SINGAPORE, Aug 15 — Music lovers, get your eardrums ready, Mosaic Music Festival will be returning next month.
This time, however, things are going to be a little different.
For starters, it’s no longer called the Mosaic Music Festival. After concluding its 10-day festival format in 2014, the music extravaganza will be coming back as the Mosaic Music Weekend.
It will feature a more compact, focused direction held over four days, with each day dedicated to a specific genre of music — jazz, singer-songwriter, electronic and pop, and indie and rock — through a line-up of ticketed and free programmes.
Besides the direction, something else has changed: The very music landscape Mosaic is returning to.
Musical backdrop
When Mosaic Music Festival was launched in 2005, multi-genre music festivals were a relatively new concept here. Fast forward 11 years, a slew of new and established festivals have since been introduced to Singaporeans, including St Jerome’s Laneway Festi-val, Neon Lights, The Esplanade’s own Baybeats and electronic dance music festivals ZoukOut and Ultra.
The influx of these festivals was part of the reason Mosaic Music Festival left in 2014.
According to Melissa Poon, programmer for The Esplanade: “We recognised that the festival had catalysed the growth of an audience for music festivals that were best served by commercial presenters. We also took the opportunity between 2014 and now to observe, and recalibrate — to see how we can better serve the evolving needs of our artistes and audiences, and add depth to a scene that is already well-served by commercial music presentations.”
Explaining why a multi-act event under the Mosaic arm was re-introduced, Poon also said: “There is an intensity of music experience that can only be achieved when more programmes are aggregated together over a longer period. So, we are presenting Mosaic Music Weekend, where our audiences can experience the diverse interpretations of a different music genre each day.”
However, now that Singaporeans are spoilt for choice when it comes to specialised music events, how will Mosaic Music Weekend fit into the picture?
Sussing out the competition
When it comes to indie music festivals, the one to beat would be St Jerome’s Laneway. The concept, brought in from Melbourne, Australia, sees multiple renowned and emerging international and local musicians take the stage.
Laneway has seen tremendous success since it held its first edition at Fort Canning Park in 2011, drawing greater crowds with an exciting line-up of performers every year, and partnering with brands such as H&M and Airbnb to provide fans a full festival experience.
Neon Lights, on the other hand, is a new contender in the music festival scene. Launched just last year, the event combines music and art, and provides fun for the whole family — which helps them stand out from the many festivals catered specifically to music-loving millennials.
Though new, Neon Lights has proven to be serious in its attempts to become Singapore’s foremost music festival. For their second-run this November, Neon Lights has engaged widely-adored bands such as Sigur Ros, the Foals and George Clinton, along with Singaporean acts such as Linying and Disco Hue.
As much as it seems that Singapore could soon be over saturated with options when it comes to music festivals, the truth is there is still a growing demand for large-scale music events like Mosaic, Laneway and Neon Lights.
As Danny Rogers, one of the founders of St Jerome’s Laneway Festival puts it, “Singapore is an international destination and people there consider themselves worldly. Therefore, they are always open to discovering new music. Competition is good, and keeps everyone thinking and trying to push new and greater heights. There are always going to be new events, and those who deliver a genuinely great show, respect their audience and are realistic with their operational costs generally survive.”
Declan Forde, festival director of Neon Lights, agrees.
“If people enjoy their experiences, there’s no reason why the demand for music festivals won’t continue to grow. It’s in our power as festival producers to impact this by creating and running the best events we can.”
Putting the pieces together
While there are plenty of different festival offerings within the current Singaporean music landscape, the key is that each of them brings something different and exciting to the table.
Laneway continues to shine with its large scale and Coachella-esque vibes; and Neon Lights entertains with its marriage of art and music for the young and old.
The Mosaic Music Weekend is about bringing the best of music from all around the globe to discerning listeners. Among the headliners for this year’s leg are singer-songwriters Lisa Hannigan and Patrick Wolf, TomGirl featuring Singapore’s own Cherie Ko and Oh, Flamingo!, a young indie-pop band from The Philippines.
“We continue to present and celebrate Singapore and international artists who may not necessarily have attained commercial success, yet have a high level of artistry and bring creative diversity to the world of music. We expose and introduce them and their music to a wider au-dience, giving audiences the opportunity to experience their music live,” said Poon.
Also, Mosaic Music Weekend has the benefit of being held in the Esplanade, a place literally built for an optimised sound and stage experience.
“Be it the pristine acoustics of the Concert Hall, or the immersive intimacy of a standing-room only Recital Studio, the setting ought to promise a high-fidelity music experience, stripped free of distractions so that it’s just the audience, the artist and the music,” added Poon.
With a dedicated platform made for music enthusiasts to simply enjoy music, the return of Mosaic Music Weekend will only elevate the current landscape, working in tandem with music festivals of the same ilk to make it more vibrant than before. — TODAY
* Mosaic Music Weekend runs from 1 to 4 September. Tickets are available from S$25 to S$88 (RM74.89 to RM263.64) at Esplanade Box Office and Sistic.
