Shoegaze Outfit motifs Unveil “Aug 16”, A New Single Ahead Of Their EP Recorded In Iceland
With a new upcoming EP recorded in Iceland, motifs is a local band’s that boldly going places (Credit: Courtesy of motifs)
Call it dream pop or shoegaze, atmospheric or cinematic – either way, the music that motifs makes burrows into one’s ears and hearts with ease. Their music soundtracks the lives of those brave enough to be the protagonists of their own stories: unafraid to feel, make mistakes, or confront life head-on.
Formed in 2019, this five-piece band stamped their name on Singapore’s indie music scene with the 2022 debut album Remember a Stranger and have been riding an upward trajectory ever since. They’ve toured across Asia in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Mongolia, opened for shoegaze legends Slowdive in Singapore and recorded their forthcoming EP, If This House Was Bigger in Iceland at Sundlaugin Studios – the recording home of the famed Sigur Rós.
motifs consists of (from left to right) Badrul Amin, Elspeth Ong, Paul Yuen, Jolin Chiam and JJ Tan (Credit: Courtesy of motifs)
The first single off this EP is “Aug 16”; its ambiguous title alludes to the song’s liminal nature (Aug 16 of which year? Where, with whom?). It lives in the in-between, those moments in transit, every instance of ‘almost but not quite’, the hush before a goodbye. The band calls it a story that belongs to several people: the waitstaff, the postman, the salaryman, the person who almost said something but didn’t.
You could say that this single is a lot more ‘grown-up’. The band’s music has always been steeped in melancholy, but the tenor this single takes is audibly different. Gone are the undercurrents of naivety, and in its place a distinctly adult sense of resignation and acceptance – when the question of “what if?” is no longer hopeful, merely yearning.
motifs new EP is being released by renowned homegrown label, Kittywu Records (Credit: Courtesy of motifs)
This maturity reflects in the song’s craft as well, favouring a heavier aesthetic compared to the band’s earlier works. “Aug 16” has no preamble and barrels straight into its rich, layered arrangement of sweetly-wailing synths and swelling distorted guitars, all anchored by a thrumming bass line. Cutting through the noise is the haunting voice of vocalist Elspeth Ong, who etches longing into each note as she shifts between her grounded lower register (“Will you forgive me I was stupid”) to honeyed high notes (“All the times I should’ve called / before it got away”).
The little touches don’t go amiss in this stacked sandwich of sound: Elspeth’s voice morphs from clear and conversational to echoey and faraway; at points, it soars so high that it meets and bleeds into the synths. The distinct flickering sound of an analogue tape recorder bookends the song, suggesting that it’s a message left behind, punctuating the song’s nostalgic quality – deliberate choices all in service of the song’s narrative and emotional journey, one rife with regret. These elements only shine through with clarity thanks to the track’s stellar production and mix – unsurprising, considering that veteran producer Leonard Soosay is credited in the production notes.
For a band that’s still relatively new, motifs seems to be assured in what kind of band they want to be and what stories they want to tell, and they certainly have the musical chops to support this vision. “Aug 16” is a very welcome addition to their discography and is a promising sign of what’s to come.
(Credit: Courtesy of motifs)
“Aug 16” is available now on all streaming platforms. “If This House Was Bigger” EP will be available from 10 Oct via KittyWu records. Follow motifs on socials for more information.
This contributor feature was written by Sara Lau.
Sara Lau is an arts lover, caffeine addict, and serial procrastinator. She has written for platforms such as Art & Market and Esplanade Offstage, and is currently focused on honing her skills in writing about music.
