Top-up Of The Pop-ups: 10 Fresh Party Promoters Rousing The Revival Of Our Scene

Dizzy from all the new parties? (Credit: Sivilian Affairs)

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s been a manic surge of parties gushing through the veins of the city. The past few months have shown a rising trend of fresh-faced promoters and pop-up raves that you won’t find rooted in one spot, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon – a happy problem, naturally. The result is a burgeoning pool of diversity and dare-to-try energy that’s inspiring both young and veteran members of the community; a scene that looks like it’s finally back on its feet. In this list, get acquainted with 10 pop-up party promoters and collectives who have been spurring on the momentum of our scene’s long-awaited reawakening.

Sivilian Affairs

There’s no stopping what this power couple can do. The brainchild of Lilian Hautemulle (AKA Miss Lil) and Sivanesh Pillai, Sivilian Affairs was birthed in 2019 to promote collaboration and inclusivity with its series of pop-up fiestas. Since surfacing from the muck of the pandemic, it’s churned out its Friendly Waters series at Kult Kafe with a focus on house music, alongside its sister Chocolate City concept for more varied boogiethons.

Find out more here. Listen to the 15-Min Flash Mix by Miss Lil and Sivanesh.

Last Saturdays

The sanctity (and shenanigans) of Saturdays is precious, and this crew embraces it with zeal. Launched in August this year, this collective’s programming has stayed true to its brand name with parties popping up on the last Saturday of each month. It’s taken over intimate bar habitats like The Hideout, Naga House and The Otherside, with lineups ranging from its residents, Haili and HBN, to guest acts such as Halal Sol and Vix.

Find out more here.

YES YOU

Partying with abandon, clocking your steps and raising funds for a charitable cause? Count us in. That’s the altruistic modus operandi of YES YOU, a new series that relays its profits to a different charity with each event. Launched this year by TAAKA who moved here from Sydney, YES YOU has a core belief in “bass-driven, booty-shaking house music”, and it shows in its noble endeavours that’ve raised funds for youths struggling with mental health, construction workers, and even local institutions like The Glass Hut.

Find out more here.

Strange Weather

The meteorological station called: there’s something irregular in the atmosphere. The squad from Strange Weather shuns conformity with terrains spanning experimental beatlands and trippy soundscapes, curated by its roster of Yetpet, RTJ, Kindergarchy and Aalely. It’s fearlessly pushing the envelope with its stratospheric vision, and it showed in its collaboration with Mama Magnet for Mysteries In Meatspace, a multi-disciplinary gig experience that recently put the “wee” in Halloween.

Find out more here.

Dave’s Disco Brunch

If Jack had a groove, Dave had… a disco brunch? While the origin story of Dave might remain unsolved for now, what’s certain is that he’s leading the flagship party series of Top Bins Records, a new label established in 2019. As you might’ve guessed, disco, funk and house are the offerings served at these daytime pop-ups, whipped up by label residents, Harry S., and Zafirah who’s been blazing through the scene like a firecracker these last few years.

Find out more here.

Ciel Social

If you’re still bobbing along to our last 15-Min Flash Mix featuring Andre Marc (co-resident DJ of Ciel Social, alongside Halis), this series is right up your alley. The collective first came to light in August with its Social Sunsets series, taking over picturesque alfresco settings with its ambience-crafting curation of house and techno. It’s since evolved to encourage collaboration – from pop-up bazaars to international bookings with fellow collective, UNMUTE – and it now even boasts a new techno and psytrance concept dubbed SENSE.

Find out more here.

Modal

No nonsense. Just techno. Modal first shook the tree with esteemed label, Midnight Shift, injecting shots of adrenaline-laced techno into a scene still waking from its slumber. As a solo promoter, the homegrown unit has been enlightening dancefloors with the vast expanse of techno, showcasing both hard, industrial edges and hypnotic, glitchy textures. You can expect to see local heavyweights such as Jehm and Haan, as well as regional names rocking the techno circuit.

Find out more here.

PASA

Suited to those who call the raveground their playground. Colloquially known as PASA, the event series is still drifting in its nascent stages, but it gained ground earlier this year with its Ridiculous Co-Op collaboration with The Glass Hut, featuring house and indie dance sets from Wild Pearl, Mako, Robo X, Leland and CYDA from Jakarta. It recently announced Geylang Staxx, yet another collaborative undertaking with Last Saturdays (see above) and the new Nothing Between Us – a full-day culture soiree in the heart of Geylang.

Find out more here.

Bad Ideas Only

The dancefloor purges judgment and all ideas are welcome – yes, even the bad ones. Although Bad Ideas Only might not be the freshest contender on this list with its inception in end-2017, it’s worth noting its impassioned revival after a four-year hiatus (exacerbated by the pandemic, no less). It found its second wind and hurtled back into the fray in July with the return of its Bass Night series, billed as an “alternative selection of dubstep, hardstyle and trap”. Brace yourself for overdriven kicks and subby, wubby basslines from a rotational assortment of acts, including Bad Ideas Only resident and founder, T.HIRST.

Find out more here.

Kings of Bass

Like a pinball launching at turbo speed, the pull-and-release trajectory of Kings Of Bass has been bumping through the scene since its comeback. Propelled by the dynamic duo of Aresha and Kane MC who have been instrumental in shaping the jungle/d&b community in Singapore, the series continues their mission with parties engineered to sound the alarm and raise the roof with bass-conscious genres. It’s got firepower from international drum & bass bookings as well – including Dynamite MC, Etherwood and Oram – to appease all staunch junglists at heart.

Find out more here. Read our interview with Kings of Bass, and our 15-Min Flash Mix with Aresha.