Meet gif, the Singapore-based electronic duo showcasing at BIGSOUND

Header Image by Jonathan Kiat.

Over the last few weeks, we've slowly been introducing the world to a bunch of Singapore musicians performing at this year's BIGSOUND showcase this September; many of them making their Australian debuts in the process. First, there was Lincoln Lim, who makes "glistening indie-folk ballad that draws comparisons to names like Ben Howard and James Vincent McMorrow" as evident on his single Losing, while Caracal, who we met just two weeks back, specialise in this heavier punk-rock sound that feels in-line with the international heavy music wave slowly gaining speed; a comparison to Japan's heavy break-outs BABYMETAL an easy comparable. 

Now, we welcome to gif to the list and with it, we welcome a more electronic touch to the billing thus far. The duo, made of Weish and Din, work with this down-tempo electronica that feels slightly more left-field when compared to the Australian electronic market, bridging this gap between the experimentalism of Bjork collaborator Arca and acts like Kllo as they produce intricate, vocal-led music that really feels like a bright step into the future of what the genre holds. Their debut album, 2015's soma, is effectively a showcase of this sound and it seemingly paid off - the time since the album's arrival has been marked with constant touring and festival perfomances at Laneway Festival and even BIGSOUND previously - and it's something that they're aiming to double-down on with a long-overdue new album expected over the next few months.

There are more details to come in regards to that new album, but in the meantime, check them out at BIGSOUND Festival next week (!) and get to know the pairing a little better while you're at it:

Tell us about yourself?

We’re Weish and Din from .gif –– we met in university a few years ago, when Din was DJing and Weish was doing singer-songwriter things. One day in 2013, we decided to put our heads (and gear) together, and that was that!

What’s the vibe music-wise?

We’re an electronic/downtempo duo. We make stuff that you’d listen to on rainy days and for staring out the window on long road trips. Our upcoming album has a different vibe, though! Still depressing, but more… merrily so.

What are your production and writing processes like?

We work remotely a lot, even though we’re in the same studio. Through Dropbox, mainly! We’ll upload little riffs or beats and leave them in a shared folder. So, we’re constantly visiting the folder and discovering what the other person’s left in there, and then we’ll pick and choose what we’d like to start jamming on. It usually goes back and forth a few times before something close to a demo emerges. Weish does all the melody and lyric writing though.

We also have this pact, that we both need to like a song (or a beat, or riff, or melody) before we run with it. We’ve chucked tons of material in the bin just because one of us wasn’t vibing with it, but we’re probably all the better for it!

You’re playing the Singapore Showcase at BIGSOUND this year. Can you tell us a little bit about your space in the Singapore music scene, and how it feels to come over to Australia to showcase?

We’re pretty lucky because we sit in this weird space between the electronic acts and the live bands. Our tastes are very diverse, so we’ve always been at all kinds of gigs, from punk and hardcore gigs to drum and bass nights, so we kind of straddle many different music communities within the scene.

We’re also one of few acts in Singapore that fit right in on electronic–only lineups, but also on stage with other indie/pop bands. That’s why, even though both scenes are quite separate, we have listeners from both.

It’s actually our second time at BIGSOUND! Our first show at BIGSOUND went unexpectedly well. It was quite surreal because we had some Australian listeners who came down for our set. They knew all the words and were singing along to our songs; it was such a cool surprise. So…. we’re really excited to come play again!

What does 2019 have in store for you?

We’ve been working very hard on some brand-new material… it’s been a long process of sifting through dozens of songs and putting together an LP. Exciting times!

Where can we find more of your music?

We’re on all the major streaming platforms, like Spotify, TIDAL, Apple Music, etc. You can find everything on our website HERE!

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