Secret Galaxies presents a confluence of visual imageries based on the humanistic relationships with the night sky. Accessible by all and yet almost untouched by mankind, this celestial view plays many roles in our psyche and everyday lives. As we blur the hard lines that separate science, faith, art, and magic, it is through this convergent lens that we invite you to view these Secret Galaxies.

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Visuals: Brandon Tay
Audio: Kiat / Safaun Johari
Documentation: Djulian Chng

SYNDICATE x BRAINFEEDER session feat MonoPoly (LA)

Daisuke Tanabe (Japan) and Strangeloop (Los Angeles) were the surprise guests for the night.

Track Credit : Monopoly - Glow [Brainfeeder]
Videography & Edit : Afiq Omar

Audio-visual collective, Syndicate, will held its first music & visuals exhibition presenting the works of Strangeloop and Daisuke Tanabe at the Pigeonhole. Curated by the collectiveʼs first lady & Heineken Sound Council member, Cherry Chan, the two invited artists will not only unleashed their sounds, but they will also unveiled visual installation works in various media at the cozy independent café.

‘Godspeed’ is the first single from .gif's first full length album, ‘soma’.

stream / purchase soma at:
▶︎ iTunes: apple.co/1NQbig0
▶︎ Spotify: http://bit.ly/1MYBcjX
▶︎ Soundcloud: http://bit.ly/1LY6L9P
▶︎ Bandcamp: http://bit.ly/1lbIR5F
▶︎ Deezer: http://bit.ly/1QWw0Rz
▶︎ Juno: http://bit.ly/1RpN6Xt
▶︎ Amazon: amzn.to/1Tnp0eo

Video Credits:
Director: Christopher Fok
Executive Producers: .gif & Syndicate
Actors: Tan Xing Wei & Juffrie Friday
Director of Photography: Elliot Sng
Editors: Elliot Sng & Jeanette Lim
Camera Assistant: Jeanette Lim
Driver / PA: Yuji Kumagai, Ridhwan Hardi
Art Director: Marc Gabriel Loh

In ‘godspeed’, .gif pays homage to Eating Air by Kelvin Tong and Jasmine Ng, a seminal Singaporean film they have long adored. In lyric and spirit, the track clearly displays their shared affection for the film's exponents, and it’s an ardent sentiment they hope to mirror within the music’s visuals as well.

Co-written and directed by Christopher Fok and Elliot Sng, this music video imagines a solitary motorcycle sojourn undertaken by the narrative’s protagonist, Boy, set many years after Eating Air’s conclusion. The video features glimpses of the route of Boy's final ride in the story as his best friend, Ah Gu, slowly loses consciousness in the pillion seat. Being a wildly self-assured, gung-ho character, this pivotal moment is especially poignant as Ah Gu is, for once, reduced to silence and weakness.

As someone who finds regular solace in meditative midnight rides across the island, din has always felt a special connection with Eating Air. Beyond being a response to the film, the song and video are also an attempt to represent the wistful isolation and thoughtful romance of being alone on the road.

‘godspeed’ is the lead single off .gif's debut full-length album, soma, which explores themes of displaced ambition and entrapment. Whether in film or literature, the band has always been drawn to larger-than-life characters like Ah Gu, Blanche DuBois and Jay Gatsby – individuals with with grandiose delusions, but who ultimately are beaten down by reality.

HAHA OK
Created in collaboration: Syndicate and Lee Mun Wai Solo danced by: Lee Mun Wai
Music: Kiat
Visuals: Brandon Tay
March 2016. ArtScience Late series.

The second installation of the Syndicate Subsessions presents the first international guest of the series. Mercury Prize nominee, Jon Hopkins at The Substation Theatre in conjunction with British Council & Musicity, an initiative that sits at the intersection of music & architecture.

Known for his productions and studio contributions to albums by Brian Eno, Coldplay and David Holmes, Jon Hopkins started his career by performing keyboard for Imogen Heap. After releasing his seminal third album, Insides, in 2009, Hopkins developed an intense live show to support the release, resulting in club and festival performances across Europe and the United States.

Meanwhile, Syndicate’s own Max Lane explored the minimal side of things and wrote narratives to be delivered & sung by MC Masterpiece. Syndicate’s resident visualist, Brandon Tay held the visual fort for both performances.

Special thanks to Musicity UK, British Council & Substation for the support.

Track Credit : Jon Hopkins - Insides (Domino Records) dominorecordco.us/artists/jon-hopkins/
Videography : Flex
Post Production : Afiq Omar

Artiste Ben Eine had done a piece called ANTI ANTI ANTI on the opposite wall of Mother UK's office at the request of graphic design guru Neville Brody. Mother liked the piece so much that they asked Ben to paint on their side of the alley wall and PRO PRO PRO was made. youtube.com/watch?v=Ubf5to3vHCY

We found out from Jacob, our friend in Mother that this piece will actually be painted over soon. So we decided to do a little projection bomb on it, under the drizzly London weather in the middle of the night, just for fun...much to the interest of random passing cars with booming systems.

syndicate.sg

Special Thanks to Mother UK (especially the studio man who helped us print our gig poster & the runner with the ladder on this rainy sunday night) + Jacob Wright & Supashen for assistance & vibes!