Ask Marisse Caine about music culture here and she sums it up in two words: “Hot AF”. For well over a decade, the 33-year-old multi-hyphenate whose work cuts across photography, painting and even television production can be seen at all the coolest underground music experiences in town, soaking in the sounds, crowd and energy not only as a partygoer, but also through her camera lens.

A montage of photos from Marisse Caine’s photo diary featuring the members of the collective, Crevice. “These are snapshots that represent a typical day in our lives as this big group of creatives who all hail from different collectives and are all of different ages and backgrounds. People think we only party together, but the truth is, we only go to parties to support one another and we actually spend most of our time together not at parties … Music is like this figurative pub for creatives and has brought so many people together … And when you see groups of people who don’t look like they belong together with one another and then find out that their connection is actually genuine, that feeling is just infectious, and I think that’s what’s permeating the music scene here right now.”
Three months ago, she started the Instagram account @whoaretheyyyyy_, showcasing her stylish, documentary-style images of Singapore’s interconnected creative and nightlife communities with the hope of it becoming a resource for an upcoming endeavour of hers: a film on the scene here and in the region. Here, using a mix of previously unpublished photos from her archives and new ones specially shot and jointly created with FEMALE, she gives up the lowdown on why Singapore is a new music capital and who are some of the newcomers making it pop.
“I first noticed Sofia when she modelled for a Female fashion editorial two years ago. Then I found out that we have mutual friends and started seeing her at parties. She’s a creative (she’s a graphic designer), and is always open to meeting and connecting with new people of different generations and interests, as she’s still young and discovering herself, and she really loves music. It shows in the way she turns up at different music events and gives her all to them, even in the way she dresses up or does her makeup … She helps bring that Gen Z energy to the scene and to keep the scene going, we need new people to join the community.”
Sofia wears tweed jacket with sequins and jewelled buttons, matching pants, and crepe top with sequins and braiding, Chanel
Sofia wears satin gown and lambskin leather sandals with raffia pom‐poms, Bottega Veneta
Sofia wears mesh dress with crystals and an attached polyester‐blend petticoat, Prada
Sofia wears wool crepe tricotine jacket, silk crepe de chine top with a detachable velvet bow, and polyester‐blend scuba bottoms, Gucci. Boots, model’s own
Sofia wears silk‐blend dress, Fendi
Sofia wears tulle cropped top with sequins and cotton jacquard skirt, Chanel
“The music‐slash‐creative community in Singapore has always been very collaborative and supportive in nature, with a constant exchange of ideas and know‐how happening across generations and genres, and this has been taking place exponentially recently. My own community of creative friends (namely the party collective Strange Weather, which is made up of the likes of DJ Gen Yip – pictured on left – and with whom Caine shares an apartment) has grown to include many younger creatives who not only party with us, but even come over to practise DJ‐ing or to work on their own projects.”
“I describe Crevice as a collective of young people who have come together to figure out who they are as creatives and happen to all practice tattooing. They’re always asking us about music and we in return learn a lot about music from them.”
“Model Martina Aquaro (pictured on left and signed to the agency Mannequin), not only looks different, but has just got something about her.”
“Ee Jin, the designer behind the label Lasik Industries (pictured above), and Martina once had a test shoot at our place and seeing how confident they are with themselves reminded us that we, too, should try be a little more of the same … As creatives, we should evolve. The more you say you’re old and only go for events associated with an ‘older’ crowd, the older you really become.”
“Model Lucas Jong is someone I met for the first time through this shoot with FEMALE and he’s very representative of what I’ve learnt about Gen Zers through my own experience: so fluid and comfortable with his sexuality, as seen through the way he dresses and moves. I know he’s a kid of the scene who regularly attends different parties and it’s nice to meet someone from the community in a non‐party setting.
I scrolled through his Instagram account and discovered that he also takes really good photos, which is another thing that’s very of the next generation: Despite their age, they have such a sophisticated eye and their standard of talent is so high. Imagine how much more they can achieve in future.”
Lucas wears silk top, wool crepe pants, Fendigraphy nano calf leather bag with crystals and O’Lock leather loafers. All Fendi. Gloves and socks on Lucas, stylist’s own
Lucas wears silk top and wool crepe pants, All Fendi. Gloves and socks on Lucas, stylist’s own. Sofia (in background) wears silk‐blend dress, Fendi
Lucas wears silk shirt and wool pants, Prada. Belt, gloves and jewellery, his own
Lucas wears silk shirt and wool pants, Prada. Belt, gloves and jewellery, his own
Lucas wears wool jacket and matching double‐front pants, Balenciaga. Jewellery, his own
“Godkorine has been playing at a lot of Gen Z parties – I’d describe her music as Paris Hilton‐slash‐Britney Spears played at high BPM and made very, very fierce. She’s also the most evolved trans woman I know. She’s only 19, but she’s so comfortable with putting herself out there and DJ‐ing in front of a crowd that’s not necessarily queer because she refuses to limit herself to only doing such events. It’s so important for someone like her to be represented and get recognition.”
Godkorine wears her own clothes
“This is Jenn Chunes (pictured on left), a DJ from the party collective Super Enjoy, and Natasha Hassan (pictured on right) of North East Social Club (another event organiser specialising in indie music experiences). Jenn got into DJ‐ing because of her passion for dance and fashion, and is a bold and strong woman who’s not afraid to speak her mind. Her parties live up to the Super Enjoy name: They’re always fun and feel‐good. Meanwhile, Natasha can always be counted on to spotlight new names – it’s been through her events that I’ve discovered emerging talents such as Kin Leonn. And she’s always so passionate about what she does. The industry needs more women like them so that other women can feel encouraged to pursue their interest in music.”
Jenn wears Chopova Lowena cotton dress, Dover Street Market Singapore, and her own jewellery, belt and boots, and Natasha wears her own clothes
Jenn wears Chopova Lowena cotton dress, Dover Street Market Singapore, and her own jewellery and belt
Styling Damian Huang Production Marisse Caine and Nate Ng Hair Makeup Styling Assistant Danessa Tong Hair Tan Eng Chong/Kizuki+Lim Makeup Wee Ming, using Chanel Beauty Models Sofia/Misc Management and Lucas Jong/Now Model Management
A version of this article first appeared in the Nov 2023 Music Edition of FEMALE