Vibe And Tribe: Mandala Club Is More Than A Members Club, But A Bastion Of Culture

The iconic shophouse facade of Mandala Club along Bukit Pasoh (Credit: All images courtesy of Mandala Club)

Electronic music does flourish here, but this is hardly your average club. At the forefront of Singapore’s thriving private members club industry is Mandala Club, and it’s been vehemently forging both vibe and tribe since its launch in November 2021. Part of the hospitality- and lifestyle-driven Mandala Group, the Bukit Pasoh shophouse establishment – where Straits Clan used to sit – is steered by the vision of creating an ‘inclusively curated community’; an eclectic cornucopia of members from all walks of life and with talents in tow. Assemble an enterprising society offering a spectrum of expertise in an exclusive habitat, and you’re bound to witness a brimful of potential. Such is the staunch belief of Mandala Club.

Indeed, Mandala Club has been a progressive abode for cultural developments that have been the talk of the town. One that’s been particularly noteworthy is its Mandala Masters programme, where it’s hosted culinary residencies that’ve featured Gaggan Anand (from the world-renowned Gaggan) and MASL (Meters Above Sea Level). Aside from its gastronomic feats, Mandala Club also organises a tapestry of activities spanning workshops, talks, dance classes, art tours, and wellness sessions. The four-storey institution houses several locales for its members to mingle, from its POPI’S Dining Room and Bar concept and its fully-equipped Gym, to the vinyl-inclined Analogue Room and the events-focused Straits Parlour. It is in these latter two domains that robustly exhibits Mandala Club’s proclivity for music, and it’s been generous in evolving this department for its discerning clientele.

The Straits Parlour is the heart of Mandala Club’s cultural events

Currently manning the musical programming of Mandala Club is none other than Joshua Pillai; a stalwart of the industry who commendably constructed nightlife concepts like Rails and Nineteen80 as the co-founder of A Phat Cat Collective. Under his watch, Mandala Club has been a playground for party nights like its Boogie Pasoh series, dishing out sophisticated soundtracks from a rotating ensemble of homegrown selectors that’ve included KFC, Aldrin, Yujin, Shigeki, Rah, and Sivanesh to name a few. The space has even brought down some surprise guests such as Benji B and Flight Facilities, creating serendipitous experiences for those fortunate enough to catch them. Like other mediums of culture, music is an effective glue when it comes to bringing people together – and that is something right up Mandala Club’s alley.

I speak to the team from Mandala Club to dig up what’s so innovative and intriguing about its space. What happens within its four walls? And how has it been a champion of not just music, but culture in Singapore as a whole? Just read on to find out – membership is not required.

From bashes to balls, parties are commonplace at Mandala Club

Mandala Club is an institution that’s grounded by the idea of connection. How does the space use music – a tried and tested social lubricant – to build these connections? Why is the incorporation of quality music important for your members?

Music helps create an environment in the spaces, curating the vibe we’re after. When incorporating music for our breakfast, lunch and dinner seatings, we ensure that the music selection is done in a way where it creates a comfortable atmosphere for our members without being intrusive to their work and headspace. Mandala Club is also built around fine art and naturally, the inclusion of music goes hand in hand with that – music is an important component of art as well.

What is the musical philosophy of Mandala Club? How would you say it’s different from the curation of music in other members clubs, bars or listening lounges?

Our music approach is geared towards a wide range of genres from soul, funk, disco, hip-hop to even drum & bass. We want our music selection to be inclusive for our diverse member base.

The Analogue Room features a vintage soundsystem and vinyl collection

One of your rooms, The Analogue Room, is dedicated to the pastime of casual listening. How was the space designed and tuned to make audiophiles feel right at home?

Before putting pen to paper, we actually purchased all the sound equipment and then worked the entire spatial design around it. For the performative aspect, it was important that the front of the room housed our DJ console, a disco ball, our treasured collection of vinyl and our vintage soundsystem. Beyond the science of setting that up, we were just really focused on comfort and curating a good selection of mid-century pieces that spoke to the audiophile audience and the heyday era of vinyl.

Mandala Club has done a tremendous job so far at showcasing the breadth of homegrown DJs. How are these selectors picked, and how deeply do you listen to the pulse of the Singaporean music scene?

Our Head of Entertainment, Joshua Pillai, sieves through both local and global music talents alike and selects them based on their ability to play to the room and audience, while presenting our members with great, diverse, and often new music. A DJ himself since 1999, Joshua used to be a regular feature on an online radio show, Meshradio. Being exposed to so many of Singapore’s best musical minds, it would be difficult not to be in sync with the local music scene!

Aside from music, Mandala Club is also a champion of Singaporean arts and culture, often hosting workshops and mentorships with accomplished profiles. How does Mandala choose which trendsetters and game-changers to spotlight?

Mandala Club’s in-house Culture manager, Anmari Van Nieuwenhove, has a rich background in the local art and culture scene. She strives to bring artistic and creative talent from all over the island to the Club, showcasing the best of Singapore to our members. With support from the Culture team, she scouts out interests from our dynamic member pool with content they would like to see – Thought Leadership being one of them. The team also programmes topics and speakers around our five core pillars: Epicures, Wellness, Futures, Encounters and Creators.

There are other core tenets that enhance the appeal of Mandala Club like its focus on fine dining, mixology, wellness and business. Why is it crucial for Mandala Club to possess such a multi-disciplinary drive in its pursuits? And conversely, what is not in the Mandala DNA?

It all comes back to what our members are looking for. Our offering reflects the diversity of such an interesting and dynamic community. Conceptually, there’s nothing that we would consider to be off the table, provided there is appetite and demand from members, who are really the drivers of our programming.

The Palm Room and The Orchid Room (below) are private spaces for more intimate conversations

Mandala Club has a growing member community with people from all walks of life. When building its community, how does it straddle the line between exclusivity and diversity?

We like to think we are an ‘inclusively curated community’; a melting pot of people who come together to create an inspired and connected collective. As a club and a community, we exist to ‘inspire meaningful connections that matter’ to our members. The most powerful way of fulfilling that purpose is to curate a community who are different and varied in terms of age, background and perspective; people you want to connect with, and who inspire others. That can come in many – any – form!

While there are plans on expanding the Mandala brand around the world, Mandala Club will always have its home in Singapore. As an eclectic members club, what lessons have you learnt in constructing such a space in Singapore, and is there room for it to grow even bigger?

Opening our club in the midst of a pandemic was always going to be a challenge filled with plenty of lessons, but one of the biggest learnings of all was to really trust our strong instinct to invest in space and people that facilitate greater human connection. At no time has it ever been so vital! In terms of growth, let's not give anything away – but yes, you will certainly see a greater Mandala presence in the city in the very near future.

The centrepiece of The Straits Parlour is a circular bar made from sustainably-sourced wood

The Gym comes with state-of-the-art equipment and luxurious shower cabins

POPI’S Garden offers alfresco dining amidst vintage furniture and contemporary art pieces

Mandala Club, 31 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089845. For more information on its events, facilities and membership, visit its official website or follow its Instagram page.