Silent Recess: Did You Know There's A Silent Disco Brewing In The Geylang Heartlands?
It’s not exactly the kinda place you’d expect to stumble upon a silent disco (Credit: Courtesy of The Tuckshop - Assembly)
If you, like me, are in your 30s or above, sometimes all you want is a chill night out with good company, hearty drinks and some quality tunes that make you move.
The Tuckshop - Assembly, a neighborhood bar in Geylang that's been serving brewed beers and tasty morsels for over 10 years now, has been perfecting precisely this art of low-key revelry ever since COVID hit. Its Books and Beers events, for example, regularly drummed up the neighborhood to reconnect and get to know each other better over boozy book exchanges. Most recently, it launched Silent Recess, a silent disco-esque event series (not affiliated with Silent Disco Asia) that lets residents turn it all the way up without leaving their turf – or disturbing the peace.
The Tuckshop - Assembly is situated along Guillemard Road (Credit: Courtesy of The Tuckshop - Assembly)
Silent Recess happens on the first Saturday of every month; a super accessible $10 cover charge gets you one free drink with extended happy hour rates if you RSVP. The series was previously headlined by fellow neighborhood resident and seasoned turntablist DJ Tang, who regularly mans the decks at nightclubs like Zouk and Avenue, as well as upscale venues like South Bridge’s Mortar & Pestle and member’s club 1880. At Silent Recess, DJ Tang would savour the opportunity to leave his big room persona behind and go back to his hip-hop and R&B roots, seamlessly mixing throwback anthems with timeless grooves and iconic vocals.
Industry veteran, DJ Tang, has manned the decks of Silent Recess for the last few months (Credit: Avenue Singapore)
Aside from the tunes, what Silent Recess offers is a laid-back alternative to a night out dancing that can be hard to get a hold of these days. The easy-going, free-flowing vibes here are perfect for catching up with friends against the quiet backdrop of Singapore’s residential heartlands; while the headphones give you an option to step into dance mode whenever you feel like it. For hedonists who also have responsibilities to get to the next day, the option to start early and end early can be a welcome change from most parties in the city that begin late and go on into the wee hours of the morning. And unlike nightclubs, The Tuckshop - Assembly has no dress codes to follow or loud blaring speakers to shout over.
The next Silent Recess is lined up for Saturday 4 November, where DJ Tang will be stepping aside to make way for Li.A who will be spinning a multi genre mix of hip-hop, R&B and dance tracks from the ’90's and 2000s. Expect friendly faces, fresh beers and plenty of no-frills choons – perfect for a night of dancing like no one’s watching.
The neighbourhood haunt has displayed an innovative way to stay connected to the party scene without worrying about noise issues (Credit: Courtesy of The Tuckshop - Assembly)
It's quite a sight to turn up at The Tuckshop - Assembly’s unassuming corner of Guillemard Road and discover all the festivities it offers without the din. The ingenuity of bringing a dancefloor experience to the doorstep of Geylang’s residents is testament to the resilience of this neighborhood institution and its commitment to providing a lively nucleus that its beloved community can gather around, time and time again.
Get your tickets for Silent Recess here or follow TuckShop Assembly on Instagram for updates on future events.
This guest feature was written by Urvashi Raizada (@urvashiraizada)
Urvashi is a fan of all things four by four and more - from hard techno to psy trance, hip hop to heavy metal (but her heart belongs to psychedelic rock). Catch her fangirling about tracks and artists she loves on Instagram.
