The infectious thumping beats can be heard from a distance, drawing you in. And when you get to the source, you can’t believe your eyes and wonder whether you’re even in Singapore anymore. A massive coil of bodies appears, jacking and gyrating on the sand to the strands of Shanghai mix-master DJ Stanley’s deck work. Behind him, surfer dudes hot-dog on the artificial waves as bikini-clad leggy babes twist and twirl around the poles set up on stage.

This showcase of hedonistic mayhem was one event that had seasoned clubbers (this writer included) declaring it one of their favorite—and most eye-opening—bashes since “that other big beach party.” It was called “Vibe Presents: FRESH Spring Break” and fresh it was indeed. Executed by self-styled party animals Massive Collective, the fete presented an emerging trend in how events here are being organized. Other than the Vibe line of parties, Massive Collective also has other series like Elegantly Wasted and Night Shift held at clubs like The Butter Factory, Attica Too and Stereolab.

Where previously the onus of organizing events rested solely on the shoulders of venues, that task has shifted (in some cases) to a group of like-minded individuals—party animals and music junkies—who are introducing élan and a dash of flair to their unique events. These independent gig and party promoters (most of them music-lovers and clubbers themselves) are taking matters into their own hands and bringing us the music we want to listen to and the eye candy we want to see in the venues where we want to be seen—because, well, they’re one of us.

To date, there are more than a dozen party promoters in Singapore—each with their own niche and quirks—drawing punters that want more than the tried-and-tested. Promoters like Midnight Shift, B-Yond, Plush, Syndicate and We Are VIP are some of the people that have been heating up the scene of late. B-Yond, for example, organizes exclusive invite-only “VIP” parties at places like the outdoor pool at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Hotel, as well as at Mimolette and Azzura.

Even the concert circuit has seen smaller and leaner outfits emerged like Kitty Wu Records and Greenhorn Productions, both of which have introduced exciting artists to our stages—most of whom are deemed too niche or unknown by the bigger and more established outfits—like Mono, Mogwai, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Rachael Yamagata. The Yeahs’ recent concert at the Esplanade saw tickets being snapped up within hours.

For the jaded clubber or concertgoer, these party people are injecting that timely jolt of electricity and excitement to the entertainment scene here, just at a point when some industry observers are complaining of it having flat-lined. “These smaller scale events are a form of target marketing and party promoters are looking to offer something specific and tailored to their customer demographic. Everyone wants to feel a sense of belonging and identity and this is what the smaller promoters are able to provide aside from the big club night format,” says Kavan Spruyt of Midnight Shift.

And punters like banking executive William Choy are now spoiled for choice when it comes to partying. “They’re certainly a breath of fresh air,” he says about the events, “and I can always expect something different and new each time.”

The advent of social media has also contributed to the emergence of these niche party throwers. Most, if not all of them, use websites like Facebook to draw in members, promote their nights and give regular updates of events. “Promoting is relatively easy to do and doesn’t require a significant initial investment. With the advent of Social Networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, people with a large group of friends or an extensive network can channel those relationships into door counts at venues without even spending on designing flyers or managing a CRM system,” explains Robbie Hoyes-Cock of B-Yond.

Promoters I-S spoke to are unfazed by the competition among themselves as each one knows that they have a unique product to offer. “I think every promoter group has a different musical style. I think the main reason for this is that it gives the people a choice and a different option for them to party instead of just going to a regular club,” says Seng Wei Ong of Plush.

“It also helps in improving the quality of the local nightlife scene as party labels ‘compete’ against each other to constantly come up with new and exciting ideas for their parties and branding,” says John Langan of Massive Collective.

Here’s how you can turn the hard work of all these folks into play for you …

If you like arriving in style …

Try B-Yond’s series of parties. The brainchild of Robbie Hoyes-Cock and Simon Bond, B-Yond, a luxury lifestyle company, was established in 2004 to provide monthly themed club nights for Singapore’s elite. The pair have hosted over 60 private, invite-only events at venues ranging from the Ritz-Carlton pool, The White Rabbit and Prive to Oosh and the F1 Pit Building. The emphasis here is style, luxury and exclusivity, elements that the pair found missing in the scene here. “I founded B-Yond together with Simon Bond back when I was with CitiBank,” says Hoyes-Cock, who now works from his black-and-white home office on Portsdown Road. The main reason they started the company was that Bond found the nightlife scene here pretty stale and lamented the absence of killer private parties with a distinguished “who’s who” guest-list. Other than parties and events, B-Yond also specializes in bespoke luxury experiences and is even building villas in Bali. To be part of a B-Yond experience you can check out www.b-yond.com.sg or register for news on upcoming events via its Facebook group, B-Yond.

Claim to fame: B-Yond’s dos exude the kind of pomp and flamboyance that you can find at similar bashes in Miami or St. Tropez. Last year, they took over the Ritz-Carlton Millenia’s poolside area to throw an “all-white” party with DJs Alex Blazer and Sangeeta spinning house tunes. Just last weekend, they held beach festival “Arriving in Style,” replete with fashion shows and even a catamaran docked beachside for that whole luxe Miami vibe.

The grooves: Sexy house music (what else?) provided by B-Yond’s stable of resident DJs like Alex Blazer, Sangeeta, Dan Paris and Alex EsA, who also happens to be Robbie’s bro and a doctor by day.

The Crowd: “B-Yond’s typical party-goer is 30-something with a job in finance and an annual bonus spent on a super car with change left over!” quips Hoyes-Cock. “We probably have a slightly higher number of expats on our books than Singaporeans but we definitely seem to attract the beautiful fast-lane crowd; the who’s who of the local party scene. We used to joke that B-Yond Parties are not for those who ‘want to be seen’, but rather for those who ‘have been seen’,” he added.

If you’re a noisenik …

KittyWu Records’ penchant for bringing bands with the propensity for lush cosmic atmospherics will certainly bowl you over. Made up of Lesley Chew and Errol Tan, the record-label-slash-concert-promoters have brought in international acts like Japanese quartet Mono as well as Swedish acts Pelle Carlberg and Club 8. And that’s not all; the pair is also championing the local music scene by representing an eclectic stable of post-rock acts like I Am David Sparkle, Amateur Takes Control, Amberhaze and Lunar Node—most of whom have received rave reviews from the international music press. “While we enjoy gig-promoting, our primary function and motivation is still to push Singaporean music beyond our shores—not only to get the music out but to make it recognized and popular overseas,” says Chew. And if you’re wondering why the label has a post-rock/instrumental rock skew, Chew explained that they wanted to be consistent in the shows that they produced ever since their first gig with Pelle Carlberg and Club 8. “Also, most promoters weren’t really focusing on that genre, so we thought that it would be good to fill in that gap,” Chew adds.

Claim to fame: Glaswegian noisemakers Mogwai at the Esplanade, Japanese math rock masters Toe in KL, post-rockers Mono at Zouk, Big Apple’s indietronic Plus/Minus and the list goes on.

The grooves: Math rock, post rock, chin-stoking atmospherics, lush textures, noise, noise and more noise.

The Crowd: Shoe-gazing music lovers.

If you’re a midnight owl …

Then you should shuffle over to a Midnight Shift bash. Its first launch event at the Helipad last October had all the trademarks of a Robert Ludlum spy-thriller: Cryptic messages, mystery guests, covert timings and secret handshakes (Ok, we kid about the handshakes). After an enlightening nightlife experience in places like Berlin, IT professional Kavan Spruyt and art director Keith Lim felt that there was a gap in the market for the after-hours party. So they came up with an idea to have a series of free invite-only parties that start way later in the night and (tadah!) Midnight Shift was born.

Claim to fame: The gig at Helipad saw local jocks as well as house music legends Jerome Sydenham behind the decks and Robert Owens providing soulful vocals. The identity of the two guests were deliberately left out in all promotional materials, something unheard of in Singapore where big-name guest DJs are the main draw. The promoters instead relied on the strength of the unique concept. Stay tuned for another Midnight Shift this April with another (mystery) dance music legend. Log on to www.mnshift.com for updates.

The grooves: An eclectic mix of jazz, funk, soul, disco, house and techno. Midnight Shift’s recent New Year’s Eve party at The Shack in Sentosa had DJs like Brendon P, Marvin Kam, Xhin and Ulysses spinning tunes all the way till 7am.

The Crowd: Fun party lovers who are open-minded about music and like to go all night.

If you like variety …

Massive Collective’s stable of events will definitely keep you happy: Elegantly Wasted for the yuppie set at different venues; Nightshift for the mature corporate crowd at The Butter Factory; and Vibe Parties for the urban youth segment at Wave House Sentosa. Massive indeed. Comprising Phillip Poon, John Langan, Cedric Chong, Bosco and Yvonne Phoo, the group has over 50 years of combined experience in the international nightlife scene and they’re people who believe in taking parties and events to a whole new level. “We saw the synergy we had when working together on a few ad-hoc projects previously and decided to combine full-time to create a nightlife ‘superlabel.’ Thus Massive was born,” enthuses Langan.

Claim to fame: Massive (of course) beach-side bashes with 3,500 people lifting their skinny fists like antennas to heaven with ubersexy Japanese pole dancers. They even hosted “The Pull,” a speed drink dating party at The Butter Factory which saw a packed house and a sporting crowd. Expect more massive dos for both Vibe Parties and Elegantly Wasted with bigger acts this year. Visit www.massive.sg for more updates.

The grooves: Take your pick from hip hop, house, electro and mash-ups. Be sure to check which party is on where lest you end up all pimped out for a hip hop party instead of a house fest.

The Crowd: A good mix of yuppies, expats, trendsetters and just people who want a wild night out.

If you’re into deep house-y grooves …

You’ll definitely love the Plush series of parties organized by DJs Seng Wei Ong, Neill Brown and brothers Kane Ian Tan and Kane Juan Tan. Collectively they have performed at all four corners of the world from Punta del Este in Uruguay to Miami, and from Cairo to Sydney. Like the name implies, Plush promises to deliver a night of lush house beats, juxtaposed with the opulent and lavish settings of various venues. “Kane Ian was approached by Mimolette at the beginning of 2009 to see if he wanted to throw parties there, so he got all three of us involved. Our motivation for Plush is to share our love of house music with our friends and other people who aren’t too familiar with the genre while having fun doing it,” explains Ong. To date, they have hosted 15 bashes at Mimolette and are looking at expanding their night to other venues like Krish, a gastro-bar at Rochester Park, and Supperclub Singapore. E-mail djsengwei@gmail.com for guest-list.

Claim to fame: Apart from being party promoters, both Kane Ian Tan and Seng Wei Ong are artists and producers in their own right and have their very own music labels, Dustpan Recordings and Eclesia Records, respectively. They’ve also produced for a slew of house artists from around the world including local jock Brendon P.

The grooves: It’s house music all around dished out by the foursome, but don’t expect the same old four-to-the-floor tunes. “All of us share the same passion for house music so we play all forms of house like deep/tech/minimal/progressive/electro. We all have our own sound and style as well to complement each other so it doesn’t get boring,” adds Ong.

The Crowd: House music lovers, yuppies and the expat crowd. “Our partygoers are quite varied, actually—from a few spenders to house music lovers to expats—because since we have four different people hosting the night, we have a good mix of friends that attend for each of us,” says Ong.

If electronic textures turn you on …

Then prepare to be co-opted into the Syndicate. This rag-tag band of beat merchants, bass warriors and visual junkies came out of nowhere and they’re ready to make a splash in the cookie-cutter party circuit. Seeing a gap in the scene regarding an event night that pushes the boundaries of electronic dance music—one that is ballsy and exploratory—the group of Jonathan Nah (Kiat), Cherry Chan, Yazer Aziz, Safuan Johari (Max Lane), Rafi Dean, Elias Soh (Izaak Stern) and Darren Tan (Dubwise) set forth to shake things up and mess with our brains. “There wasn’t really something which catered to what we like … especially the type of music that is currently moving the London and LA scenes—all those avant-garde hip hop, live electronica acts, future bass and IDM. So we got together to establish a leftfield night in the scene here, especially since radio and nightlife offerings aren’t all that adventurous,” explains Kiat.

Claim to fame: The mention of the names of its members alone is enough to perk up your ears. Record producers, DJs, photographers, and a Heineken Sound Council member make up this motley crew. Not to mention that a tune Soh released early last year received a positive mention from the New York Post.
The grooves: Come with an open mind and be prepared to be surprised at what beats bounce into it. “It’s a perfect melting pot for interesting surprises yet to be discovered,” says Kiat. Syndicate’s next do on Feb 6 at Home Club will see Kiat taking centre stage with his debut live dub-and-bass outing with special appearances by Izaak Stern on electric guitar and invited guest, Syafii Ghazali on bass. Check out www.syndicate.sg for more updates.

The Crowd: Audiophiles and creative types.

If you have off-kilter musical tastes …

You’d better stay tuned to what Greenhorn Productions have in store for you. You’ve probably heard by now what you missed at the recent Yeah Yeah Yeahs gig where Karen O, Nick Zinner and Brian Chase drove audiences to club-ready ecstasy with huge inflatable eyeballs. That was from Green Horn. They’re not exactly “green,” though, with Sylvia Choy-Dhillon and her husband having brought in left-field and obscure acts such as American troubadour Rachael Yamagata, edgy-folk singer Ani DiFranco and indie band Death Cab For Cutie among others since 2003. “Greenhorn was conceived out of our respect for talent and love for honest live music. At that time the common perception was that the Singapore audience’s appetite was restricted to commercial, mainstream fare and that only fools (or indeed, greenhorns!) would dare venture into the uncharted waters of presenting indie artists in Singapore,” says Choy-Dhillon. Of course, they’ve quashed that perception through the sell-out (and talked-about) gigs that they’re promoted. Just get on their Facebook page and you’ll see a wall full of requests from fans egging them on to bring in more indie and eclectic acts.

Claim to fame: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs gig, of course, which sold out within hours. Next up will be Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist Imogen Heap at the Esplanade.

The grooves: Spans the gamut of music—indie rock, punk rock, art rock, folk, the works.

The Crowd: Audiophiles, expats, yuppies and yes, indie kids.