Raving In Red: Why The Council Has Become The Institution The Party Scene Needs

Headquarters by The Council is a place to call home (Credit: The Council)

A palpable aura of restlessness tingles along the riverside stretch of Boat Quay on a Friday evening – 27th of September 2019, to be precise. For seasoned nocturnals, what’s about to ensue within the shophouse on 66th is a familiar predicament, yet one that feels audaciously fresh. Following months of renovations and heartfelt anticipation, the flagship club of The Council is about to reopen its doors, welcoming ravers back to its stealthy, multi-storey den of debauchery and dancefloor capers. Headquarters, affectionately dubbed “Homequarters” or “HQ” by its loyal community, is back in business.

A non-descript entrance hides along the stretch of Boat Quay (Credit: The Council)

It’s easy for newcomers to saunter past the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it entrance, given away otherwise by the shuffling queue and small signs, including one mysteriously dotted with a Morse code symbol. But once stumbled upon and you’re stamped in, it becomes immediately apparent that this is the club that underground dance music in Singapore needs.

A suspense that’s always exhilarating (Credit: The Council)

If you’re expecting an ostentatious, glam-jammed spot of glitzy accoutrements and Champagne trains, this isn’t the place. HQ doesn’t entertain that aspect of club culture, that often has its head in the clouds of commercialism and top-tier status. It greets punters with a narrow, red-lit staircase and a muffled tempest of thumps emanating from its two distinctive rooms. It’s a gritty, sense-shocking signal for first-timers that they’re about to get their dance shoes dirty. And as for its throngs of initiated patrons returning for its reopening weekend, that message is simply, “You’re home”.

The cage has become a distinctive feature of HQ (Credit: The Council)

Opened in 2016, HQ began as a haven for clubbers who yearned for something challenging in the local techno and house scene. At the time of its inception, it offered a substitute from loftier institutions, such as the now-defunct kyō Singapore and Zouk’s Velvet Underground, that were beginning to wane in appeal. It’s a struggle evident all around the region, in fact, as clubs in neighbouring countries seem to be taking a hit. HQ, however, continues to stand tall.

Eileen Chan, AKA CATS ON CRACK, co-founder of The Council (Credit: The Council)

“The key is to keep it real, and stay true to who we are and what we love,” shares Eileen Chan, co-founder of The Council, on the survival of the establishment thus far.

One unconventional stance that makes HQ stand out is the fact that it doesn’t really feel like a traditional club, as many of you might concur upon visiting it for the first time.

My memory involves scampering up the staircase towards the door on the second floor, leading to the only room it had at the time of its opening, and I was instantly gobsmacked upon entering. Engulfed by The Council’s signature crimson illumination and the barrage of a d&b Audiotechnick soundsystem, while surrounded by walls scribbled with tongue-in-cheek graffiti, I promptly realised that HQ was designed as a no-frills space that defied cookie-cutter expectations. Superclub? Hardly. This was a room laid out for dancing, as simple as that.

An untamed night with Remco Beekwilder (Credit: The Council)

HQ subsequently built a cosy balcony upstairs (Credit: The Council)

A spot to mingle and a stunning view (Credit: The Council)

As the months passed, HQ would go on to incorporate more experience-enhancing elements. The lasers, the caged booth reminiscent of Berlin’s Tresor, and most significantly, another floor where it could now cater to the more ebullient sounds of house and disco, complete with an intimate balcony flaunting an unobstructed view of the city skyline. In the three years since its launch, HQ has proven to be a full-fledged powerhouse in wide-spanned programming, having hosted the likes of Juliet Fox, Tin Man, Lauer, Anastasia Kristensen, Christian Smith, Virginia, Detroit Swindle, VONDA7 and countless others. It was even the spot that gave burgeoning superstars – like Peggy Gou and Amelie Lens – a footing in Singaporean soil before they would go on to dominate the world.

Anastasia Kristensen in the cage (Credit: The Council)

Establishing a Headquarters signifies an anchor point from which other developments proliferate. In that vein, with primary business operations chugging like clockwork in Boat Quay, The Council continually widens its reach with sporadic pop-ups all over the city. Gritty rooftop open-airs at Golden Mile Tower with Hunee, its Plastik Dreams series which turned a dance studio into a techno temple led by ANNA, and not forgetting the monumental warehouse parties that pounded on relentlessly with the likes of Nur Jaber and FJAAK. Sub-zero ice factory raves? They were the ones who made it cool.

Hunee at The Council’s open-air event (Credit: The Council)

Ice factory raves have become one of the big guns in The Council’s arsenal (Credit: The Council)

“We’ve always believed that the best parties are when you put the right DJ in the right setting. It’s never a one-size-fits-all,” Eileen elaborates on The Council’s penchant for pop-ups. “Plus, the pop-up parties keeps things fresh and exciting for the community, and challenge us to do better each time. When we do a pop-up, the clubs do tend to be quieter, but you win some, lose some, right? At the end of the day, the satisfaction we get from seeing the smiles on people’s faces is worth so much more.”

It’s this banzai attitude and blatant fidgetiness that’ve made The Council ones to admire. In a city marred by crippling restrictions, the excitement of partying in an unprecedented location is welcomed by both newbie and novice ravers. It’s why dancefloors at The Council’s events are constantly evolving; as many of my friends have observed with me, there are always new faces to be found, with clear expressions that they’ve stumbled upon something special. If The Council can be their orientation into non-commercial sounds, through its venue-hopping methodology, then that’s a great way for these green punters to start.

The power duo of Clement Chin and Eileen Chan (Credit: The Council)

But why doesn’t The Council like sitting still? To understand this, you have to look deep into the core of The Council. Its founding members, Eileen Chan and Clement Chin, are no spring chickens in the scene. Eileen has cemented herself as one of the scene’s finest under her CATS ON CRACK alias, having represented the Red Dot at international festivals like The Great Wall Festival in China. As for Clement, he used to run a string of bars under the KOI name, trendy nightspots along Haji Lane, Circular Road and Ann Siang Road that also hosted the beloved Breakfast Club parties. With their combined expertise, they would plant the seeds of The Council with remarkable pop-up events, from rooftops in Clarke Quay to hidden corners of the island only accessible via mystery buses.

One of the earliest pre-HQ parties along Haji Lane (Credit: The Council)

“We organised our first pop-up party together in December 2015, and soon after, we took a trip to Melbourne for a music festival. We visited some of the clubs Down Under too and got inspired to bring a bit of that unbridled energy and love for music back to Singapore,” Eileen explains how their love for pop-ups provided the impetus for The Council’s formation.

Tornado Wallace whipping up a storm at yet another open-air (Credit: The Council)

While some old habits die hard, there are those that never should. Eileen’s and Clement’s shared experiences paved the way for The Council’s unwavering, out-of-the-box experimentation, and the fire in their eyes continues to flicker. It’s this restless work ethic, after all, that’s pushed the team to take a gamble on setting up shop in a Chinese restaurant – an experiment that’s now become the renowned Tuff Club – and even opening the multi-use arts and events venue, Somewhere, that became HQ’s makeshift home during its renovation.

Marcel Dettmann at Tuff Club (Credit: The Council)

A house is upheld by its keepers, and for The Council, that charge lies with its roster of resident DJs and steady stream of local guest acts. Punters can always count on having an ace evening even without the hype of an international selector. Not only do the promoters boost emerging talents to rave-craving punters, but they also keep the scene alive by inviting veteran DJs from crews like Ice Cream Sundays, Darker Than Wax and MUGIC. Other familiar faces who you’ll often find manning the cage are Deen, Ulysses, Daryl Knows, Amber H, Sivanesh, Aman Anand, Jason Voon, and if you’re lucky, an appearance from the mama feline herself.

And finally, if there’s one more distinguishing attribute that you’ll pluck out from parties by The Council, is that you’re in a crowd that just gets it.

HQ, for instance, has become that place where you no longer have to feel self-conscious about raving alone. You can go in and not utter a word to anyone, or you can conversely strike up conversations with strangers; either way, you’ll feel right at home. The common denominator here is that everyone is drawn to one thing, the music, and it is the glue that binds people to The Council’s events. The resultant architecture is a faithful community that keeps The Council sturdy, year after year.

A journey with Volvox (Credit: The Council)

“The love, trust and support from the community is a huge motivation for us to keep doing what we do,” Eileen declares. “We may have created spaces for music lovers, but it’s the people who come through the doors that make it a club.”

Through its tireless growth and big risks, The Council has fostered a transparent culture whereby it’s more concerned with the experience of its community than aspects like making profit or chasing safe bookings. The pursuit of diversification while clinging onto respectable ideals is a balance that The Council, as promoters, have gradually mastered, and it is an equilibrium that scene devotees can attest to. Unequivocally, it is exactly what the nightlife scene requires. And who better to lead it than a dream team of party lovers?