic eye and counterculture spirit. Take Crypto Art Week Asia – a three-day festival held in September at Haw Par Villa that combined an NFT exhibition, art showcase and electronic music gig. Keh helped curate the latter two segments and pulled together a line-up that included the street busker Roy Payamal (aka the “silver man” outside Ngee Ann City); artist/butoh performer XUE; the psychedelic band Mantravine and emerging techno DJ Mako. The result was one genre-defying doozy that got visitors dancing and snapping away. “We are raw, underground talent in its purest, most intense form,” says Keh. “No frills, lies or fancy cover-ups; just raw flaming passion.” Watch out for The Glass Hut’s next shindig: an emo and pop punk party at the Ten Square building this month.”
What’s the secret ingredient to throwing a good party?
“I think we always try to put the interests of the attendees first and not to cut corners so that we can give genuine service and the best experience to them. We’re not trying to create a party, we’re trying to form good memories with everyone who comes to our events! We also do our best to include as many elements as possible to avoid the event from being ‘flat’ (one-dimensional), more is more and no idea is too out there! I would say the necessary elements would be a hardworking and trustworthy team (which I am so grateful to have) that supports and contributes to all the crazy ideas I have.”
What would you say is signature to your parties?
“That the music will always be dope! The vibe is homely, the service from our team goes above and beyond, and that we have zero tolerance for disrespectful people.”
You mentioned briefly about your history in organising music festivals in Melbourne. How did you get started on that?
“Yes! I was in charge of buying tickets for everyone and eventually got approached by one of the bosses to be a promoter, then I became a team leader, recruiting and training my own team of promoters. Then I became involved in giving advice on what DJs to bring on for the music festivals but I came back to Singapore shortly after so I wasn’t majorly involved in the organisation of the music festival. I just helped to take care of the international DJs and do market research to figure out which DJs were popular and then the main committee would hire those DJs.”
What does a good party look like to you?
“Why stop at a party when you can throw a festival! This is something I’ve dreamed of since I was 16, long before I started doing events. It was always my dream to buy an island where the best-ever party is a festival where it is a lifestyle and there is non-stop music, skill-sharing workshops, different camps of people who live together (like in the movie Trolls — it’s my guilty pleasure) and the music and experience just keeps getting better and better as everyone collaborates and takes the experience to greater heights.
There are so many amazing acts to name so I’m gonna say my trusty partner and insane psychedelic guitarist Cruise Chen and the various music collectives like YES YOU, Chill Sessions Records, Horny Bill Productions, Playground And Sit Around, .Krate, Algorythm and Modal (I haven’t worked with acclaimed record label Midnight Shift before but I would really love to) to be in charge of a different stage. I’m really thirsty to expand my network, I feel like I’ve exhausted all my existing contacts in my parties so far. I’m still looking for local talents but I think it might be time for me to head overseas to discover more talent!”
What does your post-party routine look like?
“Post-event is really when the party begins for me. After all the guests leave around 3am, that’s when the unglamorous behind-the-scenes that nobody else sees start. The search for any unwanted body fluids in the venue. The sweeping of the graveyard of cigarette butts. Stock-taking. Lugging the cooler out to empty the melted ice cubes. Only after I make sure my team gets a ride home safe is when I’ll start buzzing my fellow event organiser/DJ friends to ask where the after-party (which is the true party) for us is at.”
Who’s behind it: Audiophile pals (from left) Jerome Chong, Chris Sim, Esther Goh and Natasha Hassan – creatives with a background in music, photography, events management and design, respectively
Supper haunt of choice: Thai eatery Nong Khai Beer House, which is located on the first floor of Golden Mile Complex and gets the group’s vote for authentically (and seriously spicy) Thai dishes
Their order: Their usual of catfish salad, yum mama (or instant noodle) salad, whole grilled chicken and tom yum seafood soup with maggi mee
Why know it: If your favourite music genres involve live instrumentation and your dance moves lean towards headbanging, jumping up and down, and playing air guitar, then you shouldn’t miss out on any of North East Social Club (NESC)’s events. Started in 2019, this collective has gained a cult following for its riotous indie concert-meets-party affairs that usually feature the best – and most underrated – of local music acts performing live.
Among them: The masked rapper BGourd, shoegaze band Blush and electronic musician Kin Leonn, to name a few. Often held in intimate venues with an underground spirit (The Projector is a fave), every edition is meant to allow music lovers to soak up and support made-in-SG talents with the fun and casualness of, say, a listening session with friends in one’s bedroom. Says Hassan: “I want people to talk about our events the same way I speak about parties I went to years ago. I want us to be part of somebody’s coming-of-age moment.”
What’s the secret to throwing a good party?
Natasha: “A solid sound system accompanied by a reliable sound guy is necessary for sure. We are starting to experiment with lighting and set design for our future events. As for curation, NESC started out as an avenue to put on things we personally wanted to attend, so it was really nice to see the consistent – and at times – overwhelming reaction to our events.
However, it’s also important and practical to give the people what they want. So straddling this line is how we operate. A good balance of upcoming acts and notable names in one lineup keeps the experience fresh. NESC has built up enough experience and resources to be in a position where elevating our event experience doesn’t involve too many compromises.”
Chris: “Making sure the event runs smoothly is also crucial to partygoers’ experience. The importance of pre-event prep cannot be understated. Esther has been unrelenting in her pursuit of keeping us organised from conception to execution to after action. Apart from his efforts with managing our finances, Jerome also set up our freelancer network, who take care of essential operations tasks on event day, so the core team is freed up to handle more pressing matters.”
Being so entrenched in the music scene, how has it been like for yourselves – coming back into the live music and partying scene, especially after the pandemic? What’s changed?
Natasha: “Social anxiety was at the back of our heads when things started opening up. It takes a while to warm up, but now we’ve gotten used to how things go again. And no doubt, while we like to party, we are also older… so hangovers are a lot rougher and take more time to recover from.
It’s also been great to see what the younger generation is bringing to the scene. Every other day a TikTok video concerning new events/venues comes up, and in it is a content creator promoting a spot you’d never think would be appealing to a non-niche audience. There’s good and bad in that – good being publicity, bad being lost novelty and possibly transgression of something held sacred. Like everything on the Internet, these things are ephemeral, so we’re not too worried about gatekeeping. On that note, we are looking forward to what’s coming from the new generation. We know the youth haven’t been idle during these two years of deprivation. Send your stuff our way! We want to check it out!”
Chris: “It’s also nice to see smaller communities having their interests catered to at (widely marketed!) dedicated events, and that these events are being supported by stakeholders and attendees outside their communities.”
Music is central to your parties. Who are the Singapore musicians everyone should be listening to now?
Chris: “I’m definitely biased but I got to put forward our boy BGourd. He’s taken time off to focus on other parts of his life but the creative juices haven’t stopped percolating, the new musical direction is really interesting. deførmed is another one – insane multi-hypenate that we’ve been trying to put on one of our lineups. I also really like Opus Renegade’s voice.”
Natasha: “On top of my head right now, the (emo band) CURB. I’ve been enjoying everything this multi-talented trio has been putting out, their recent debut album shows off the quintessential sound of this new wave of emo bands. A personal bias would be the alt-rock, shoegaze supergroup, Blush. I’ve sat in for a few of their recordings and I can only describe it as The Black Parade.
I must give a shout out to my homegirl (DJ) GTHB too. Not everyone can pull off mixing tracks between varied genres like nightcore remixes, Russian hardbass, and bouncy techno. HÖR Berlin, this is your notice to get on GTHB! Two more special mentions. Ambient dreamboat Kin Leonn exists on another frequency. His touch is magic, really elevates every project he’s on. I really appreciate being privy to regular updates on his work. Lastly, hardcore punk is integral to my life, so a band like SIAL always
hits the spot.”
Jerome: “I think Cayenne’s stuff is pretty underrated in a local context. I love Approaching Aphelion and Pebble’s stuff too. Also, having had the privilege to listen to some of my friends’ demos, people should be as excited as I am for an upcoming collab from Fauxe & Danikiddo. Kin Leonn is also slated to release something with an internationally renowned artist so all in all… keep your ears peeled!!”
Esther: “There have been so many impressive releases of late that it’s honestly hard to single out anyone. I think the rest have already listed out really great recommendations across different genres. Probably to add a pop musician to the list – YAØ. He released an album this year with a couple of infectious tracks that are fun to groove to. Oh! Quite Quiet, a dream-pop project by our friend Darell Laser, is also another fun one to listen to, especially on a day when you just want to chill out (on a camping chair by the beach perhaps).”
If the NESC team goes to another party beside your own – whose would it be and why?
Natasha: “There are quite a few. Midnight Shift, Ice Cream Sundays, Revision Music and Darker Than Wax shows are at the top of our lists. We have the utmost respect for these people, and we’ve been going to their shows religiously. These collectives have been running events for a long time, and seeing them go above and beyond every step of the way has been so inspirational.”
Chris: “North East Social Club stands on the shoulders of these giants. In fact, we do go to some of these collectives for advice on running our own events. Art collectives like Mama Magnet are also throwing their own parties, and they bring their own spin to the experience like incorporating contemporary visual art. Finally, Symmetry Entertainment shows are synonymous with music events in Singapore, so definitely those too.”
Jerome: “Chris and Nat have already covered most of what If I would say – if we didn’t plan to go to a show together, we’d probably still bump into each other there. Actually, it would be remiss of me not to mention DIY collectives like Big Duck and Dogswain, who put on high octane and mad sweaty punk shows that are almost always sold out. If you’ve never been, please fix that.”
Things have been looking crazy with so many new or re-newed party series coming onto the scene. What’s your feeling on this?
Natasha: “The people have been deprived of good live experiences for at least two years, they’re eager to bring it all back. We are 100 per cent behind having variety in independent, community-led efforts. Variety in programming allows for diverse voices to find their own platforms, which means newcomers can find their own communities as well.
On the other hand though, as organisers, ensuring sturdy and consistent turnout for every show has now become a challenge. Though NESC has been quite lucky with attendee numbers thus far, there’s now stronger pressure to plan our events more strategically. It’s not an unwelcome change though. There’s now a renewed sense of purpose, strengthened commitment to contribute more to the scene. We have been exploring new ways to go about our events, which is intimidating but thrilling.”
Chris: “People just prefer physical interaction. The infrastructure for mass online experiences just isn’t there yet, outside of stuff that already existed pre-pandemic like online gaming. Non-traditional venues being being open to pop-up experiences definitely helped with the current boom of event programming.”
Photography Phyllicia Wang & Athirah Annissa Coordination Keng Yang Shuen Hair for North East Social Club & The Glass Hut Sarah Tan Makeup for North East Social Club & The Glass Hut Beno Lim, using KVD Beauty Hair for Mandala Club & Cosmos Delcine/itto+LIM Makeup for Mandala Club & Cosmos Sarah Tan
This article is adapted from a story in the Nov 2022 Party edition of FEMALE