What Is Offtrack? Darker Than Wax & Ice Cream Sundays Tease Their New F&B Concept

The doors to Offtrack will open on 22 January (Credit: Offtrack)

The stage is set and the pieces are in place. The onward beat of Offtrack is finally about to drop.

If you didn’t already know, the conceptualisation of Offtrack is the serendipitous upshot of one stimulating question: what happens when two of the scene’s most beloved collectives come together to create a new space? Entertaining the notion of this dream dynamic is the collaboration between the co-founders of Darker Than Wax and Ice Cream Sundays, and they’re putting their heads together once more with the launch of their long-awaited music bar and restaurant venue. “Guided by Leisure” is the tagline that’s etched into the identity of Offtrack; an ethos kicked into high gear by the astute vision of its originators.

Based in a preserved yet rejuvenated conservation shophouse along North Canal Road, Offtrack positions itself as a convivial social space with a homely demeanour. Offtrack – set to launch on 22 January – is a waterhole for those drawn to the pursuit of creativity, and wields an eclecticism that promises more than your run-of-the-mill dining experience.

A teaser of the mood lighting within the space (Credit: Offtrack)

Music is undoubtedly a core component of Offtrack’s soul, so you can expect its creators to leave no stone unturned in beefing up this attribute. Aside from a vintage soundsystem, they have teased a lineup of local and regional DJs, as well as ardent record collectors keen on sharing their vinyl treasures to Offtrack’s guests. Art also gets an avenue here, as the locale plans to showcase rotational on-wall works of local artists and designers.

And because no social sesh is complete without nosh and booze, Offtrack has also revealed a menu of Pan-Asian sharing plates – think avocado kombu and fish sauce chicken wings – and a drinks selection of cult classic cocktails, sakes and natural wines. If you had the luck of attending one of Offtrack’s recent pop-ups at Raw Kitchen Bar and Park Bench Deli, you’ll know that these guys are not joking around in the kitchen.

Vintage glass blocks form part of the decor (Credit: Offtrack)

But what really makes the kick-off of Offtrack so intriguing is its significance in the scene. Boosted by the unifying pull of the co-owners’ respective influences in the community, Offtrack hopes to enliven a cityscape that’s been continually battered by the pandemic, with prominent casualties within the realm of music-focused venues. Darker Than Wax and Ice Cream Sundays have always had excellent rapport with their Open Door pop-up rave series over the years, so the birth of Offtrack is a natural progression that couldn’t arrive at a more pertinent time.

Dean Chew (DTW) and Daniel O’Connor (ICS) share their motivations behind Offtrack (Credit: Meltem Acik [right])

“Offtrack is the natural evolution of everything we’ve been building with Ice Cream Sundays and Darker Than Wax over the years; a permanent home for those searching for something a little different and, most importantly, to just connect and have fun,” says co-founder and Ice Cream Sundays pioneer, Daniel O’Connor.

Sharing this sentiment is fellow co-founder, Dean Chew, who's flown the flag high for Darker Than Wax for a decade. “The pandemic has been brutal on our local music venues, and we really hope that Offtrack can start to usher in a new wave of positivity and resurgence. There’s so much brewing in the underbelly of this island, and it’s time that we have another beacon for it,” Dean elaborates.

The revival of the local music scene hasn’t exactly been encouraging to say the least. But with Offtrack soon to be part of the cultural fabric, perhaps it can help reroute the narrative in a more positive, ‘on-track’ trajectory.