Karen Tan has given birth almost every other year since she’s gotten married, in her role in the play Titoudao, that is. Acting as Titoudao’s (played by Pam Oei) mother, in this latest offering by Toy Factory Productions, she tells us what it’s like to have bound feet, married young, migrated to Singapore with her Chinese husband and given birth to numerous sons and daughters.

Who is sexier—your husband or Johnny Depp?
Johnny Depp—he’s considerate enough to have only two children.

Who rules the household—your husband or you?
The children.

If you had not married young, what would you be doing now?
Having another man’s children.

Tell us about your biggest talent.
I can give birth and supervise my cooking at the same time.

What helps you to remember the names of your many children?
I don’t!

What is your shoe size and where do you do your shopping?
I wear the same size shoe as my four-year-old daughter, WhatsHerName. I shop in her drawer.

Tips for walking fast in bound feet?
Try not to walk.

The first thing you’ll do if you strike lottery?
Pay my husband to sleep in another room.

One thing you wish Titoudao would stop doing?
Being so short.

What do you think contributes to Titoudao’s excellent singing power?
Constant practicing with the i-Pod Nano.

Like his installation We Live in a Dangerous World where a dissected Merlion lies near a video of a man disguised as Annabel Chong, visual artist Brian Gothong Tan’s latest work too comprises seemingly unrelated beings such as Mao Zedong and Isabella Chen (or better known as the “Sarong Party Girl” blogger) on TVs. This time, he seeks to give a different and playful perspective on the urban spaces we tread everyday.

“Basically, this whole installation is about the city and my understanding of it,” quips Tan, who is currently a resident at TheatreWorks’s sprawling new art space 72-13.

Sited near the TVs are some miniature buildings, Astroboy and a Mao Ze Dong statue. “I hope to recreate the city here, telling people to be their own architect. I also brought in this Mao Zedong statue which I thought looks like Lee Kuan Yew. I don’t want to be too literal. I just want to draw connections between ideas,” he explains.

With fun exhibits and by engaging the viewer in an interactive manner, Signs, Omens and Relics of Faith attempts to encourage one to rethink behavior in the city. Come explore before the show ends and see if you will leave with a different insight on urban spaces.

People laugh 300 to 400 times a day when they are children, but only about 16 times a day when they reach adulthood, according to laughter yoga instructor Avi Liran.

For the uninitiated, what is laughter yoga?
Laughter yoga is built on two elements. The laughter part is laughing exercises to bring out your inner child. The yoga part is breathing exercises that’ll teach you to calm down, meditate and recharge. Sometimes we bring music to the sessions and make people dance. Throughout the session, I’ll bring out the benefits of laughter to life. There’s a lot of spiritual wisdom that I can teach.

Cool. And how do you become a laughter yoga instructor?
Someone gave me this book A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Enlightenment by humor expert Lenny Ravich. Later, I saw an article that said Singaporeans are the least happy in Asia. So I asked Lenny, “Would you mind coming to Singapore?” He said, “I’d love to.” We started doing brochures and I was researching on the net when I found out about laughter yoga. I was so intrigued that I decided to go to Paris and meet the guru Madan Kataria who wrote the book Laugh for No Reason. And I became a teacher.

So what happened when you were in Paris?
It was a phenomenal five days and five nights. I laughed about nine hours a day and lost 1.5 kg. I got 30 new friends from all over the world. I found a lot of the benefits of laughing. The quest allows me to share my ability to laugh at life with others and make other people happy. And I’m one of the guys who also makes money out of it. You can say I literally “laugh my way to the bank!”

Haha. And what are your goals in the near future?
I’m going to teach a two-day course for people to become laughter leaders. I’m going to look for people to subscribe. The more the merrier. I have two dreams. One is to have 50,000 Singaporeans to go to the National Stadium or somewhere on Laughter Day, which occurs in May, and do laughing exercises. I’ll tell you my other dream after I’ve reached it!

Fort Canning came alive to the loud dancey rock numbers of British rock trio Muse two weeks ago. Made up of vocalist cum guitarist Matthew Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard, Muse staged a rocking good show, performing hits after hits such as “Knights of Cydonia,” “Supermassive Black Hole,” “Starlight” and “Time Is Running Out,” getting the crowd all hyped up.

When I was younger, I had a bad temper. When I was at school, I used to freak people out a little. There’s nothing about me that scares people now. I hope not. I’m easy going. Most of the time at least (laughs).

I’m scared of moths. I have a phobia of moths. Can’t stand them. I’m scared of death. And pain.

My all time favorite song? Probably “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys.

I gave up smoking a year-and-a-half ago. I had a very bad cough and I had cancer as well. So I stopped smoking and promised myself that I’ll never smoke again for the rest of my life.

Music has always been quite important to me from an early age. I can’t really remember thinking too much about what else I wanted to do. I wanted to be a doctor for, err, about five minutes?

I was a guitar player then I played drums for a while. Then Muse started, and I picked up the bass guitar.

Until Muse, Matt was more of a guitar and piano player. So when we started Muse, it was fairly new to Matt and me because we were both on instruments that we have not really played before: His voice and my bass.

Matt is not your typical rhythm guitar player. The way he plays the guitar is very melodic and he leaves a lot of space for the bass to fill out. For that reason, I’m always, well maybe, slightly freer than the bass players in other bands.

When Muse first started playing, we were pretty much listening to a lot of American bands like Rage Against the Machine and Smashing Pumpkins. These might be the bands that probably made us want to be in a band in the first place.

Now, I’ve been listening to Wolfmother a lot actually.
I think it’s a great Australian band.

When we first got together, we thought it would be a great achievement just to play at a gig. Just any gig, anywhere.

Playing at Glastonbury festival a couple of years ago was a big highlight. Going to festivals were the only way to see bands, especially American bands, when we were young. To headline festivals like the Glastonbury festival is something we dreamt of doing when we were kids.

We got a very big gig coming up in summer time at Wembley Stadium. That’s gonna be a new challenge because we’ve never done a stadium show before. The whole approach of the show is going to be new too. We’re really looking forward to that. It’s very nerve-wrecking. It’s a very big show on Jun 16 or 17.

We don’t really get recognized on the streets. You have bands that achieve that kind of celebrity status and get pestered by press people or things like that. We never really had that. It’s good because it shows that the music is more famous than us as people. And that’s the way it should be. It should be about the music and not about the face.

We’ve received a lot of presents. I think, it was at Russia or somewhere, that somebody gave Matt an oil painting of him with two birds on his shoulders. Recently in America, a girl made some paper dolls of us and also, every single article of clothing we’ve worn in the last seven years. It was kind of odd but nice.

I think people have gaps in their lives and they fill it with different things. The town where we came from was pretty quiet. Music was for us an escape from that.

Enough of Electrico and The Great Spy Experiment already. The local music scene today features so many more new musicians that are seriously worth checking out. From an instrumental post-rock band to ambient soundscapers to straightforward rock ’n’ rollers, these acts demand to be heard. Listen up, or be left out.

Muon

Who are they? Guitarist/producer/laptop programmer Nick Chan and drummer Edwin Leong recently played an absorbing three-song gig at indie bar Home. By the time they finished, we were mesmerized. MUON also produced local rock band Astreal’s acclaimed album Fragments of the Same Dead Star last year, and has had many gigs, including fashion shows like Wardrobe at Zouk and at the opening of the RedDot Design Awards.

What sound? Initially comprising solely of just music ingénue Nick Chan, MUON has moved on from its more electronica-driven soundscapes (as heard in previous releases Reprogrammed: Modules for Serial Killers (2002) and In Flught (2004)) to being more rock-ish and organic. MUON’s brand of explosive rock, samples, moody electronica and ambient guitar (think a soundtrack befitting the next Sofia Coppola film) is a dream for the initiated.

Why listen? This is as good as it gets when it comes to local acts. MUON’s sound has progressed and matured over the years, and is more robust than ever. As stated by Chan: “These days, the music is more mechanical and colder...but musically, we’ve also managed to touch on the cerebral and intellectual.” We couldn’t agree more.

Word Up: “For the first few productions and releases, I was still feeling my way around,” says Chan. “But in terms of sensibilities, MUON have always had a band-like quality. Technically, I’m not very comfortable with just the laptop, which is why it’s important for the group to incorporate some live music components too. Our musical performance is still evolving, and we’re still finding ways to harvest our sound.”
What next? Look out for the highly-anticipated album The New Mutants under indie label Wallwork Records mid this year. Tracks on the album, like the emotional “Love Drops” and soaring and head-banging 10-minute opus “This is Not the End,” will send you to kingdom come and back. Log onto www.myspace.com/muonmagick for more info.

I Am David Sparkle

Who are they? Comprising guitarist Amran Khamis, bassist Yamani Ismail, guitarist/keyboardist/laptop programmers Johnny Mo and Nico Santino, and drummer Zahir Sanosi, I am David Sparkle was formed in 2001 as an improvisational instrumental collective, and was mainly known among fringe music lovers. After going through some reshuffling, the group features a tighter and more competent lineup today. Previous gigs include 2005’s Baybeats.

What sound? The group creates slow-burning soundscapes reminiscent of Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You Black Emperor and Mogwai’s, but less dramatic. Their first self-titled independent EP, released in Nov last year, is a testament to the group’s musical artistry and brilliance.

Why listen? Comprising just two tracks—“Apocalypse of the Heart” and “2024”—which average about 20 minutes each, these numbers are drawn-out, organic and riveting all at the same time. Layers upon layers of guitars create a textural mood that ranks with some of the best post-rock sounds out there.

Word Up: “We’ve always been an instrumental band all this while, but in terms of mood, our sound has progressed from apocalyptic to hopeful,” says Khamis. “Our sound/songs tend to be lengthy and perhaps a bit self-indulgent. But we are trying to move away from that, and keep our songs shorter. We see making music as an act of self-expression and a creative tool, and we don’t really care if we don’t sell that many CDs. After all, when we release the tracks, we see it as a form of documentation. If people are interested to come along for the ride, sure, if not, no worries.”

What next? Gigs at the upcoming Good Vibrations Festival and regional music festival JamAsia in KL next month will put the group on a more popular pedestal. I am David Sparkle is now available at Straits Records, 43 Haji Lane, 9431-1572. Log onto www.myspace.com/iamdavidsparkle for more info.

The Embryo

Who are they? The group, lead by singer/songwriter/guitarist Randolf Arriola, has been around since the early ’90s, performing gigs at the defunct Moods Café. Members have evolved over the years. Today, The Embryo also comprises singer/bassist Wendy Phua (formerly of Zhen) and drummer Mervyn Asher.

What sound? The Embryo’s eclectic range of sound is more cohesive than the band would like us to believe—which is a good thing. “Our music plays like a cross between U2, Tears For Fears, Bjork, and Pink Floyd,” says Arriola, who also cites Brian Eno, The Cure, Joni Mitchell, The Sundays, Beth Orton, Placebo and Daniel Lanois as influences. But before you think the band is schizophrenic, we assure that their sound is cohesive, catchy and suitably dark.

Why listen? The Embryo is the only local band that builds their sound and textures it by using a sound-shaping tool during live performances. This atmospheric advantage gives them a bigger and grander sound. “We don’t use instruments like keyboards, synthesizers and other sound effects, although it sounds like we do,” quips Arriola. “We just basically use guitar and bass.” Music lovers are in for a killer ride. Track “Local Music” features an infectious bass and a spoken word sampling of musician X’Ho, while “Waiting” is a dreamy sojourn into ambient bliss.

Word Up: “We like pop, rock, and all other experimental music, and the group pieces all these elements together...it’s like a string of pearls, with all these influences.”

What next? Scheduled for release by 2007, their first full-length album should be a smash. After all, previous EPs sold at their various gigs at Timbre and The Esplanade have all been snapped up.

SONICBRAT

Who is it? SONICBRAT, a.k.a. Darren Ng, is full-time sound designer who has worked predominantly in theater. Arts aficionados might have heard of Ng’s works in plays like Luna-id’s Quills, but music fans will soon get a taste of Ng’s obscure and ethereal sound bites with the release of his first album, Hi.a.tus.

What sound? Produced by Chris Lee (of boutique Asylum fame) under his label Asylum Sounds, Ng’s album Hi.a.tus is a demanding excursion to an unrelenting world of beeps and bleeps that will send listeners into the nether regions. Openers like “The Lacuna Medley” and “Hiatus Lullaby” have a dreamlike quality and lovely piano refrains, while more experimental numbers like “Synaesthesia” and “8Bit Pathology” will make the head spin with their spaced-out stereo effects.

Why listen? For those into truly experimental and niche sounds, Ng’s sound is probably one of the best to come out of Singapore. His seamless mix of baby piano and sitara (an instrument that works like a cross between a guitar and sitar) sounds like floating forlorn memories lost
in space.

Word Up: “The sound I create is different from sound artists out there,” says Ng. “Whereas they play with mostly just laptops, I try to manipulate and utilize as many found sounds and other instruments as well. It involves a lot of fusion between the analog and digital realms...going towards a modular synthesized sound. I’m not too worried if people don’t get my music. It’s a very personal album that I cut from the bottom of my heart.”

What next? Since they have no live gigs lined-up, it’s best that music lovers grab themselves a copy of Hi.a.tus when it’s out. Available from Asylum, 22 Ann Siang Rd., 6324-2289 from Feb. Log onto www.freewebscom/sonicbrat for more info.

Gomes

Who is it? A composer by profession, Rennie Gomes, a.k.a. Gomes, has 15 years of music experience. Besides being involved in the soundtrack of Royston Tan’s controversial 15, Gomes has also remixed homegrown band The Observatory’s tracks like “How’s Life?” and “This Sad Song.” Last year in Oct, Gomes released his first album Fade To Black. Although he doesn’t have a gig to his name yet, his competence is undeniable.

What sound? A fusion of dark trip hop and electro, Gomes sets his sound somewhere between the accessible and the obscure. Tracks such as “Free” bring to mind Massive Attack, while more experimental songs such as “Octave Lives” and “Mine Ocean” lean towards experimental sound art.

Why listen? Often intense, ominous and sinister, we love Gomes because it gives us goose bumps. Fade To Black, which is the result of three years of hard work, is certainly one of the freshest and more outstanding offerings in recent years.

Word Up: “One reason the album is called Fade To Black is because it gets progressively darker by the minute,” he states as a matter of fact. “As you know, at the end of every movie, everything fades to black and music becomes the foreground. No more pictures...just music. Music is always accompanying something else. By naming the album Fade To Black, I’m throwing the focus back to the music.”

What next? Gomes, together with Royston Tan, is currently working on an animation music video for “Missing,” one of the tracks in Fade to Black which has Japanese mutterings by the late Japanese actor Muragishi Hiroaki. “I’m hoping to target the Japanese market with this track,” he states.
Fade To Black is available at Asylum, 22 Ann Siang Rd., 6324-2289, and other online music stores like CD Baby and iPod Tunes. Log on to http://www.myspace.com/renniegomes for more information.

The Nerves

Who are they? The Nerves may be only one-and-a half-years-old, but with the help of music competitions like School of Rock and Power Jam, the group has set some tongues wagging. Made up of bassist Muhammad Syuaib, drummer Muhammad Syakirin and guitarist Williem Siddek, this cheeky band started off jamming in a fruit stall cum studio, and loves to perform onstage barefoot.

What sound? The sound of The Nerves reminds us of Nirvana. Hear out for low growls and hypnotizing guitar strums set at a moderate tempo. The group’s blend of music should satisfy those who dig the grunge-rock era of the mid ’90s. Other influences cited by band members include Oasis, Supergrass, The Kooks and Wolfmother, just to name a few.

Why listen? It’s easy to lose yourself in their music. Slightly bleak and depressing, the trio has an absorbing sound that makes it one of the more promising bands around. Some local music fans have even commented that The Nerves should have won the Power Jam competition held at Zouk a few months ago. To this, Syuaib quips, “It was a bit disappointing. But it’s great just to get to the finals and perform in front of so many people.”

Word Up: “What sets The Nerves apart? Well, I think we’re the ugliest band around,” jokes Siddek. “And another reason that people support us could be because everyone can relate to underdogs. It would be nice for an underdog to be famous,” adds Syakirin.

What next? The Nerves is recording its first studio demo now. Watch out for it. Log onto www.myspace.com/thenerves for more info.

A list of other bands to check out and bands we want to hear less of.

OTHER BANDS WORTH CHECKING OUT

FLYBAR
Made up of vocalist Ian Toh, guitarists Jon Ong and Benjamin Tay, bassist Andrew Chia and drummer Deon Toh, Flybar has a catchy pop rock sound and plays groovy songs like “Beautiful Killer” and “She’s So Lazy.”
For more details about the band, log on to www.flybartheband.com or www.myspace.com/flybartheband.

PROJECT ULTRASOUND
Beware of potent rock infused with lots of rapping from this band. Project Ultrasound comprises vocalist Razali b. Abdullah, guitarist Asni b. Abdullah, bassist Ridzaidean b. Abu Bakar and drummer Rafizal b. Abd Razak, and has recently played at Ministry of Sound, Club Momo and Home. Fans of Rage Against the Machine will dig their sound.
Email projectultrasound@yahoo.com.sg for a free copy of their demo.

WITHERED TREE
Withered Tree is for rockers who like their music hard and heavy. Consisting of vocalist Shyam Raj, bassist Darren Toh, guitarist Roman Tarasov and drummer Jason Cruze, this band’s “Play on Flames” will set your night on fire.
Hit www.myspace.com/witheredtree to sample their songs.

MY WRITES
Vocalist Dhaniah Suhana, guitarists Shaun Lin and Muhammad Hanifi, bassist Muhammad Zul-Azri and drummer Muhammad Lukman make up this goofy act. Look out for them if you like an elevating indie pop sound that’ll bring a big silly smile to your face.
Log onto www.myspace.com/mywrites for more info.

BANDS WE WANT TO HEAR LESS OF THIS YEAR

ELECTRICO
The lead singer’s cute, the keyboardist’s cuter, but are they really that good?

THE GREAT SPY EXPERIMENT
In the span of less than a year the group, which sounds just like The Killers, has managed to snag numerous gigs and even a Motorola Street Style Award. Over-hyped? We think so.

FIREBRANDS
Firebrands’ straightforward rock music, quite frankly, doesn’t rock our world. Lackluster vocals and production values make the act less fiery than most out there.

ASTREAL
After the fallout with guitarist-producer Nick Chan, who produced its great last album Fragments of the Same Dead Star, we’re not sure if the band is capable of making good music anymore.

The local music scene is hot. Here are six alternative music acts to watch out for this year.

Yes, the fact that Café Del Mar is new is reason enough to visit this hangout. But its marketing department is upping its pull factor by having some brilliant acts take to its decks this coming weekend.

Many should be familiar with Jazzanova by now. This 10-year-old Berlin-based act consists of Alexander Barck, Claas Brieler, Jürgen von Knoblauch, Roskow Kretschmann, Stefan Leisering and Axel Reinemer and specializes in nu-jazz, minimal tech and jazz house which sophisticates love. Barck will be taking control at the DJ console this Sat so punters can look forward to the usual music palate that Jazzanova is famous for.

Supporting acts include some of our finest local talent. Café Del Mar’s resident DJs will be showing you what they have up their sleeves. You can also catch Chris Ho, Yukun, Don, Yeow and Adrian T spinning some cool grooves at this party too.

So if you’re bored witless this weekend, and are looking for some loungey sounds to relax to, going to Café Del Mar might be a good idea. Oh, the people of Lush 99.5fm will also be celebrating their second anniversary party here too. Come in your killer beach gear, rub shoulders with the hip and party till late.

Watch out for The Necessary Stage’s upcoming Survivor Singapore. In this outrageous drama, a group of students, carried away by the desire to be engaged in a project that involves multiracial dances and ketupat-making, creates a game called Survivor Singapore. We asked one of the students, Aishwarya Rai (played by the irreverent Kumar), to let us in on the assignment.

Tell us about Survivor Singapore.
It’s about young people trying to voice their ideas. The survivor is the one that keeps his or her cool, without exploding, the longest.

And how does one win the game?
Smile even when you feel like slapping the other bloody b***hes.

What happens to the losers?
Carry on living in Singapore.

Well, what’s more lethal? A gun or a bullet?
A bullet lah, who wants a gun that shoots blanks?

Which is worse? An empty pistol or a sex pistol?
An empty sex life is the worst.

War or raw?
I’m Indian. I believe in peace.

OK, dress code for Survivor Singapore?
Camo chic.

And what reigns on the battle field?
A loaded Indian gun. Mine.

Who are your heroes?
Myself.

Complete the sentence. “Courage is…”
Courage is being true to yourself, always.

You’re not very young but people call you “The Kid.” Others call you “The Magician.” How do you get these names?
When I was ten, many patrons in my uncle’s billiard hall took me to other halls to play games for money against older players. There was one older player also named Efren Reyes, so to make the distinction, people began calling me Efren “Bata” Reyes, with “Bata” meaning “The Kid.” “Magician” was the name given to me by billiard commentators during my early campaign days in the US in the ’70s. Whenever I pocketed difficult shots, they often described them as magical; hence, the label “The Magician.”

Well, if you were to name your cue, what would it be?
I would like to name it Efren “Bata” Reyes. This is the name I carry wherever I play and I would want it to also be the label of my cue.

Are there any rituals that you do for luck before you compete?
I do not have any rituals. I have some lucky shirts though, like the white dress shirt given by my sponsor when we played the US team and won the World Team Championship in the late ’80s. I have worn that in many events. It has turned brownish now. My sponsor said it does not look good anymore and gave me a couple of others.

You were featured in TV ads. Think you have the makings of a star?
I have appeared in commercials and most of the time, I execute shots to thrill the viewers. I’m surprised at the many takes and the amount of preparation needed to shoot a scene that will only be shown for about 30 seconds. I have been invited to many TV shows but I will never be a TV star. I appeared in a movie with out the late Fernando Poe Jr. and the movie centered on a billiard championship event where we played as Scotch Double partners.

Contemporary Chinese art is fast gaining popularity these days, to the point that major pieces have passed the million dollar mark. Prominent artist Hung Liu arrives in town to put up a retrospective show which features fascinating Chinese contemporary artworks created between 1990 and 2006. We grabbed her for a quick chat about her art, which often touches on China’s tumultuous political scene.

Old Road, West Wind is a retrospective look at your art pieces created between 1990 and 2006. Looking back, what do you think are the milestones in your career?
There are two kinds of milestones—personal and professional ones. Many times they are intertwined. When I was only a few months old, China was at the beginning of the end of the Civil War. I was in my mother’s arms fleeing with thousands of refugees. That’s not only a personal milestone, but also a milestone in national and familial history. Maybe that’s why a lot of my paintings are referenced in historical photographs, especially those of refugees in wars and victims of chaos and turmoil. Another milestone was the Cultural Revolution. Working in the fields with the peasants, I understand what they go through and identify with them somewhat. So my paintings of working people reflect my memory and respect for this anonymous force that moves history. It’s important to give history human faces. Most of them are just ordinary people on the bottom of the social pyramid. Immigrating to the US also gave me a different perspective to look at my homeland and the US. Some of my works reflect the physical, emotional and psychological displacement of these “immigrants.”

The subject matter of your art is often women. Is there any reason behind that?
One important reason is that I am a woman. I am from a family where the matriarchs, my grandmother and my mother, are strong women in a patriarchal society, where their potential was never fully realized and appreciated. Metaphorically, female images symbolize the vulnerability, pride, integrity and beauty of the people and nation.

For the uninitiated, what are the issues that you touch on in this show?
Not only do I want to give history a human face, especially the history of the Chinese, I also want to return the dignity and respect they are supposed to be given. I want to bring forth forgotten events or images or people, in order to review our recent past. And in this sense, my works, mostly paintings and picture planes, become the memorial sites to commemorate the forgotten history and loss of memory.

How do you select which pieces to be included in this exhibition?
Since this is my first solo show in Singapore, I would like to show works from a wider time span. There are different subject matters, painting styles, pallets and scales. Maybe this is a good way to have an introductory show for Singaporeans.